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Saturday, January 4, 2014

Drink More Wassail

Even though holidays are officially over, the holiday spirit does not have to be! Celebrate the New Year with Wassail, a traditional hot mulled cider drank during the holidays to ensure a good harvest and promote happiness. Read more about it later. Here is a great Wassail recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 8 cinnamon sticks
  • 14 whole cloves
  • 2 quarts apple cider
  • 2 cups orange juice
  • 1 cup pineapple juice
  • dash of cinnamon powder
  • dash of nutmeg powder

Preparation:


In a large pot, combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and continue to simmer for at least one hour, depending on how flavorful you want it. Keeping the wassail simmering will intensify the cinnamon and clove in the drink. 

Enjoy this wonderfully wintery, warm wassail! 

Happy Holidays! 


Did you know?


Ever heard the holiday song, "Here we come a-wassailing"? If not, familiarize yourself with the culture of olde England and click here. Traditionally, there were two types of wassailing. The first, House-Visiting wassail, was a group of carolers traveling door to door singing songs of joy and prosperity. The second, Orchard-Visiting wassail, was a group of people visiting orchards to recite incantations and sing to the trees for a good harvest season. Wassail was consumed during both events. Some examples of songs they would sing are:

"Wassaile the trees, that they may beare / You many a Plum and many a Peare: / For more or lesse fruits they will bring, / As you do give them Wassailing.”

“Here's to thee, old apple tree, That blooms well, bears well. Hats full, caps full, Three bushel bags full, An' all under one tree. Hurrah! Hurrah!”

"Apple tree, apple tree, we all come to wassail thee, Bear this year and next year to bloom and to blow, Hat fulls, cap fulls, three cornered sack fills, Hip, Hip, Hip, hurrah, Holler biys, holler hurrah."

May this New Year bring success and happiness! 
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