Nastia Grooper's Super StuporFraction!

Drawing by ana traina

Yes, Bluejay Souffle Tuesday had arrived and Nastia Grooper began (perhaps a little on the late side) her peppery preparations for her very fashionable party that eventide. She languidly strolled out to her vegetable garden, ready to pick and pluck some plump carrots for her infamous, Orange ’n Bluejay Tangatangtang Souffle. The sun was just about to go down on the cloudless day, her thoughts were running wild, delightfully woolgathering as she titivated herself with all the titillating tales the other lemony, or dare I say limey, ladies would say after sampling her light and heavenly souffle as fluffs and flummeries were still all the rage!! With each unhurried step, she pondered more and more on the necessary ingredients...

• 1 3/4 pounds carrots, chopped up

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

• 2 tablespoons flour

• 3 eggs, well-beaten w/solar mixer

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine (room temperature)

• powdered sugar

Then she even made some more mental notes as she merrily strolled down memory lane. “Boil carrots until they're extra, extra soft,” she mumbled out loud. “Drain well and put into a large mixing bowl...” Nastia stopped and mused, thinking mischievously upon how she was a mixtress maven.

Continuing on this path she even re-remembered, that one should not be tempted to use cinnamon or nutmeg, which one would assume must be a vital ingredient.  While the must be mushy carrots are still warm, add: sugar, baking powder, and vanilla. Beat with mixer until smooth. Add flour and MIX well. Add whipped eggs and MIX well. Add butter and well, MIX. Pour mixture into baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 1 hour or until top is a light golden brown and then gaily sprinkle, lightly, with powdered sugar over top before serving. 

Now, just imagine, if you will, Nastia’s surprise when she unsuspectingly found that she had been the victim of a most heinous and terrible crime. Yes, you have guessed it right! Nastia’s garden patch had been stripped bare to the very tippy top of the carrot tops, by the likes of the unsavory and notorious Rabbit Patch Gang!

Betwixted, between and bewitched, Nastia knew not what to do! She bravely thought about her grandfather’s roast possum stew with beer gravy mixed with chopped brussel sprouts, but of course that would never, never, never suffice! 

Nastia near stumbled and fell, so she sat on a nearly by rock to steady herself and the only thing that came to mind was some little words from Mrs. Child’s, “American Housewife”, ‘cup and cake. Cup ‘n cake is about as good as pound cake, and is cheaper. One cup of butter, two cups of sugar, three cups of flour, and four eggs, well MIXED(thank goodness) together, and baked in pans or cups. Bake twenty minutes, and no more.’

Scott Cohen's Manly Diary - Musing on Kipling -

photo by ana traina

Leviathan no where. The crew wearies upon my sole vengeance. 
I think back to a time some 15 year ago. Early morn, I  stand on the road as I was headed to a day of work and worry. The times were tough but I was determined to make it through to another day. The wind at my back, the rising orange sun to my left the setting harvest moon to my right. A miraculous day seemed to be created and the idea that anything was possible was as real and palpable as Leviathan soaring through ocean mist in the middle of a hot summer's day. 

And as I stood in the glistening hope of  what could be, I thought not of the future that lay before me but was taken by the possibilities of a time laid out for a new one in our midst. For there was a young child waiting at home in the comfort of his mother's arms. In the deep soft smell of his mother's breast and dreaming of a world catering to his every whim. 

I thought of the greatness before him. And thought of this...

If If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you; If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too; If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies, Or, being hated, don't give way to hating, And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise; If you can dream - and not make dreams your master; If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with triumph and disaster And treat those two imposters just the same; If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to broken, And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools; If you can make one heap of all your winnings And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And lose, and start again at your beginnings And never breath a word about your loss; If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on"; If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch; If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you; If all men count with you, but none too much; If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds' worth of distance run - Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!  May the swiftness of Hermes be at your feet young one. May the strength of Mountains lift you when you're lost and may Leviathan not pursue you but you pursue Leviathan. He will be yours.

