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5 from 1 vote

Spiced Hawthorn & Rose Hip Mead

A beverage for a joyful heart! Spiced hawthorn and rose hip mead marries herbal medicine with fermented libation.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups fresh hawthorn berries cleaned and destemmed
  • 1 cup fresh rosehips cleaned OR ½ cup dried rose hips
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 tablespoon whole all spice berries
  • 2 lbs honey
  • 6 cups un-chlorinated spring water (plus more for filling jar)
  • ½ packet yeast see notes in post about type

Instructions

  • Bring water to a simmer in a large stock pot. Remove from heat and add whole hawthorn berries, rose hips, cinnamon sticks and all spice. Cool completely, add 5 drops pectinase enzyme, then chill in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours.
  • Remove from refrigerator and gently heat on stove top until the liquid reaches about 90-100 degrees. Remove from heat and stir in honey. Meanwhile, re-hydrate yeast for 20 minutes in about ½ cup warm water (about 100 degrees) and a small pinch of sugar.
  • Carefully pour berries and liquid into fermentation jar. Add rehydrated yeast and stir well, adding more water to fill the jar to about 1" headspace, if necessary. Place lid fitted with airlock onto the jar. You should see bubbles forming and active fermentation within 2-24 hours.
  • Place fermentation jar in a warm spot and allow to ferment 2-3 weeks, or until all bubbling of the airlock has ceased, performing a daily "punch down". The berries cap may "fall" to the bottom of jar when fermentation is complete. To increase clarity, add five more drops of pectinase enzyme. Using a tube or auto siphon, rack mead off spent must and yeast lees into a fresh jar for additional settling.
  • Once satisfied with the clarity of the mead, rack mead into swing top bottles for serving and storage.