Best May Day Mead Sima Recipes

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SIMA - FINNISH MEAD



Sima - Finnish Mead image

Sima is a sweat mead that is an essential seasonal brew connected with the Finnish Vappu festival. It is usually spiced by adding both the flesh and rind of a lemon. During secondary fermentation raisins are added to control the amount of sugars and to act as an indicator of readiness for consumption - they will rise to the top of the bottle when the drink is ready. Sima is usually accompanied by munkkeja or Tippaleivät (donuts and other pastries). Mead is ready after 2-3 days.

Provided by NcMysteryShopper

Categories     Beverages

Time P2DT15m

Yield 12 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 7

1 gallon mineral water
1 quart mineral water
12 ounces sugar
12 ounces brown sugar
2 lemons
1/2 cup molasses or 1/2 cup honey
1/4 teaspoon yeast

Steps:

  • Wash the lemons and peel them thinly. Remove the pith. Slice the lemons and place them with the peel and sugar in a sufficiently large vessel.
  • Bring half of the water to the boil and pour it over the lemons, peel, honey or molasses and sugar. Stir and leave to stand covered for a while. Add the rest of the water cold. When the liquid is lukewarm add the yeast.
  • Keep the mead at room temperature until it starts to ferment, i.e. about one day. Put a couple of raisins and 1 tsp of sugar into clean bottles, and strain the mead into the bottles. Loosely cork the bottles and store them in a cool place. The mead is ready when the raisins rise to the surface.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 261.2, Fat 0.1, Sodium 14.2, Carbohydrate 67.6, Fiber 0.3, Sugar 63.8, Protein 0.2

SIMA (FINNISH SPRING MEAD)



Sima (Finnish Spring Mead) image

The site where I found this said it's fine for kids if they drink it as soon as the raisins start to float, but it becomes slightly intoxicating as it ferments.

Provided by Scarlett516

Categories     Beverages

Time 18m

Yield 20 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 6

1 gallon water
2 large lemons
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar, plus sugar for bottles
1/4 teaspoon yeast
25 raisins

Steps:

  • Bring the water to a steady boil.
  • Meanwhile, use a zester or vegetable peeler to remove the yellow outer rind from the lemons and place in a large non-metal, heatproof container.
  • Peel, or trim, off the white rind and discard.
  • Slice the lemons and place in the container with the zest. Add the brown sugar and white sugar.
  • When the water boils, add it to the container with the lemons and sugar.
  • Let it cool to lukewarm, then stir in the yeast.
  • Cover and allow to sit out at room temperature for 24-48 hours, or until surface begins to bubble slightly.
  • Strain the liquid into clean containers about 1 quart in size. Add 5-6 raisins and 1 tsp sugar to each container. Seal tightly and refrigerate 2-5 days, or until raisins float to the surface.
  • Keep refrigerated and serve cool.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 44.3, Sodium 6.3, Carbohydrate 12, Fiber 0.5, Sugar 10.7, Protein 0.2

MAY DAY MEAD (SIMA)



May Day Mead (Sima) image

Sima is a type of mead which is bubbly and very refreshing. It's made with lemon and sugar and it's commonly served on May Day. The raisins in the drink are meant to be an indicator of the right fermentation and they can be eaten. It's slightly fermented though mild enough to be served to children in Finland as well. It's commonly eaten with munkki, a kind of doughnut or fritter. Liisa's Doughnuts: https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/dessert/other-dessert/liisas-instant-doughnuts.html I have also written the recipe in Finnish, here: https://www.kotikokki.net/reseptit/nayta/856848

Provided by Annastiina Salonen @Elaini

Categories     Other Drinks

Number Of Ingredients 8

2 - lemons
325 gram(s) sugar
325 gram(s) dark brown sugar or 300 grams of sugar + 25 grams of molasses
5 liter(s) water
1/3 teaspoon(s) dry yeast or pea sized piece of fresh yeast
INTO THE BOTTLES:
- sugar
- raisins

Steps:

  • 1. Wash the lemons and use a peeler to pick the yellow zest. 2. Cut and remove the bitter white peel off the lemon and cut the fruit pulp into thin slices. 3. Put the lemon slices and the yellow zest into a bowl of five liters. Add on the sugar. If you want darker or lighter mead then you may change the ratio of the sugars.
  • 1. Bring half of the water into a boil and pour it into the bowl. Mix it even until the sugar has dissolved. 2. Add the rest of the water as cold. 3. Add the dry yeast when the liquid is 42°C or the fresh yeast when it's 37°C. 4. Cover the bowl and allow it to have an air hole. Let it ferment for about a day in room temperature.
  • 1. Put about one teaspoon of sugar into the clean bottles, along with a few raisins. 2. Mix the mead even. Strain it into a clean, smaller kettle at first and then pour it into the bottles through a funnel. 3. Instead of a cap or cork use pieces of baking paper and a rubber band - this way you won't have to worry about too much pressure forming into the bottles. Put them in a place when there don't tip over easily. The cap may be used when the fermentation has nearly stopped.
  • 1. Put the mead into the fridge and let it ferment slowly for a week or faster in the room temperature for three days. 2. The mead is ready to drink when the raisins have surfaced. Serve the mead as cold. It'll keep for about a week in the fridge.

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