The Enchanting Perfume of the Sassafras Tree!

photo by ana traina

Sassafras Tree  

The name 'Sassafras,' applied by the Spanish botanist Monardes in the sixteenth century, is said to be a corruption of the Spanish word for saxifrage.  It was probably discovered by the Spaniards in Florida, for seventy years earlier there is mention of the reputation of its roots in Spain as a cure for syphilis, rheumatism, etc., though its efficacy has sincethen been much disputed.

The Sassafras Tree is best known for its use in medicines, root beer, soaps, perfumes, and even toothpaste. The tree would be harvested for its bark, roots, and leaves. The fragrant oil distilled from the root bark is extensively used in the manufacture of the coarser kinds of perfume, and for scenting the cheapest grades of soap. The oil used in perfumes is also extracted from the fruits. The wood and bark of the tree furnish a yellow dye. In Louisiana, the leaves are used as a condiment in sauces, and also for thickening soups; while the young shoots are used in Virginia for making a kind of beer. Mixed with milk and sugar, Sassafras Tea, under the name of 'Saloop,' could, until a few years ago, be bought at London street corners in the early mornings. The fragrant oil was even for orange clothing dyes. In the 1960s, the United States Food and Drug Administration linked the Sassafras oil as a carcinogen and its use in food and drugs sharply declined.

---Medicinal Action and Uses--- Aromatic, stimulant, diaphoretic, alternative. It is rarely given alone, but is often combined with guaiacum or sarsaparilla in chronic rheumatism, syphilis, and skin diseases.

The oil is said to relieve the pain caused by menstrual obstructions, and pain following parturition, in doses of 5 to 10 drops on sugar, the same dose having been found useful in gleet and gonorrhoea.

Safrol is found to be slowly absorbed from the alimentary canal, escaping through the lungs unaltered, and through the kidneys oxidized into piperonalic acid.

A teaspoonful of the oil produced vomiting, dilated pupils, stupor and collapse in a young man.

It is used as a local application for wens and for rheumatic pains, and it has been praised as a dental disinfectant.

Its use has caused abortion in several cases.

Dr. Shelby of Huntsville stated that it would both prevent and remove the injurious effects of tobacco.

A lotion of rose-water or distilled water, with Sassafras Pith, filtered after standing for four hours, is recommended for the eyes.

SASSAFRAS PITH (Sassafras medulla) is only official in the United States. It is usually found in thin, cylindrical pieces, which are light and spongy, white and insipid. Its principal constituent is mucilage, which may be prepared by adding 60 grains of the pith to a pint of boiling water. This remains limpid when alcohol is added. It is used as a demulcent, especially for inflammation of the eyes, and as a soothing drink in catarrhal affection.

photo by ana traina

Root Beer Perfume Recipe

You can use this basic perfume recipe to make a homemade perfume using sassafras, which will give the perfume a rooty beer scent.

1. Purchase an essential oil from a local herbal or naturalistic store. You need an oil in the perfume to absorb the scent. There are unscented essential oils or you can choose one with a scent you feel would complement the root beer scent.

2.  Boil two tablespoons of the powdered sassafras leaves in 1 cup of water for approximately 30 minutes. Remove from heat and strain the mixture, leaving the leaves in the strainer and pouring the scented water into a clean bowl. After boiling, the remaining liquid will be less than the original 1 cup.

3.  Add to the sassafras water, 1 tablespoon of ethyl alcohol for the perfume's base. The ethyl alcohol will act as a carrier for the essential oils in the perfume so that when the perfume is used the alcohol evaporates, leaving only the essential oils and their fragrances.

4. Using a dropper, add one drop at a time of the essential oil of your choice to the mixture. Stir and inhale the mixture until you find a fragrance that is pleasing to your senses. It is not recommended that you use more than 30 drops of any one essential oil unless you add more ethyl alcohol as a carrier for the fragrance. If you prefer to use the sassafras fragrance alone without any additional fragrances, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil or olive oil to the mixture so that the sassafras fragrance can be absorbed by the oil. Cover the mixture and allow the mixture to sit for 48 hours.

5. Pour the mixture into the dark glass bottle. Use either a glass stopper or a spray nozzle to seal the top of the bottle. Shake the perfume before each use. The perfume now smells like root beer mixed with any other essential oil fragrances that you chose.

