Winter Wassail Food

WINTER WASSAIL

Steps:

• Pour cider into large kettle, add spices and salt. Bring to a hard boil, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes
• Remove from stove, add sugar to taste, if needed.
• Cool. Strain wassail. Keep in a cool place till ready to use, but it is not necessary to refrigerate.
• To prepare a wassail bowl: Use a heavy china bowl, a crock pot or a punch bowl.
• Heat it over a large kettle of boiling water. Add lemon and orange slices.
• When warm, add gin or vodka and let it heat, but do not boil or spirits will evaporate. Remove from heat.
• Pour in the boiling wassail. If possible keep the bowl hot over a candle or alcohol burner. Ladle into punch cups and serve.

HOLIDAY WASSAIL WITH ALCOHOL

Steps:

• In one saucepan, heat: 1 gallon unfiltered apple cider and 2 cups baked (peeled apples) cut into medium small pieces
• In another saucepan, boil for 5 minutes: water, sugar, nutmeg, ginger, mace, cloves, allspice berries and cinnamon sticks.
• In another saucepan, boil: cream sherry and brandy.
• In a small mixing bowl, mix until firm - stiff but not dry: 3 egg whites.
• In a large mixing bowl - mix until creamy: 3 egg yokes - light in color.
• Now fold egg whites into egg yokes and add spice mixture a little at a time, stirring constantly.
• Next add booze
• Next add cider mixture.
• Serve warm. I've served it in a punch bowl and in a large pot on the stove. Right before serving, I usually take out the allspice berries and cloves so people don't choke on them. If I find out that the wassail has cooled down, I re-heat it.

CHRISTMAS WASSAIL

Steps:

• Pour apple cider, pineapple juice, and cranberry juice into a stockpot. Place orange slices, cinnamon sticks, allspice berries, and cloves in a muslin pouch or directly into the apple cider mixture. Bring apple cider mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until flavors have blended, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove orange slices and spices before serving.

WINTER WASSAIL

Steps:

• Tie first 3 ingredients together in a piece of cheesecloth or coffee filter.
• Bring cider and sugar to a boil in a large saucepan. Add spice bag; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove spice bag and discard.
• Stir in orange juice and remaining ingredients; simmer 5 minutes or until heated. Serve hot.

HOLIDAY CLASSIC WASSAIL

Steps:

• Place the cinnamon sticks, cloves, and allspice in the center of a large paper coffee filter. Fold the ends over and roll up burrito-style. Tie closed with dental floss or thread, leaving long ends.
• Mix apple juice concentrate with water as directed on can (you should end up with 6 cups of juice).
• In a saucepan combine apple juice, cranberry juice, sugar, and bitters. Bring to a boil. Tie the ends of the "spice bag" string to the middle of a wooden spoon and lay the spoon over the top of the pot so that the "spice bag" hangs in the juice without touching the bottom of the pot. Reduce heat and simmer at least 10 minutes.
• Remove from heat and add rum.
• Once I've made the wassail and added the rum, I pour this into a crock pot on low temp so that the warm wassail can be served up throughout the evening!