Sima - Finnish Style Lemonade
This drink is traditionally brewed in Finland on May 1 to celebrate the arrival of spring. It's a very simple fermented beverage and can be quite explosive. Literally!
Makes 8 litres
what you need
8 litres boiling water
500 g caster sugar
500 g brown sugar
6 tart organic lemons
1 teaspoon yeast (you can use normal bread yeast or brewers yeast)
Raisins
Extra caster sugar
what to do
Add the sugars to the 8 litres of boiled water and stir well to dissolve.
Wash lemons in hot water and scrub well.
Carefully cut away the rind, making sure you remove as much pith as you can. Then slice up the lemons and remove the pips.
Place the rind and the sliced lemons into the water and sugar mixture and allow to cool.
When the mixture is lukewarm, mix the yeast with a cup of the liquid and stir into the rest of the mixture and let it sit until the next day.
the next day
Sterilise your bottles and then fill them close to the top, pouring your mixture through a fine sieve and using a funnel to make it easier. Pop a few raisins and an extra teaspoon of sugar in each bottle and seal.
Keep in a cool place until ready. When the raisins float to the top of your bottles, you will know it is ready to drink. This can take anywhere from 3 days to a week depending on how warm it is.
tips
Sima is can be pretty explosive as so much pressure builds up in the bottles. I have found the best way to avoid lava like eruptions is to revoke the top quickly in one motion and pour into a glass right away. Try to avoid shaking the bottles before opening.