Happy scenting!

Golden...

poem and photo by ana traina

On my daily jaunt

and

On the tall timbered road...

I was surprised by a local

who politely asked,

“Aren’t you afraid to walk alone?”

I replied, with only a still uncertain smile.

As I walked on, it occurred to me;

I was not 

Alone, for I had five sensual friends along... 

Together, 

we licked pomegranates and candy apples,

listened to sad ballads as the wind pressed 

lightly on our chin.

We smelled the scented pines mingling 

with the inky purple of freshly printed tests.

We felt the chilling tintinnabulation of ghosts 

from our once upon a faraway time. 

And finally we saw our verdant future off in the distance thought,

So we mounted it, and galloped fiercely ahead.

Yes, 

yes, my friends were indeed... 

great company!

The Hurt Sickle!

photo by ana traina

Once upon a distant time ago anything that grew and bloomed in a grain field was considered a 'cornflower.' As time passed, that name stuck to bachelor's-buttons (Centaurea cyanus) in particular, all the other flowers left to find their own names.

It has also been known as bluebottle, blue cap, blue bonnet, star-thistle and en francais bluet .

Centaurea Cyanus, the Cornflower, with its star-like blossoms of brilliant blue, is one of the most beautiful wild flowers, though it is always looked on as a very unwelcome weed by the farmer, for not only does it by its mere presence withdraw nourishment from the ground that is needed for the corn, 'but its tough stems in former days of hand-reaping were wont to blunt the reaper's sickle, earning it the naughty name of 'Hurt Sickle'.

In Russia, the cornflower is Basil’s flower or basilek. According to Russian lore, a young man named Basil was lured into a cornfield by a nymph who then turned him into a cornflower.

The name Centaura is a reference to Chiron the centaur, a renowned herbalist in Greek mythology. According to one legend, Hercules shot Chiron in the heel with an arrow that had been dipped in deadly Hydra poison. The wound should have been fatal. However, Chiron used cornflowers to heal the wound.

The name Cyanus refers to the brilliant blue color of the cornflower. The name was given in honor of a beautiful youth, from Greek mythology, whose name was Cyanus. Cyanus was fond of the color blue and would drape himself with cornflowers and wear blue clothes. When the goddess Flora found him dead in a cornfield, she turned him into a cornflower.

According to Mrs. Maude Grieves, Culpepper tells us that the powder or dried leaves of the Bluebottle is given with good success to those that are bruised by a fall or have broken a vein inwardly. He also informs us that, with Plantain, Horsetail, or Comfrey, 'it is a remedy against the poison of the scorpion and resists all venoms and poisons. The seeds or leaves (or the distilled water of the herb) taken in wine is very good against the plague and all infectious diseases, and is very good in pestilential fevers: the juice put into fresh or green wounds doth quickly solder up the lips of them together, and is very effectual to heal all ulcers and sores in the mouth.'

The expressed juice of the petals makes a good blue ink; if expressed and mixed with alum-water, it may be used in watercolor drawing. It dyes linen a beautiful blue, but the color is not permanent.

The dried petals are used by perfumers for giving colour to pot-pourri.

A water distilled from Cornflower petals was formerly in repute as a remedy for weak eyes. The famous French eyewash, 'Eau de Casselunettes,' used to be made from them. Here is a Cornflower Eyewash recipe you can try at home...

Recipe: herbal summer soother for eyes

In this recipe we’re going to use an infusion of cornflower petals in a soothing wash for the skin around the eyes. If you don’t have cornflowers, you could use chamomile flowers instead, or if you’re making the recipe in May/ June you could use elderflowers.

Ingredients:

• Half a cup of cornflower petals

• Aloe vera gel (either cut a fresh leaf off of an aloe plant, or use about a dessert spoon of pure aloe gel from a health food shop)

• Cucumber (about quarter of a large cucumber)

Cover the cornflower petals in boiling water and leave to steep for a couple of hours. Strain off the cool liquid. Cut and peel the aloe leaf (careful as its very slippery!) and chop into small pieces. Peel and remove the seeds from the cucumber, and chop into small pieces. Mix together the liquid, aloe, and cucumber in a blender until smooth. Finally, strain this mixture through a piece of muslin or a clean pop sock into a bottle. You can store this in the fridge and use within one week. It could be used in a spray bottle to refresh the skin on the face on a hot day; dabbed around the eyes with cotton wool; or used on a compress over the eyes while you lie back and relax.

