Gaia's Garden : Recipes : Drinks

1 or 2 Oranges
2 or 3 Lemons
1 Tsp Honey
2 or 3 Cloves
Cinnamon Stick
(Ginger)*
Water

Squeeze the juice from the Oranges and Lemons and place in a saucepan. Cut up the rinds and remaining fruit flesh and add to the saucepan. Add up to half a cup of water and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down to simmer and add the Honey, stirring well. Bruise the Cloves and add them to the mix, along with the Cinnamon stick. Simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring [and squishing the fruit remains/rinds] occasionally. Remove the fruit rinds, cloves and cinnamon stick and pour the liquid into a mug. Don't strain out the small fleshy pulpy bits - leave these in and drink them up too!
The best sore throat and cold buster drink I know - and very yummy!! [The number and ratio of Oranges / Lemons can be altered to suit your taste - as can the quantity of water - I generally use less than half a cup of water, I like my drink to be quite strong].
*A little ginger root can be added at the same time as the cinnamon stick - or sprinkle on a little ground ginger to taste.

Place the elderflowers in a pot. Press the lemons over the flowers. Boil the sugar with the water, (sugarliquor). And pour it over the flowers. Let the lemonade stay in the refrigerator for 3 days. Strain off the flowers.

To each quart of berries add 1 quart boiling water and a small piece of bruised whole ginger. Let them steep for 10 days and stir well each day. then strain and to each quart of liquid add 1lb of loaf sugar. When dissolved, bottle up but do not cork tightly until the fermentation has ceased.
This recipe was passed down to me by my father (his dad had passed it to him) so appologies for the vague nature of it! As I write this I'm still learning the ins and outs of wine making but this is one of my favourites so far!!!

1 bottle of good red wine
2 oranges
cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon of allspice
1/2 centimetre piece of fresh ginger
1 1/2 cups of water
2 tablespoons sugar or honey,

Stud the oranges with cloves and put in a hot oven until golden in colour and aromatic. Leave to cool. In to a large sauce pan add water, sugar, and spices,cook on low heat until sugar has melted and all ingredients are well combined. Slice oranges , add to pan. Finally add the wine stir over low heat until warmed through, then serve.
Can also be served chilled witha dash of ginger ale or lemonade , for a cool summer drink.
The red wine can be substituted for milk for an interesting and relaxing drink.

Gently was the lemons and peel the rind thinly. Put the rind and sugar into a heatproof jug. Bring the water to the boil and pour over. Cover and cool. Stirring occasionally. Then add the juice of the same 3 lemons. Strain and serve chilled.

1 Mango
1/2 Canteloupe Melon
1 big handful of Strawberries
1 handful of Seedless Grapes
3 Oranges

Skin and destone the Mango and chop into chunks. Remove the seeds and skin from the Melon and chop into chunks. De-stalk the strawberries. Peel the Oranges and segment. Add ingredients slowly to the Juicer to create a delicious, fruity thirst quencher.

Honey Mead
submitted by Ash

Take a quart (2 pints) of honey and 7 quarts of water; of bay, rosemary and hyssope of each a sprigg. Mix them together and boil them for half an hour and then let stand till it is clear. Then put in a pot with a tap and set new yeat on it, and let it work until it is clear.Then bottle it up and let it be two months old before you drink it. It can be drunk before, but the more you keep it, the brisker it is!

3 Conference Pears
3 Kiwi Fruits
1 Apple
1/2 Grapefruit
1/2 Small Honeydew Melon

Remove seeds from Melon and cut off rind. Cut and core apple [leave the skin on]. Slice off the top of the Kiwis and scoop out flesh. Chop up Pears, removing the top and bottoms. Chop and peel Grapefruit. Add all the ingredients to a Juicer to create a delicious thirst quenching juice drink, which has a slight citrus kick! Makes roughly 1 pint.
Optional Extra : Add a spoonful or two of natural yoghurt to make a creamier [but not so thirst quenching] drink..

8 pints boiling water
1 lemon, sliced
25g / 1oz ginger root, chopped, or 1 tablespoon ground ginger
45og / 1lb / 2 cups sugar
15g / 1/2oz fresh yeast
1 slice toast

Pour the water over the lemon, ginger and sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves. Spread the yeast on the toast and add to the liquid when it is lukewarm. Stand for 12 hours in a warm place/ Strain and bottle. Tie or cork down securely and put in a cool place. This is ready to drink in a week's time.
Makes 8 pints.

9 oz / 250 g fresh beetroot
1/2 in / 1 cm piece of fresh horseradish
1/2 grapefruit

1. Juice all three ingredients and mix well.
2. Pour into a small tumbler and serve garnished with a little extra grated horseradish.
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This immune boosting drink is beneficial to the blood and tissue-healing, and is also detoxifying. Contains Vitamins C & folate; copper, iron. magnesium & zinc

1/4 cup [50 ml] fresh rose hip infusion
1/4 cup [50 ml] apple juice
2 tbsp [25 ml] lemon juice
1/4 cup [50 ml] seedless grapes, halved
1 plum, peeled, pitted and chopped
4 frozen strawberries
1tbsp [15 ml] fresh rose petals

In a blender, combine rose hip infusion, apple juice, lemon juice, grapes, plum, strawberries and rose petals. Process until smooth. Serves 1.

Pour 900ml/1 1/2 pints of boiling water over 4 tsp of China Tea. Strain it off after 5 minutes, let it cool and add 4 tsp of sugar and 2 tbsp of freshily squeezed Lemon juice. Freeze to a mush. Serve with a sprig of Mint.

Take 2 gallons of cold water and a good pailful of washed young Nettle tops, add 3 or 4 large handsful of Dandelion, the same of Clivers (Goosegrass) and 2 OZ. of bruised, whole ginger. Boil gently for 40 minutes, then strain and stir in 2 teacupsful of brown sugar. When lukewarm place on the top a slice of toasted bread, spread with 1 OZ. of compressed yeast, stirred till liquid with a teaspoonful of sugar. Keep it fairly warm for 6 or 7 hours, then remove the scum and stir in a tablespoonful of cream of tartar. Bottle and tie the corks securely. The result is a specially wholesome sort of ginger beer.

Unless stated otherwise these recipes are by Gillie Whitewolf © Gaia's Garden. Where recipes read 'submitted by' or 'from...' they are © stated author / book.