Show 9: Herbal Wines and Beers

judsoncarroll4

Show 9: Herbal Wines and Beers

https://www.spreaker.com/user/13414994/show-9

 

In this show I discuss medicinal herbal wines and beers, their history and how to get started brewing.. plus a little colorful history... and a recipe for Julia Child's thyme infused hamburgers:

1-2 pounds ground beef (20% fat)

1 egg

1 tablespoon sour cream

1/2 medium onion grated

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

salt and pepper to taste

flour the patties and fry in butter and oil

karenjanicki

Those burgers sound really good! I'd like to do an herbal infused brandy :).

judsoncarroll4

https://community.thegrownetwork.com/discussion/comment/885120#Comment_885120

They really are good! What herbs are you thinking of using in the brandy?

Tave

Great job. I think this one is my favorite so far.

Project Gutenberg has electronic public domain books that you can download for free.

The Complete Herbal by Nicholas Culpeper from the 1600s and Madame Young's Guide to Guide to Health gives an interesting look at how herbs were used long ago.

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/49513

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/53875

judsoncarroll4

https://community.thegrownetwork.com/discussion/comment/885158#Comment_885158

Thanks! I have Culpepper's, but haven't read Madame Young - looking forward to it.

Torey

Great topic!

We have Sweetgale growing in coastal regions here in BC. We don't have Ledum palustre here but there are several other species of Ledum (or Rhododendron, now that they have reclassified things). I think I would prefer the Sweetgale in a brew.

Another very traditional wine is May Wine or Maiwein. It is one of the infused wines you mentioned, instead of brewed with the herbs. Sweet Woodruff is the main herb used but some recipes call for other additions. A couple of recipes here: https://germanculture.com.ua/library/weekly/aa042601b.htm

Thumb's up on "The Drunken Botanist"!

I have never done a flouring on burger patties before but I will try that next time we have them.

judsoncarroll4

https://community.thegrownetwork.com/discussion/comment/885176#Comment_885176

Thanks! I was just reading about May Wine last night in the old Rodale Herb Book, and wishing I had known about it in time for the show - oh well, maybe I'll make a batch and feature it next year. I also forgot such simple things as strawberry and mint in champagne.

The whole combo on those burgers is great! The onion, thyme and sour cream work incredibly well together. The nice browned crust from the flour and butter makes them perfect in my opinion!

judsoncarroll4

Oh, I just realized that some folks may not know who Popcorn Sutton was. He is a big folk hero in the Appalachians.... big part of Scots-Irish "outlaw" culture. With @Tave residing so far south of me and @torey residing so far north, I doubt y'all have ever heard of him... where do you live, @karenjanicki ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glQjCKAI4gA