Sunday, January 14, 2007

Beetroot Wine – Sweet wine


"Wine is bottled poetry."
Robert Louis Stevenson

Yes it is !! I had been on wine country and wine tasting tours a couple of times last year. Now I have become a huge fan of dessert wines/Sweet wines. But a nostalgia engulfs me whenever I stroll through the wine section of supermarkets; the flavour of that sweet wine I tasted years back, at a Kerala-christian wedding, rushes back followed by a strange craving for the sweet wine my mother makes….Finally, I decided to take a risk. It was X’mas time and I tried my mother’s recipe for Beetroot wine; it turned out to be a great hit ! The beauty is that none can guess its beetroot as it’s quite fruity in aroma and flavour. Many of our friends raved a lot about it and you believe it or not, I did get some calls asking for more wine!!!! So here’s your chance to fetch some compliments; the recipe follows:

Ingredients: (Approx.)
Beetroot : 1 kg
Sugar : 1 kg (50 oz)
Yeast : 1 tsp
Lemon : 2 small ones
Water : 3.5 litres
Cinnamon : 3-5 small sticks
Clove : 7nos
Warm water : ½ cup

Directions :
1. Wash the beetroots and peel off the skin and finely grate them.
2. Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water with ½ tsp sugar and let it rise.
3. Boil 3.5 litres of water in a clean saucepan.
4. Add the grated beetroot to the boiling water and leave it till it cooks.
5. When the beetroot is cooked, turn off the stove and once it is lukewarm, strain the mixture preferably to a Bharani or any earthenware container or a glass jar and leave the grated portion. Use a cheesecloth or muslin cloth for straining the liquid.
6. Once you are done with straining, add the sugar and dilute well with a wooden spatula; then add the squeezed lime juice and the dissolved yeast. At this stage, add the cinnamon sticks and cloves as well.
7. The container should be airtight and store it, in a dark space, for fermentation for 15 days. On the 4th or 5th day, open the container and stir it with a wooden spatula and let it rest till the 15th day.
8. After the fermentation process, strain it once more to make sure that there are no residues and bottle the wine and rack them at room temperature in a cupboard.
9. Serve with a fruit cake and a smile :)

Tips:
The colour of the wine will be exactly that of the beetroot used; So make sure that good quality beetroots are used. Also, for the yeast to convert sugar into alcohol, it is mandatory to keep the oxygen out and hence make sure that container is airtight. The alcoholic and the mild fizzy effect also depend on the quality of the yeast used. Please ensure that the fermentation jars and bottled wines are not filled fully; leave some room. Once they are bottled, it can be used any time; it’s better not to age this particular wine as the colour may be compromised and taste also changes. The sweetness of the wine is as per our family choice; you are free to increase or decrease the quantity of sugar but I suggest doing that only after your first trial as you get an idea how much to change and can make adjustments accordingly next time.

Related Posts:

Fruit Cake Pineapple wine Grape wine

Cheers!
Shn
No part of the content ( articles, photographs, recipes) of this blog may be reproduced without my written permission.Copyright © 2007-2010 Kitchenmishmash.blogspot.com. All rights reserved.

29 comments:

  1. I will comment on this after 15 days..

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hey Mishmash,
    This one sounds so interesting, just the right thing to try for my explorative cooking habits. I have just the right decant for this experiment. Shall keep you posted
    Cheers
    N

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Rajeev & Nandita, pls do let me know how it comes out. Make sure that wine is fermented in an airtight glass container or an earthenware before pouring into the decanter.Good luck! And Welcome to my blog :)

    Shn

    ReplyDelete
  4. Looks exactly like grape vine. Will only be able to try it in winters, since beetroots are plenty then. Cant wait

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Shn,
    Was recently introduced to your blog, and am now constantly checking it for updates and recipes which I have never tried before. A quick question though - would you happen to know how much this preparation yields in milliliters? Thanks!!
    S

    ReplyDelete
  6. Mary Sam, thanks for dropping by and I am sorry if am I late in responding to your doubt. Mililitres, mm...that would be a bit difficult one, but u can use this link below to make the conversions.
    http://www.convert-me.com/en/convert/cooking

    you will get 2-3 bottles of wine..It will be definitely as much as the water amount you use.

    Shn

    ReplyDelete
  7. hi,
    love all your recipes especially the fish fry and the stew!
    will definitely try out this recipe too. just a suggestion: could u post pics of what the ingredients will look after each step..just so that, amateur cooks like me will know if they are going in the right direction :P
    also do you know how to make ginger wine?
    merry christmas and a happy new year!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thanks Mishmash for this great yet simple recipe.. I got a lot of appreciation for making this wine.. that you once again

    ReplyDelete
  9. HI!