A Bit of an Odd and End: the eye wash is for use externally, not in the eyes.

Meet the Pritchetts!

photo by ana traina

I first met Wanda and Rufus Pritchett quite by accident, eight years ago on a bright Sunday afternoon, when I fell off my front steps. You see, I was in a hurry (why exactly, I can’t remember) none the less, I was carrying and burdened with six heavy bags to load the car with when I took that near fatal misstep. Now, while I was tumbling to the earth and as the multitude of garden and milk snakes slithered for their lives, I was struck with one thought, and one thought only, “You silly little__ asinine truffle, Never, Never, Never multitask!” 

As I laid on the stony ground watching the recently evicted snakes saunter back into my clapboard, I called out to my only companion, my very preoccupied seven year old son who was watching his favorite TV show at that time, whatever it might have been, Sponge Bob, probably.  Needless to say, he did not hear my cries for help! My right foot was rapidly swelling and turning varied shades of blue and purple. At that precise moment, I wanted nothing more then for that sponge to soak up and drown.

However, I painfully managed to get myself together and hobbled, no crawled over to the little quiet yellow log house across the way, to the Pritchetts whom I had yet to meet. I rang the door bell and was toute suite met by Wanda Pritchett, Rufus Pritchett and Speckles Pritchett their droopy eyed Beagle. Without any explanation of why I was ringing their doorbell, I was ushered into their living room and seated on Rufus’ lounge chair and given Tylenol and an ice bag. I didn’t stay long, just enough time for the pain relievers to kick in as I was worried about my son being alone in the house, of course his attention being elsewhere! As I tottered back home the loveliest feeling overcame me, I had made new friends. 

Over the years the Pritchetts and I have had long conversations standing by the side of the road on sunny days! They have given me very sound advice in regard to country life! Always clap or sing when you go into the forest so as to not happen upon a bear. Wild grapes are very good for making jam but you will need an old white pillowcase to strain them. If you can pull it out easily than it’s a weed. Boil up some garlic and cayenne pepper, and spray it on your plants to get rid of Japanese Beetles. 

Then one snowy day in February, only a few years ago, a wounded Wanda knocked on my door. And over a hot cup of Earl Grey tea, Wanda told me that her first born son Byron, had just died in a snowmobile accident. I didn’t know what to say, what I did know was that a couple of aspirins and an ice bag would never relieve this pain, so I just took her hand in mine and listened.

Recently as I was getting my mail, Wanda rode over on her lawnmower and asked me if I wanted to see her Corning Ware collection. Of course I did! 

photo by ana traina

Over apple cider donuts and coffee we talked about each piece and how she found them in different flea markets.

photo by ana traina

Then she showed me a picture of Byron! I was struck by how handsome he was and I could hardly imagined her daily suffering. Boldly I asked her how she was able to come to terms with it all. She looked me straight in the eye and said, “Ana, it’s hard, but I know there must be a reason.”  Surrounded by her durable army of red, blue and white highly break-resistant glass, with material capable of withstanding enormous variations in temperature, I empathically agreed.

Her Serene Highness Pippa Hints, Dreams...

drawing by ana traina

Her Serene Highness Pippa Hints was not fretting at all in the usual way about Bluejay SouffleTuesday and Nastia Grooper’s ghastly dinner party that eventide. 

Nor was the very idea of going to Nastia’s empty handed and having Nastia titivate herself by telling titillating tales to other lemony, or dare I say limey ladies, bothersome to her. For on Saturday, two weeks ago, she made the most delightful Spun Sugar Cakes, and put them on ice to keep for just this plain-vanilla occasion in particular.  Even though this was the very first time Her Serene Highness Pippa Hints was invited to Nastia Grooper’s festivities, she was absolutely positive that her petite Spun Sugar Cakes would bedazzle the spikiest palette of all who would attend. Furthermore, she presumed that there would be many, many, loud and sticky crowd pleased ooohs and aaahs. Still she did want so very much to make a good impression and because she sometimes suffered from bouts of swoonings, she decided to take a little beauty sleep before the evening's events.

