Hi there

Today a friend at work told me about a marrow wine/brandy he used to make.
He said all he used to do was cut the top off a good sized marrow, scoop out
the seeds, fill it with brown sugar and add a couple of raisins to act as a
yeast source. He then hung the marrow in a pair of stockings and left it to
ferment. Once the marrow started to drip he tipped out the liquid and
strained it through a fine sieve. Apparently it tasted quite sweet and had
a viscosity similar to a liquer.. Has anybody ever come across this? If so
any recommendations (storage temperatures and the like) ?

Also thanks for the tips about removing the labels from bottles, I'll
definitely give some of them a go.

Thanks

Hi,
I'm not sure what a marrow is, but it sounds like how the ancient Egyptians
discovered wine/beer making 5000 bc! Anything with sugar, water and yeast
will ferment into something....
What is a marrow?
Al
"Akator" > wrote in message
...
> Hi there
>
> Today a friend at work told me about a marrow wine/brandy he used to make.
> He said all he used to do was cut the top off a good sized marrow, scoop
out
> the seeds, fill it with brown sugar and add a couple of raisins to act as
a
> yeast source. He then hung the marrow in a pair of stockings and left it
to
> ferment. Once the marrow started to drip he tipped out the liquid and
> strained it through a fine sieve. Apparently it tasted quite sweet and
had
> a viscosity similar to a liquer.. Has anybody ever come across this? If
so
> any recommendations (storage temperatures and the like) ?
>
> Also thanks for the tips about removing the labels from bottles, I'll
> definitely give some of them a go.
>
> Thanks
>
>

Sorry about that. I believe the american word is squash or gourd. They're
called marrows in England, UK.

Akator

"Akator" > wrote in message
...
> Hi there
>
> Today a friend at work told me about a marrow wine/brandy he used to make.
> He said all he used to do was cut the top off a good sized marrow, scoop
out
> the seeds, fill it with brown sugar and add a couple of raisins to act as
a
> yeast source. He then hung the marrow in a pair of stockings and left it
to
> ferment. Once the marrow started to drip he tipped out the liquid and
> strained it through a fine sieve. Apparently it tasted quite sweet and
had
> a viscosity similar to a liquer.. Has anybody ever come across this? If
so
> any recommendations (storage temperatures and the like) ?
>
> Also thanks for the tips about removing the labels from bottles, I'll
> definitely give some of them a go.
>
> Thanks
>
>

"Alfonse" > wrote in message
. ..
> Hi,
> I'm not sure what a marrow is, but it sounds like how the ancient
Egyptians
> discovered wine/beer making 5000 bc! Anything with sugar, water and yeast
> will ferment into something....
> What is a marrow?

Here's a pictu http://www.soham.org.uk/features/pum...ir/marrows.jpg

"Akator" > wrote in message
...
> Hi there
>
> Today a friend at work told me about a marrow wine/brandy he used to make.
> He said all he used to do was cut the top off a good sized marrow, scoop
out
> the seeds, fill it with brown sugar and add a couple of raisins to act as
a
> yeast source. He then hung the marrow in a pair of stockings and left it
to
> ferment. Once the marrow started to drip he tipped out the liquid and
> strained it through a fine sieve. Apparently it tasted quite sweet and
had
> a viscosity similar to a liquer.. Has anybody ever come across this? If
so
> any recommendations (storage temperatures and the like) ?

I know someone who makes this, calling it marrow rum. I have asked for
instructions and will post them when received.

They look like zucchini when you let them grow large. Is that what they are?
Al
"George" > wrote in message
...
> "Alfonse" > wrote in message
> . ..
> > Hi,
> > I'm not sure what a marrow is, but it sounds like how the ancient
> Egyptians
> > discovered wine/beer making 5000 bc! Anything with sugar, water and
yeast
> > will ferment into something....
> > What is a marrow?
>
> Here's a pictu http://www.soham.org.uk/features/pum...ir/marrows.jpg
>
>

Alfonse > wrote:
> They look like zucchini when you let them grow large. Is that what they are?

Yep.

--
Space is big.
Space is dark.
It's hard to find,
A place to park.

And to think I assumed he meant making wine out of the stuff inside bones
....

