This year I have decided to do a single batch of Prune & Parsnip, and consequently will do a double batch of Orange Wine next month. Whilst I am certain that I am not drinking less, it feels like I am drinking more proper wine, which means that the home-made stuff is accumulating rather.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCQPK023SyP-w61377_8rPCiI5K6CefNtZBBvC0MZb5xpTzp17z_hRwsEPGW1gUTZJfbY3I_leRWOdn3MOC9CeDTmhywuPxXDRAJfTvsPqONR6cYN4aVxB6eMdaarVMTJqxNI7kJbTww0/s320/IMG_20200208_153615.jpg) |
The Fruit & Veg stall where I bought parsnips |
I bought my parsnips on 8th February from Kirkgate Market. I was in town anyway because I had a WYSO meeting with Jude & Katie (which ended with me sitting in Leeds Town Hall listening to the BBC Phil rehearse the
Romeo & Juliet Overture) followed by the last night of playing in the pit for
Don Giovanni. So I went to one of the Fruit & Veg stalls and bought the 2 lbs of parsnips required for this wine. My server looked about 14 - and very probably he was. I think 14 year-olds are allowed to have Saturday jobs.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-pRzDkQv7orDE5d_Qr-FcuSGBOQYZUEAy0QtpqZ8eV57LqdCgCS5hsQo5SILJLPBn3N5_WtUYecHfzBZYotVruF80KPBWAA4TTdksLjAmHG06Z_NGPrrMeGCJwgvx-9-DaoKnyhFzrek/s320/IMG_20200210_153701.jpg) |
Prunes & Parsnips |
Whilst I meant to make the wine on Sunday I delayed it until Monday 10th February, which I had taken off from work to recover from a week of Mozart. I cut the parsnips into small pieces and boiled them in 8 pints of water for 20 minutes (bringing the parsnips in cold water up to the boil rather than putting them directly into the boiling water).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdSmWzs9agjdrM2KMQkGaZhpUhGFm9xtnvzjuFG8hJmUj9u-LBqGVRv0vsIvICdK5YvwQHpkny2vlmQOWahbRfrzYQVYFJzO2ZzLJF5syfAmGftzWjeg4bRu2dIn1645i1urQ7Q6lIy9M/s320/IMG_20200215_171352.jpg) |
Weighing the ingredients |
I sliced up 8 oz prunes into three or four pieces per prune and put these into my bucket along with 2 lbs 12 oz sugar. Once the parsnips had finished boiling I poured the water into the bucket, leaving the parsnips to one side. Claire used a small selection of these to make a curried mashed parsnip dish, which was rather good.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI1WTQdxpP79L-D0DW0zwuL2QXkpZgnBNHi5ViTzdcG7chBkKna7dUW8IZvTPTTVcgImKSHvy_g8JK8ZKYMCEKCVqzYfjzpEvfhKfxHJ4GjvH1B-ZbkLMJ1gDkaFKhmRwys7nfPSC101M/s320/IMG_20200215_171808.jpg) |
Chopping the parsnips |
In the evening, after an Airedale Symphony Orchestra rehearsal, I put in a teaspoon each of yeast, nutrient and pectolase and then pretty much ignored the wine until Saturday morning, 15th February. That was when I put the wine into its demijohn. As the only thing to sieve out was the prunes, I did not bother with a colander. It was not a long process. The amount of water used was just about perfect and I now have a demijohn full of the brownest of wines.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2JZX-JB3CtFIyCOPUG8NisgbLmrkyfcd5RyaYgpnbAeYVPPoXhSvS9chLGDRWyQ6suf-4NUB6sImwODxi7ujY6KKYXPTDiitSrU3sCemRYZ8O7dYCUywJ0ILMxztn5swnjFCh2PIW9ro/s320/IMG_20200215_152059.jpg) |
The brownest of wines |
By racking on 12th April 2020, this had cleared beautifully and needed little additional sugar. I dissolved 1 oz in half a pint of water and poured this in.
If you want to see how this wine turned out, click
here.
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