Unfortunately, this did not bode well for Her Serene Highness Pippa Hints, for the moment she poised herself for repose, her spinning thoughts gave her stirring visions of a wooly bellwether, which in turn caused her to toss and untwine. “Oh no, no, no, wool will never do for a fashionable bonnet!” She exclaimed in her slumber. “No, it must be a conglomeration of silk, illusion, feathers, red lace, flowers and ribbons, which can be very becoming to my face, if the light is just right.” Then she turned and unraveled some more, and in a moment and all at once she knew just what to do!  She bethought herself of her fourth cousin, twice removed, Ms. Daisy Eyebright and her tasteful MANUAL OF ETIQUETTE WITH INKINGS ON POLITENESS AND GOOD BREEDING, and her beyond compare, RECIPE FOR A BONNET! Now, with each little snore she recalled more and more...

"On scraps of foundation, some fragments of lace,

A shower of French rosebuds to droop over the face,

Take ribbons and feathers, with crape and illusion,

And mix and derange them in graceful confusion;

Inveigle some fairy, out roaming for pleasure,

And beg the slight favor of taking her measure;

The length and breadth of her dear little pate --

And hasten a miniature frame to create;

Then pour, as above, the bright mixture upon it,

And lo! you possess "such a love of a bonnet!"

She even reminded herself to write down her recipe for Spun Sugar Cakes for her future family’s sake  --

Spun Sugar Cakes!

Ingredients
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1 cup granulated white sugar

Tools
Candy thermometer
Wooden spoons (or handles rather)
Sauce pan
Pastry brush
Large Bowl of Ice Water
Parchment paper or newsprint

Instructions

1. Prep Workspace: Take wooden spoons (or spatulas with wooden handles) and lay them over the edge of your countertop. Now, place newspaper or parchment paper on the floor to protect the surface (it may save you some dreary cleaning).

2. Prep Ice Bath: Having an ice bath on hand is incredibly important and since you can't take your eyes off the sugar while it's heating, it needs to be made now, before things get all bubbly and brown!

3. Combine Ingredients: In a saucepan over high heat combine ingredients and stir just until sugar is moistened (using a fork). It should only take 5 seconds or so and then put the fork down! No more stirring!

4. Bring To Temperature: Clip on your candy thermometer and bring mixture to 256 degrees. Have a bowl of water and a pastry brush on hand to wipe to the sides of the pot. You'll want to remove and crystallizing sugar around the edges so it doesn't cause the entire pot to seize. It sounds thrilling scary, but it's really it is not, just a few wipes with the brush and you should be set.

5. Remove From Heat: When the mixture comes to 254 degrees, remove it from the heat and transfer the entire pan, straight to the ice bath. In the time it takes for you to move the pan it will have gained it's last 2 degrees. When the thermometer stops climbing, remove from the ice bath and place on a dampened towel or potholder.

6. Spin Baby Spin! Using a fork (or 3 forks at the same time), dip them into the sugar and then whip them back and forth slowly over the handles of your wooden utensils. Repeat the process until there is enough sugar hanging onto the handles that you can pick it up with your hand. Assuming your sugar was the right temperature, it will still be slightly pliable. If it went a few degrees over (like ours did in the photo above) that's no big deal, but it might break instead of pull, so be prepared with both hands to help transfer it to a piece of parchment or air tight container.

7. Clean Up: If there's sugar remaining in your pan, simply fill it with water and return to your high heat. The sugar will melt and you can pour the mixture out in the sink. It doesn't hurt to give your utensils a quick little swirl in the hot water first, cleaning them off too!

8. Storage: If you'll be using this right away, then no fretting is ever allowed! If you need to store it or if it's extra humid where you are, store in an airtight container with a silica packet inside to help keep out extra moisture in the air. They'll keep for up to a week with proper care.

