May Day Mead Sima Recipes

SIMA (FINNISH SPRING MEAD)

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Bring the water to a steady boil.
• In the meantime, use a lemon zester or a potato peeler to remove the outer yellow rind of the lemons in strips. Peel or trim off the bitter inner white rind of the lemons and discard.
• Place the prepared lemon strips in a large glass or plastic (nonmetal and heatproof) container.
• Slice the peeled lemons and place them in the container with the zest, along with the brown sugar and white sugar.
• Once the water boils, pour it into the container with the lemons and sugar. Let it cool to lukewarm, then stir in the yeast.
• Cover and allow to sit at room temperature for 24 hours (and up to 48 hours), or until the surface begins to bubble slightly.
• Strain the liquid into clean glass bottles, quart jars, or plastic containers.
• Add 5 to 6 raisins and 1 teaspoon sugar to each bottle.
• Seal tightly and refrigerate for two to five days, or until the raisins float to the top of the bottles.
• Keep refrigerated and serve cool.

SIMA - FINNISH MEAD

Steps:

• Wash the lemons and peel them thinly. Remove the pith. Slice the lemons and place them with the peel and sugar in a sufficiently large vessel.
• Bring half of the water to the boil and pour it over the lemons, peel, honey or molasses and sugar. Stir and leave to stand covered for a while. Add the rest of the water cold. When the liquid is lukewarm add the yeast.
• Keep the mead at room temperature until it starts to ferment, i.e. about one day. Put a couple of raisins and 1 tsp of sugar into clean bottles, and strain the mead into the bottles. Loosely cork the bottles and store them in a cool place. The mead is ready when the raisins rise to the surface.

MAY DAY MEAD (SIMA)

Steps:

• 1. Wash the lemons and use a peeler to pick the yellow zest. 2. Cut and remove the bitter white peel off the lemon and cut the fruit pulp into thin slices. 3. Put the lemon slices and the yellow zest into a bowl of five liters. Add on the sugar. If you want darker or lighter mead then you may change the ratio of the sugars.
• 1. Bring half of the water into a boil and pour it into the bowl. Mix it even until the sugar has dissolved. 2. Add the rest of the water as cold. 3. Add the dry yeast when the liquid is 42°C or the fresh yeast when it's 37°C. 4. Cover the bowl and allow it to have an air hole. Let it ferment for about a day in room temperature.
• 1. Put about one teaspoon of sugar into the clean bottles, along with a few raisins. 2. Mix the mead even. Strain it into a clean, smaller kettle at first and then pour it into the bottles through a funnel. 3. Instead of a cap or cork use pieces of baking paper and a rubber band - this way you won't have to worry about too much pressure forming into the bottles. Put them in a place when there don't tip over easily. The cap may be used when the fermentation has nearly stopped.
• 1. Put the mead into the fridge and let it ferment slowly for a week or faster in the room temperature for three days. 2. The mead is ready to drink when the raisins have surfaced. Serve the mead as cold. It'll keep for about a week in the fridge.

SIMA (FINNISH SPRING MEAD)

Steps:

• Bring the water to a steady boil.
• Meanwhile, use a zester or vegetable peeler to remove the yellow outer rind from the lemons and place in a large non-metal, heatproof container.
• Peel, or trim, off the white rind and discard.
• Slice the lemons and place in the container with the zest. Add the brown sugar and white sugar.
• When the water boils, add it to the container with the lemons and sugar.
• Let it cool to lukewarm, then stir in the yeast.
• Cover and allow to sit out at room temperature for 24-48 hours, or until surface begins to bubble slightly.
• Strain the liquid into clean containers about 1 quart in size. Add 5-6 raisins and 1 tsp sugar to each container. Seal tightly and refrigerate 2-5 days, or until raisins float to the surface.
• Keep refrigerated and serve cool.