Celeriac Wine
Despite the ugly appearance of this root vegetable, it has a delicate "celery heart" taste without any of the stringy-ness of actual celery. It is actually a member of the Parsley family and no relation of Celery at all. I found no other references to Celeriac being used for wine - so maybe this recipe is a first!
It comes out as a sherry type wine with a sweet, rich, full-bodied flavour. It also cleared brilliantly to a golden colour.

Ingredients: -

• 3lbs Celeriac
• 1 large lemon
• 3lbs Sugar
• 1lb Sultanas
• 1lb Barley
• Yeast
• Tannin
• Yeast nutrient
• Water

Method: -

• Peel and cube the celeriac and add to pan with the pared rind of the lemon (avoiding any white pith, as this will make it bitter).
• Boil in 3 pints of water until the celeriac is just tender.
• Remove the celeriac from the pan* but leave the lemon.
• Add the sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved - use a gentle heat and don't boil.
• When sugar is dissolved turn off the heat.
• Add the barley and sultanas and stir.
• Add the juice from the lemon and then leave to cool to lukewarm.
• Meanwhile start the yeast with a little sugar in a cup of lukewarm water.
• When the yeast is working add to the must with the Yeast nutrient and the tannin.
• Transfer to a fermenting bin with a lid and leave in a warm place to ferment.
• Squeeze the sultanas at least three times in the first week and stir at the same time.
• Leave to ferment for another week and then transfer to a demijohn - straining through fine muslin as you do.
• Fit fermentation lock and proceed as usual. Bottle when all activity has stopped.

*You can use the cooked celeriac to make soup. Soften an onion and 2 leeks in some stock at the same time as you make the wine. Then add the celeriac and cook on for 10 mins. Liquidise half the soup and season to taste.

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