Additional Notes: 

If your mixture goes up to 10 degrees over, you'll still be able to work with it, just work quick and it will turn out more spiky than rounded balls of airy fluff on top...like our first image above. It tastes just as great and still makes just a splashing presentation. Bon Chance and Happy twirling!  

When Her Highness Pippa Hints awoke all was still not well, as she had the most, out of the ordinary, gnawing confusion, not knowing whether it was proper or improper to ask for Fish soup twice, and did that also apply to Bird’s Nest Soup as well!?

Teasel, The Teasing Thing!

photo by ana traina

Teasel (Dipsacus fullonum ssp. Sylvestris) 

Teasel is also known as Wild or Common Teasel. Wild Teasel was formerly considered Dipsacus sylvestris. The official vernacular name 'Fuller's Teasel' is best reserved for the cultivated variety. 

Plant Type: This is a nonnative herbaceous plant, it is a biennial which can reach 183cm in height (72inches). The stem is covered with spines

Leaves: The leaf arrangement is opposite. Each leaf is toothed.

Flowers: The flowers have 4 Regular Parts. They are lavender sometimes white. Blooms first appear in early summer and continue into mid fall. The tiny flowers are on an egg shaped head.

Habitat: Fields, fencerows and waste places.

At the Shaker Museum I happened on an enchantingly curious looking plant, called Teasel. The Teasel flowers open in a strange and unusual pattern. A band of flowers opens first around the middle of the head then the blooms progress both up and down and eventually form two bands. 

Here is a bit of Lore: Teasel was secretly brought to this continent in the early to mid nineteenth century from Europe were it was a guarded crop. The first crops in the U. S. were in upper New York. Later farms were also established in Oregon by a member of the same family that cultivated Teasel in N. Y.

At that time the heads were then used extensively to tease or bring up the nap on woolen fabrics, a process known as "fulling" or "brushing." A woolen blanket that has been brushed is said to be "warm." This brushing of the nap produces air pockets that provide added insulation and a softer surface that is also more resistant to spills and stains. In addition it softens the colors for a pleasing visual effect. By 1956 commercial steel carding cloth had largely replaced Teasel and it was no longer grown commercially in this country. The superior effect produced by Teasel is still valued and used on a small scale for such fine woolen fabrics as cashmere and hand woven items. 

a shy sheep by ana traina

And some odd Medical Uses: In some Teasels the upper leaves join around the stem forming a cup. The rainwater that collected there was once considered an eyewash and a cosmetic for the face thought to clear the skin. A common name for this Teasel is Venus' Basin. The Greeks thought the root a cleanser that could remove warts. A root tea was once used as a diuretic and to stimulate appetite.  But there is no real scientific evidence to support any medical use.

Dear Zingertale Reader,

photo by ana traina

In response to your inquiry  - How do you make Grapeseed oil/extract? Here are some particulars and  recipes that I have discovered... 

A hundred years ago, seeds were pressed in a manual wedge press to extract the precious oil from grape seeds. Today, pharmaceutical-grade extracts often are made by combining high heat and solvents to the method. Small wineries and and other companies apply steam distillation or cold pressing to extract oils from grape seeds before grinding. The process is organic and requires minimal heat and no chemicals. You also can make organic grape seed extract for your personal use. You can benefit from the grape seed oil by-product if you have a lot of grapes or a small vineyard, a cold press and a grinder.

How to Make Grapeseed Extract

by rain morie

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Grape seeds

Cold press machine

Oil bottles

Grinder

Empty gel capsules

Supplement bottles

.

1       Remove the seeds and skin of the grapes while making your grape juice or other grape product. If you are doing this by hand, use a strainer.

.

2       Wash the filtered grape extracts thoroughly.

3       Set aside the extracted grape seeds and skin to dry for approximately 24 hours. During this time you can cook the seeds at a very low temperature, if desired. Cold pressing is an extraction process using minimal heat to extract oil out of seeds, so it is not an essential step to heat seeds, but it was a method used to extract more oil out of grape seeds when folks manually cold pressed at home. Heating the seeds slowly will also quicken the drying process.

.

4       Remove the excess oil and juices from the grape seeds and skin by adding the grape extracts to your cold press. Press the extracts until the oil shows a visible separation from the solids. Set aside, and in time the oil will separate from the extracts even further.

