Pliny the Elder, a famous philosopher of ancient Rome, once wrote that he considered the turnip to be the most important vegetable of his day, because “its utility surpasses that of any other plant”. He might have been on to something—could he have known about the turnip’s amazing wine-making capabilities as well?

Ingredients:

3 lbs Parsnips

½ pt Grape Conc.

1 cup Dry Malt

1 gal Water

1 ¾ lb Sugar

2 ½ tsp Acid Blend

½ tsp Energizer

1 Campden, crush

1 pkg Wine Yeast

FYI: This can all bought in one convenient package at letsmakefoodandwine.com!

Method:

1. Scrub clean, remove tops and rootlings. Chop into pieces, put into nylon straining bag and tie. Boil in the 1 gallon of water until tender, strain out (don’t press) juice.
2. Remove pulp, pour hot liquor over sugar in primary fermentor, and mix thoroughly.
3. Stir in remainder of water (cold) and all other ingredients except yeast. If hops or raisins are used put in tied straining bag. Cover primary.
4. After 24 hrs., add yeast. Cover primary.
5. Stir daily and check S.G.
6. When ferment reaches S.G. 1.040 (3-5 days), discard pulp, syphon wine off sediment into glass jug secondary. Attach airlock.
7. When ferment is complete (S.G. has dropped to 1.000—about 3 weeks) syphon off sediment into clean secondary. Reattach lock.
8. To aid clear syphon again in 2 months and again if necessary before bottling.

Tags: recipe, turnip, wine

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