Vanilla Meadowsweet Mead
This enchanting Vanilla Meadowsweet Mead offers a floral twist on a classic beverage, blending the rich sweetness of raw honey and luscious vanilla beans with aromatic meadowsweet. Perfect for sipping on a summer evening or sharing with friends, this mead is sure to impress with its unique flavor profile. With simple ingredients and a nurturing fermentation process, you can craft a truly delightful drink.
ingredients
- Cold new water - 14 cups
- Raw honey - 4 pounds (1.8 kg)
- Vanilla beans - 2
- Meadowsweet leaves and blossoms - 578
- Campden tablets - 2
- Acid mix - 1 teaspoon
- Yeast - 1 teaspoon For the yeast starter:
- Raw honey - 2-4 tablespoons
- Boiling water - 1 cup
- Champagne yeast - 1 packet
- Yeast supplement - 1/8 teaspoon
steps
- 1.
Prepare the yeast starter by dissolving 2-4 tablespoons of raw honey in 1 cup of boiling water. Stir well and let it cool down to room temperature.
- 2.
Once cooled, sprinkle in the champagne yeast and yeast supplement. Stir gently and let it sit for about 15-20 minutes until frothy.
- 3.
In a large sanitized fermentation vessel, add the 14 cups of cold new water.
- 4.
Gradually mix in the 4 pounds of raw honey, stirring until fully dissolved.
- 5.
Split the vanilla beans open and scrape the seeds into the mixture, then add the whole beans for extra flavor.
- 6.
In a small bowl, crush the meadowsweet leaves and blossoms gently to release their aroma, then add to the fermentation vessel.
- 7.
Crush the Campden tablets and dissolve them in a bit of water, then add to the mixture to sanitize it.
- 8.
Stir in the acid mix and allow the mixture to sit for 24 hours, covered but not sealed tight.
- 9.
After 24 hours, add the prepared yeast starter to the mixture and stir gently.
- 10.
Seal the fermentation vessel with an airlock and place it in a cool, dark area for fermentation (about 4-6 weeks).