5       Skim the remaining oil from the solids.

6       Save the pressed oil and preserve it in bottles for both therapeutic and culinary uses.

7       Separate the grape seeds from the remaining skin solids.

8       Dry the separated extracts to make them ready for grinding.

9       Start grinding. Grind both the dried seeds and skins separately in a grinding appliance. Grind extracts until they form a fine powder. Combine the powdered seed extract with the powdered skin extract unless you prefer separate supplements of both seed and skin extract.

10     Fill individual empty gelatin capsules with your powdered mixture. Large-size capsules in size 00 are a good size to start with.

11     Preserve the capsules in a bottle and store in a cool location out of direct sunlight. Store powder in airtight bottles if you do not have gel caps.

As for the pulpy leftovers/ pomace, it is usual to make Grappa Liqueur with them!

Grappa ( aka Grappa Wine) is an Italian brandy liqueur made by the fermentation and the distillation of pomace or Vinacce. Grape pomace is the pulpy material remaining after the juice has been pressed from grapes. Vinacce is the Italian term for the grape skins, seeds and pulp left after the must or fermented wine has been pressed. The flavor of grappa, like wine, varies according to the types and quality of the grapes used. Many grappas have added fruit syrup to sweeten and refine the flavor of the finished grappa. Liqueurs are sweet alcoholic drinks which are flavoured with a variety of different ingredients and come in a variety of different colors. The word 'liqueur' derives from the Latin word 'liquifacere' which means to melt or dissolve - the flavorings used to make liqueurs are dissolved.

How to Make Grappa at Home

by gail cohen

Still a popular way for Northern Italian laborers to keep from freezing while working outdoors in winter, grappa brewing actually dates back to the Middle Ages. The idea behind this strong beverage requires adding skins, stems, seeds and other fruit byproducts in the pursuit of a heady liqueur. It sidesteps the niceties of fine wine production and employs every part of the fruit so nothing goes to waste. Once considered akin to moonshine, grappa has morphed from primitive brew to a beverage that's often compared to French cognacs and brandies or Portuguese Sherries. Make your own to see if reviewers are on the mark.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Ripe fruit (recipe will indicate amount)

Grappa recipe

Fermentation vessel or chamber

Tabletop distilling equipment

Fruit press

Stainless steel or oak barrel or vat

Bottles and cork

1    Purchase the ripest fruit you can find, then wash it and cut it up. Put it together with stems, seeds and skin into a large vat or pot so it can begin the fermentation process. Seal the container. Some grappa makers put their fruit mix into glass containers and accelerate the process by putting it into the sun to speed up the fermentation. As the fruit breaks down, bubbling will occur. You can stop the fermentation process after a week.

2    Use a fruit press, blender, food processor or other type of tool to pulverize the fermented fruit into what grappa-makers call pomace. The objective here is to quickly squeeze the oxygen out of the mixture so you don't lose precious aromas while taking the mix down to a fruity pulp.

3    Put the squeezed pomace into your still and heat it up until you see steam being emitted. Monitor the temperature of the still to make certain none of the material burns and ruins the flavor of the grappa. It won't be long before you see the grappa start to move through the still into the final storage chamber.

4    Eliminate the first grappa that reaches the storage chamber. Like most products of the distillation process, the first result tastes bad because it contains methane, so you'll want to dump the initial output. Monitor the remainder of the grappa as it moves through the still and cooks. When you notice the color is getting lighter, the brew has been reduced to watery remains and you're reaching the end of the process. Discard the tail end of the grappa so it doesn't dilute the finished product.

5    Age the grappa you've distilled in a stainless steel barrel or large pot unless you happen to have oak barrels, in which case your finished brew will be wonderfully tasty. Seal the vessel and place it in a dark, cool spot. Most vintners agree that six months is an adequate curing time period, though some suggest you can probably sample your grappa at three months to see if it's ready to consume.

6    Bottle your grappa once you're satisfied with the taste. Some vintners suggest straining the liqueur through a paper filter before bottling, but this isn't required. Divide your grappa among glass bottles, seal with corks and amaze your guests.

I hope this helps and happy grappaing!