"George" > wrote in message
...
> "Alfonse" > wrote in message
> . ..
> > Hi,
> > I'm not sure what a marrow is, but it sounds like how the ancient
> Egyptians
> > discovered wine/beer making 5000 bc! Anything with sugar, water and
yeast
> > will ferment into something....
> > What is a marrow?
>
> Here's a pictu http://www.soham.org.uk/features/pum...ir/marrows.jpg
>
>

"George" > wrote in message
...
> "Akator" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Hi there
> >
> > Today a friend at work told me about a marrow wine/brandy he used to
make.
> > He said all he used to do was cut the top off a good sized marrow, scoop
> out
> > the seeds, fill it with brown sugar and add a couple of raisins to act
as
> a
> > yeast source. He then hung the marrow in a pair of stockings and left
it
> to
> > ferment. Once the marrow started to drip he tipped out the liquid and
> > strained it through a fine sieve. Apparently it tasted quite sweet and
> had
> > a viscosity similar to a liquer.. Has anybody ever come across this?
If
> so
> > any recommendations (storage temperatures and the like) ?
>
> I know someone who makes this, calling it marrow rum. I have asked for
> instructions and will post them when received.

Ok received the instructions. It's a bit different from the one you
mentioned in that the fermenting is done in a demijohn

<Quote>
First, take your marrow and slice off the stalk end, removing a piece about
4" or so long. Carefully scoop out the inside of the marrow, as far down as
you can reach, but without removing all the flesh. Can be tricky, so the
bigger the marrow the better. Stuff the cavity with sugar - brown or white,
Demerara, a mixture, whatever you have. Place the top back on and keep in
place with tape. Place the marrow in a large jug or high-sided bowl and
cover with a tea towel. Leave undisturbed for about a week, then remove
tape, top up with sugar if required, and re-tape it closed. Leave it
undisturbed again until the marrow starts to collapse; the sugar will
dissolve the insides of the marrow and the whole insides and sugar will turn
into a liquid. When it looks done (quite subjective, but you will know),
place the liquid into a bowl or jam pan or similar - it may need straining
if there are wee bits of marrow in it.

Warm the liquid to blood heat and then add pre-activated yeast.

Leave covered in a warm place for 24 hours to ensure it's working, then
transfer to a demijohn and ferment out. Will need racking at least once, and
keeping for at least 2 years before drinking.

You'd be hard pressed to get one gallon from one marrow so you could be like
me and have four or five of them lined up on the window! They look quite
attractive until they start to collapse!

It's like rum in the same way that carrot whisky is like whisky, but worth
doing.
</Quote>

Main text: http://forum.rivercottage.net/viewto...?p=26461#26461

Hope that helps.

Hmmm, another wine to age for 2 years without drinking! Maybe I'll make a
gallon this year and put it beside my banana wine that needs at least 1 year
of aging before drinking. I usually have too many zucchini (marrow's) in the
summer to eat and have to resort to grilling and canning some (very good in
the winter months) or giving them away. Thanks for the recipe.
Al

"George" > wrote in message
...
> "Akator" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Hi there
> >
> > Today a friend at work told me about a marrow wine/brandy he used to
make.
> > He said all he used to do was cut the top off a good sized marrow, scoop
> out
> > the seeds, fill it with brown sugar and add a couple of raisins to act
as
> a
> > yeast source. He then hung the marrow in a pair of stockings and left
it
> to
> > ferment. Once the marrow started to drip he tipped out the liquid and
> > strained it through a fine sieve. Apparently it tasted quite sweet and
> had
> > a viscosity similar to a liquer.. Has anybody ever come across this?
If
> so
> > any recommendations (storage temperatures and the like) ?
>
> I know someone who makes this, calling it marrow rum. I have asked for
> instructions and will post them when received.
>
>
>

Sounds suspicious to me. Especially the part about using raisins as a yeast
source. Raisins are heavily sulphited and I don't think you would find much
in the way of viable yeast on them. I would suspect also that it would come
out something like sweet jungle juice.

