Today, we will look into an important Yuletide tradition, wassailing! Here is a recipe and instruction to get you started, delivered by our Quick Post lass, Miss Ambrinna. Welcome to join our wassailing in Winterhome on 30th December. We will also go wassailing in the Shire and visit different farms there in the beginning of January. Come and join, it is fun!
Wassail - traditional with ceremony
Heat a large container of ale or beer, about 3 or 4 pints.
Add:
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup mixed spice (cinnamon sticks and whole cloves are also excellent)
2 or 3 small sweet apples, cut up
1 1/4 cup pineapple juice
1 1/4 cup orange juice
the juice of 2 lemons
Place over a slow flame; then, before it begins to boil, take off the heat and whip up some cream. Let this float on top of the brew like foam.
Put in a suitably large bowl (the more ornate the better).
Now go out to a tree or trees with a few friends (these don't have to be apple trees, since all can benefit from a well-intentioned blessing, but it is traditional to wassail fruit-bearing trees) Wet the roots liberally with the brew. Pass the rest around and when everyone is thoroughly warmed up sing a wassailing song, for example:
Here's to thee, old apple tree
Whence thou may'st bud and whence tho may'st blow
And whence thou may'st bear apples enow.
Hats full, caps full, bushel, bushel sacks full, And my pockets full too!
Lift your glasses to the tree and shout "Huzzah!" as loud as you can.
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