In for the Long Haul

Appears in

Brew it Yourself: Make Your Own Beer, Wine, Cider and Other Concoctions

Published 2024

About

Mead and wine makers who would like to ferment with honey should take note – honey is surprisingly lacking in the nutrients required by yeast to start the fermentation process, so it’s advisable to add yeast nutrient along with yeast to get things up and running. Once it starts, however, it’ll take some stopping… honey has a notoriously long fermentation time, so be prepared for a wait.

Feed the Bees

Turn your allotment into a pollinator’s paradise with our top five bee-attracting plants.

Dog rose: Produces beautiful wild blooms, and will also provide the autumnal fruit required for rosehip syrup in Rosehip Cider.

Rosemary: Bees and hoverflies will flock to this herb. Better still, you can borrow a sprig or two to liven up a dull gin and tonic.

Crab apple: The flowers of the varieties John Downie and Golden Hornet both come packed with pollen and nectar. Their tiny, tannic fruit is also handy for bolstering thin ciders.

Sage: Its fragrant flowers are sure to please the bees, and you can also make a rather pungent, herby wine from the leaves (although we prefer to save our sage for stuffing roast chickens).

Yarrow: Bees go crazy for yellow yarrow, so give the vigorous Coronation Gold variety a go. Its stems and leaves can also be used as a bittering agent in beer making.

Become a Premium Member to access this page

Unlimited, ad-free access to hundreds of the world’s best cookbooks
Over 150,000 recipes with thousands more added every month
Recommended by leading chefs and food writers
Powerful search filters to match your tastes
Create collections and add reviews or private notes to any recipe
Swipe to browse each cookbook from cover-to-cover
Manage your subscription via the My Membership page

Already a member?

Best value

'Brilliant app for foodies'

'Spotify of cookbooks'

Part of

Honey

The licensor does not allow printing of this title

In for the Long Haul

Become a Premium Member to access this page

$4.99

$39.99

Part of