Cassell's dictionary of cookery

Raisin Wine (another way). — A raisin wine possessing the flavour of Fontaigne may be made in the following manner: — Take six pounds of raisins, boil them in six gallons of water, and when perfectly soft rub them through a colander to separate the stones. Add the pulp to the water in which the raisins have been boiled, pour this mixture upon twelve pounds of white sugar, and suffer it to ferment, with the addition of half a pint of yeast. When the fermentation has nearly ceased, add to it a quarter of a peck of elder flowers contained in a bag, which should be suspended in the cask, and removed when the wine has acquned the desired flavour. "\\Tiicn the wine has become clear, it may be drawn off into bottles. — Accum. Raisin Wine (another way).— Upon twenty-four pounds of raisins picked from the stalks pour six gallons of boiling water, and add six pounds of sugar ; let them macerate about fourteen nights, stirring every day ; then pour off the liquor, squeeze out the raisins, and add three-quarters of a pound of finely powdered super-tartrate of potash. Put the liquor into a cask, reserving a sufficient quantity for filling up, and run off the wine when the fermentation has ceased. RAI ( 704) RAM Raisin "Wine Vinegar.— Raisins from ■which wine has been made will make excellent vinegar, and as the stalks are very acid care should be taken to pick them out, and throw them into the cask in which the vinegar is being made. Take the raisins which have been used to make nine gallons of wine. Put with them the dregs and stalks, and pour four gallons of hot water over the whole. Cover the tub, and stir its contents occasionally. When no more goodness is to be got out of the fruit, strain the liquor, put it into a cask, and let it stand nine or ten months before it is bottled. Raisin Wine with Cider.— Be sure that the cider is perfectly sound and good, and take five pounds of fine Malaga raisins for each gallon of cider that is to be used. Put the fruit and the cider into a cask, stir it every day for four days, bung it closely, and leave it untouched for six months. Draw it off into a clean cask of a suitable size, add a bottle of fine brandy, and bung it again. Bottle at the end of twelve months. Raisin Wine with Cider (a light wine) — Cut thirty pounds of Malaga raisins, take out the stones, put them into a tub, and pomover them five gallons of boiling water ; add the rind of ten Se^alle oranges and their juice ; stir all well ten minutes, and let them infuse ten days, closely covered up, stirring every day. Press the fruit in a hair bag, and strain the liquor through a fine sieve, put it into a sweet ten-gallon cask, and fill up with strong cider. Stir it twenty minutes, cover the bimg-hole with a tile, and let it ferment four or five days, filling up the cask as the liquor works out. When it has ceased hissing, dissolve half a pound of sugarcandy and an ounce of isinglass in two quarts of the wine ; pour it into the cask, stir well, and in two hours afterwards add a quart of French brandy. Stop up the bung, paste paper over it, put sand upon that, and leave it twelve months in a cool cellar. You may then bottle it, seal the corks, and keep it nine or ten months in the bottles. — Robinson.