Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) is a member of the celery family, Apiaceae, that also includes parsley, carrots and poison hemlock. It is native to Eurasia and has been grown as a vegetable since ancient times and was used as a sweeter in Europe before sugar cane was known. Although a biennial, parsnip is usually grown as an annual for its fleshy, edible, cream-colored taproot that is usually eaten cooked but can also be eaten raw. My paternal grandmother, Helen S Wright, included three recipes for parsnip wine in her book, Old Time Recipes for Home Made Wines (published in 1909). Two of the three recipes begin with ample amounts of parsnips while the third only requires one pound. The two recipes using ample amounts of parsnips are essentially the same and one of them can be found here. The recipe below uses only one pound of parsnips and includes hops and more sugar than the other two.
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Parsnip Wine No. 2, in the words of my paternal grandmother:
Take one pound of parsnips cleaned and sliced. When the water boils, put in the parsnips, and boil till they are perfectly tender; drain through a sieve or colander without pressing. Immediately return it to the copper with fourteen pounds of loaf sugar; it will soon boil, being already hot, and what drips from the sieve may be added afterwards; one and one-half ounces hops, and boil it two hours. Ferment with yeast; let it stand four days to work in a warm place; and tun and paste paper over. It is most likely it will work up and burst the paper, which must be renewed. It may be cleared with isinglass, but will not require any brandy.
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