Tumbledown Scrumpy and Parsnip Wine

Tumbledown Parsnip Wine
Originally uploaded by garry.judd

When we moved into our new home, we inherited a veg patch and some fruit trees. We made pickled onions and beetroot and apple puree, but thought that we'd better do domething really useful and make some *booze*.

We took a load of apples to nearby Hopleys Nursery in Much Hadham where they had an apple juicing day and got a demi-john full of juice. We just put an airlock on and left it to ferment naturally with natural yeast. It started out a muddy brown colour, but as it fermented, it got lighter and looked like a rather nice scrumpy.

Yesterday was the tasting day!!! Unfortunately, a slip with the syphon sent the lees moving and clouding the scrumpy, so I've left it to settle again. However, I did get a tiny amount out to taste. It's very dry with a slightly vinegaryness to it. Doesn't sound too good in that description, but I've had worse!!! I've decided to syphon it into a new demi-john and to see if I can get it refermenting with a bit of sugar.

We also inherited two rows of parsnips...Many more than we needed for a winter of roast dinners, so we made a couple of gallons of parsnip wine. This is what the pic above is.

It's a lovely golden colour and has the consistency (and almost the strength) of a medium sweet sherry...It's very nice indeed and well worth the hours we spent boiling up the ingredients!!!

On the music front, I have just written a piece inspired by the septic tank.