Rhubarb Wine

I was given an old cookbook that was put together by members of St. Michaels Church in Frankenmuth, Michigan, 1976. Frankenmuth is an old town settled by mostly Germans. It's famous for it's Bavarian restaurants and year round Christmas store. There are some really interesting and unusual recipes in this book. It's missing it's cover and the recipes are written assuming that all women know how to cook, so many steps aren't written. If you are looking for an old German recipe, a farm recipe--like "brick cheese" etc, or just an old recipe, e-mail me and I will gladly post. For now, I will share what I find most unusual and interesting. I hope that you enjoy! I saw this recipe for Rhubarb Wine--not a lot of uses for Rhubarb--just something different. I don't know how much this makes, so yields are an estimate.

• Ready In: 504 hrs 30 mins
• Yields: 4 bottles

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 bushel rhubarb, diced
• 25  lbs sugar
• 12  oranges, sliced
• 1  fresh yeast cake, dissolved in lukewarm water

Directions

1. In a 10 gallon crock, put in rhubarb and cover with boiling water.
2. Let set 12 hours with cover over crock.
3. Remove rhubarb from juice.
4. To juice add sugar, oranges, and yeast.
5. Let set 21 days, stirring each day.
6. If juice is not clear after 21 days, continue to stir each day till clear and no bubbles come to top.
7. Strain through 4 layers of cheesecloth and bottle with caps not completely tightened.
8. For Strawberry Rhubarb Wine: Use above method but use only 1/4 bushel rhubarb and 10 quarts strawberries. Add 2 large jars of maraschino cherries for added color and taste.
9. Dandelion Wine: Use above method but use 1/2 bushel dandelion flowers (not greens). But use 6 oranges and 6 lemons, sliced, 1 lb raisins, 1 yeast cake and 25 lbs sugar.