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| BLESSING IN THE CLUSTER |
FAQTOID: Yeast/Grapes
FAQTOID: Yeast, Leaven, Preserving Grapes/New wine (grape juice)
YEASTS are living organisms with about 3 trillion cells per pound. Yeast begins to activate at about 50F and works best between 78F and 82F. It begins to die around 120F and is useless for baking after 143F. ("F" = Fahrenheit degrees [Gabriel Daniel Fahrenheit] :)
"LEAVEN, is a substance that causes fermentation of dough in breadmaking. Yeast, sour milk & soda, and baking powder are common leavens." --World Book Encycl.#11,p.148Yeast produces zymase(enzyme) which changes sugar into alcohol.
"HOW YEAST WORKS. Enzymes from the yeast cells attack the starch in the flour, and change it to sugar. The sugar is then changed to -alcohol- and carbon dioxide gas. The gas bubbles up through the mixture, forming the familiar bubbles in bread dough, and making the mass light and porous. When the bread is baked, the alcohol evaporates and the yeast plants are destroyed." --World Book Encycl.#19, p.461.
Def: enzyme [from Grk.en-, in, and zymeh, leaven.]
Preserving Grapes. Sort and wash the fruit before removing stems.
Prepare a packing syrup. (Hummingbird nectar= 1c sugar, 4c water. :)
Fill canning jars half full of boiling syrup, put in grapes, shake to settle them, add more syrup to 1 finger width from top, add lids. Put in boiling water bath (2-inch covering of water) for 20 minutes. Remove and put on towel to slowly cool 24 hours. Check seal & store.
Fermenting Wine. The yeast will only do its work if it is properly nourished (it needs nitrogen from the air, as well as the sugar,) warm enough (60-70 degrees F. preferably,) and neither too hot nor too cold (more than 50 and less than 90 degrees F.)
Preserving New Wine (Grape Juice). Choose firm-ripe grapes; wash, stem. Crush and put in kettle; add 1 cup water per 1 gallon grapes. Cook gently WITHOUT BOILING until fruit is very soft (about 2 cycles of a five-minute sand clock. :)
Strain through a jelly bag.
Chill in well or cold spring water (or refrigerator) for 24-hours. Strain again for perfect clearness, being extra careful to hold back the sediment of tartaric acid crystals that settled to bottom.
Add 1/2 cup sugar per quart of juice (or omit sugar if you like
unsweetened juice. :)
Heat to a simmer (about 200F). Pour simmering juice into hot scalded canning jars, leaving 1/2 finger width space at top (about 1/4 inch.) Adjust lids and baptize in almost simmering (190F) hot water for 8 degrees on sun-dial (about 30 minutes). Put jars on cloth to slowly cool for 24-hours and check seals before storage.
(See other messages for ancient preservation methods.)
(-8 Please see Blessing in the Cluster next. Thanks. :)
This Page = 8 FAQ: Yeast/Grapes
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