Parsnips and bananas.

[cat]

The way it works out here is that once you sign a preliminary contract and pay a (large) deposit, you then stipulate a date by which you'll pay the rest. For us that date is the end of 2007, but if we manage to sell the house we're in at present before then, we can move into the other as it's empty. Anyone fancy a house between Bologna and Ferrara?

[chadspad]

I see. What happens if you dont sell your house by then? My friends have had something similar here in France. The people buying their house couldnt get a mortgage so the sale fell thru but my friends still went ahead with the purchase of the house they wanted with a loan as the rates are so low.

[cat]

We should manage to sell it by then, but if we don't we'll get a mortgage even though the rates are really bad here.
We decided to go for it because it is exactly where and what we wanted (I fancied a bit more garden, but if I'm honest about it I haven't really got enough time to dedicate to all the things I'd like to do!)

[the.fee.fairy]

Stoney...you are a genius!
I have bananas here that are past their eat by, and there's loads of them.

And 4 demijohns that are currently empty.

Banana wine it is then!


Parsnip wine - is it really nice? or does it taste of alcholic parsnips? I got loads at T*scos when they were selling everythign dirt cheap on xmas eve. If parsnip wine's nice, then i might use a couple of the demijohns for that...

[chadspad]

Fee Fairy - I have bottled my banana wine now and its superb! Its more like a dessert wine, very thick and about 14% alcohol. My recipe is slightly different to Stoneheads - I know he has said about the skins being needed for tannin but I have definitely read on more than one occassion that the skins produce a really bitter taste. My recipe is from C.J.JBerrys book:

1.3kg (3lb) bananas
450g (1lb) raisins
2.7kg (6lb) sugar
1 tsp citric acid
water to produce 9 litres (2 gals)
yeast
yeast nutrient

Peel the bananas before weighing them. Cut them up, together with the raisins. Then boil them in the water for about 15 minutes. Strain carefully, add the sugar, and allow to cool. When the temperature has reached 20°C (70°) add the yeast, nutrient & citric acid and allow to ferment for 7 days before putting into a fermenting jar. Leave 2 months before bottling. Leave the wine 6 months in all before drinking.

Like I said, its really thick, almost syrupy in texture. Ive bottled it now, just unfortunate Ive gotta leave it for 4 months before I can drink it lol

[the.fee.fairy]

Thankyou for that.

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your outlook) I've just acquired 4 jars of honey, so Mead takes precedence over banana wine...mmmm...mead.

Off to hunt for the recipe now.

I will, however, keep this recipe in mind for when i have empty demijohns again!

Thankyou