Just put a batch of this wine on last weekend. Made some a few years ago, it never made the bottle, stayed in the demijohn and then decanter. Going to taste some now, golden/amber colour, strong heavy taste, slightly sweeter than I prefer, syrupy (maybe I over did the sugar at 2 weekly intervals), still tastes great, no complaints. (prefer to drink parsnips than eat them!).
4lb parsnips
3lb demarara sugar
1 gal of cold water
1/2 oz hops
Prepared juice of 1/2 lb raisins***
1 orange
1 lemon
campden tablets
pectic enzyme
G.P wine yeast
Yeast nutrient
*** Prepare raisin juice. cover risins in a bowl with boiling water and leave for 24 hours. Press out the juice and strain ready for use.
Scrub parsnips well but don't peel. Slice thinly into a large pan. Pour on 1 gal of cold water and bring to the boil. Simmer until the parsnips are tender but not mashy. Add 1/2 oz hops and simmer for half an hour.
Put 3lb demarara sugar into a plastic bucket with the raisin juice and chopped peels and juices from the orange and lemon, avoid getting the pith in. Strain the parsnip liquid onto this. Stir well and leave until luke warm. Pop in a crushed campden tablet and the pectic enzyme, cover and leave for 24 hours in the warm. Add the yeast and yeast nutrient. Cover the bucket and leave for 12-14 days, stir daily.
Strain into a demi-john, fit an air-lock and put in the warm . Add a tablespoon of demarara sugar at 2 week intervals until the wine has finished working.
Keep racking and allow to clear before bottling.
Leave for at least a year.
Jamie
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