    I love ur all post specially the Wine ones. Can u tell me which king of yeast you have used cream based or active dry yeast, or Instnat yeast. Plz reply to my query. I'm very curious coz i want to make this wine...

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi
    where can i get the muslin cloth or cheesecloth

    ReplyDelete
  11. Check with craft stores like Micheal's, Joanns, Hobby Lobby or the craft section of super markets, else use any fine cotton fabric

    ReplyDelete
  12. Please move a bit the images from the write ups, i cant follow your beetroot wine.........because of this
    Hope u would do the needful

    ReplyDelete
  13. Dear Mish Mash,

    I will try your wine for this X'mas, I have a doubt, and in the ingredients you said take 3.5 litters of water but in the Direction you said boil only 3 liters of water and also in ingredients you said use warm water – ½ cup, but you didn’t mention anything about it in the Direction. Please clarify

    Sherly, Dubai

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hi Shn

    I have seen quite a few recipes on home made wines. Somehow I felt you are truthful in your recipe and hence I am trying it out presently. Right now the wine is maturing and is 5 days old. Just today I have stirred it and fixed the lid back tightly.

    I have read at some other blogs that we need to strain once on the fifth day. Do I need to do it ? I do find some very very small beetroot particles on the froth.

    Other Blogs refer to sediments getting deposited at the end of the maturing period. Would there be any sediments at the end of the maturing period in this wine also. If so, am I to gently siphon the top wine and leave the sediments.

    The 15 Days count, starts from the first day or the day I have stirred it and kept it aside?

    After fully maturing, can I transfer the wine into a plastic container for storing, or it needs to be put in a glass jar only?

    Hope you would take some time to guide me in making this fine wine.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Shn!

    i dont have a bharani :( is there any alternative for this?

    Lemme know.. pls.. hubby thinks am a index cook (knows only limited recipes) - i wanna give hm a surprise with this wine..

    Luv
    Liya

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hello Mishmash,
    am in the process of making this wine and Im at the end of the fermentation stage. what i would like to know is do you have to use wine finnings to clear the wine.
    cheers

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hi Mishmash,
    Your site is so interesting.. couldn't take my eyes off from
    your recipes that are posted
    ...can u tell me how many beetroots to be used in beetroot wine
    it would be of great help

    ReplyDelete
  18. Something went wrong with my grape wine and the grapes did not float on top, i have added more yeast after 10 days. Will it work ? - Reena ( Dubai)

    ReplyDelete
  19. actually its sounds so good , now am gonna make beetroot wine right now , do am going to the market for buying the beetroot . anyway thanks for your great information bossssss...

    my name is Arun from Trichur , Kerala

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hi Shn:

    I am here to tell you a BIG THANK YOU.

    Right now am getting lots of appreciation for this Beetroot wine, so sharing it with you too..:)

    ReplyDelete
  21. In your ingredients you use a lemon, but in the steps you say add line juice.

    Im looking forward to making this over the next few days as we have so much beetroot in our garden. I was just wondering which to use, lime or lemon?

    can either be used? what would the differences be?

    Thankyou for the wonderful recpie

    ReplyDelete
  22. Hi Mishmash. I am on my second batch of this fabulous recipe. The first one came out beautifully, although I did find it needed a bit longer in fermentation process, the finished article is a fabulous colour and tastes a bit like port. Thank you

    ReplyDelete
  23. I am so thrilled to have found your blog!
    I used to make wine using Thangam Philip's book but I do not have it anymore.
    Since it is winter in Delhi should I do anything specific to make the yeast rise?
    Also, how long approximately to cook the beetroot? Or else how to tell it is done?
    What is the approx volume of the bharani?
    Lastly, can transparent bottles be used to store the wine and should one continue to keep it in a dark place?
    Thanks :)

    ReplyDelete
  24. This wine came out excellent! Thank you so much!

    ReplyDelete
  25. This was simply great-easy and wonderful. Do you think I can try this with carrots?

    ReplyDelete
  26. Hey mishmash

    do you remember where your mother had the recipe from.
    I just wondered if the beetroot wine is in any way connected to legends of kvasirs blood, of the norse mythology, the mead of poetic inspiration and visdom.
    best Anders

    ReplyDelete
  27. The temperature at which wine is served can make or mar its taste. Wine chiller can be set to keep different types of wines stored at the proper temperature for serving. Wine coolers are mostly required for white or sparkling wines. The sparkling wines and Champagne should be completely chilled before serving.

    wine accessories

    ReplyDelete
  28. Hello Mishmash...

    Was just wondering what is the reason behind stirring the wine after 5 days? Also, if after 5 days, we find the wine tastes bitter, what can we do to remedy it?

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.