Ray

"Akator" > wrote in message
...
> Hi there
>
> Today a friend at work told me about a marrow wine/brandy he used to make.
> He said all he used to do was cut the top off a good sized marrow, scoop
out
> the seeds, fill it with brown sugar and add a couple of raisins to act as
a
> yeast source. He then hung the marrow in a pair of stockings and left it
to
> ferment. Once the marrow started to drip he tipped out the liquid and
> strained it through a fine sieve. Apparently it tasted quite sweet and
had
> a viscosity similar to a liquer.. Has anybody ever come across this? If
so
> any recommendations (storage temperatures and the like) ?
>
> Also thanks for the tips about removing the labels from bottles, I'll
> definitely give some of them a go.
>
> Thanks
>
>

I have read with interest the comments made by all.
And pass on to you all, the following two recipes from my collection.
MARROW RUM
This is a traditional Norfolk recipe, and although this is of course not
rum,any more then the " brandy " in previous recipes was actually brandy, it
carries a tremendous kick, and should be treated with great respect.
1) Get a beautiful, big, straight marrow, cut a two inch ( 50 cm) slice
off the top, and scoop out all the seeds.
2) Fill the resulting space with demerara sugar pack as tight as you can.
Dissolve a half teaspoon of yeast in a tablespoon of tepid water,
and pour it on the sugar.
3) Replace the end of the marrow, and seal the join with adhesive tape.
Wipe
the outside of the marrow carefully and cover it with a muslin bag,
tying it at the neck. Suspend it over a jug, and exclude air by
placing the whole thing, marrow and jug, in a plastic bag.
4) Hang the whole thing up on a hook, and within a few days, juice will
start to drip down into the jug. And by "juice", we mean jungle
juice.
===========================================
Morrow Rum (2) to follow



"Akator" > wrote in message
...
| Hi there
|
| Today a friend at work told me about a marrow wine/brandy he used to make.
| He said all he used to do was cut the top off a good sized marrow, scoop
out
| the seeds, fill it with brown sugar and add a couple of raisins to act as
a
| yeast source. He then hung the marrow in a pair of stockings and left it
to
| ferment. Once the marrow started to drip he tipped out the liquid and
| strained it through a fine sieve. Apparently it tasted quite sweet and
had
| a viscosity similar to a liquer.. Has anybody ever come across this? If
so
| any recommendations (storage temperatures and the like) ?
|
| Also thanks for the tips about removing the labels from bottles, I'll
| definitely give some of them a go.
|
| Thanks
|
|

General Purpose wine yeast

Yeast nutrient

Wipe marrow clean with damp cloth, then cut a piece off the stalk end of the
marrow, deep enough to enable you to scoop out the seeds and pith from the
rest of the marrow. Press the Demerara sugar into the cavity left; it
depends on the size of the marrow how much you will need; a large one will
take 7 pounds of sugar.

Replace the end of the marrow and seal with a piece of sticky tape. Then
suspend the marrow over a jar or jug; something with a narrow neck so that
the marrow can rest on this but not touch the bottom of the container.

After two or three weeks unseal the end of the marrow and add some more
sugar; some of the first lot will have been absorbed into the flesh of the
marrow. Put the end on again and leave for about six to seven weeks, when
the sugar should have mixed with the flesh of the marrow and the resulting
liquid will have dripped through into the jar leaving only the shell of the
marrow. Add yeast and yeast nutrient. Strain into fermentation jar fit
airlock and allow fermentation to finish until dry.

Keep at least twelve months when it will be very strong.

MARROW RUM (the alternative method)

This one looks good hanging in the kitchen for a few days! 4 oz of sugar per
half pint of rum, White preferably, it blends better with the marrow. Get
yourself a good mature marrow, cut open the top & scoop a good cup full out
of the middle. Underneath the Marrow make about half a dozen puncture wounds
with a sharp narrow needle (preferably long sowing needle or a sharp thin
knife ), & suspend above a glass bowl . Feed the marrow through the top hole
with sugar & rum in proportion & in a few hours you'll get lovely scented
marrow rum dripping out of the bottom. An average marrow will normally take
about one & half pints of rum (over a few hours) I prefer to make most
liquers on the tart side & sweeten to taste afterwards if necessary. Geraint





Marrow Rum

This is going to be impenetrable for most of us colonials, who don't know a
"marrow" is Brit for "squash", or Zucchini. You can make a kind of wine by
filling the cavity of a hollow vegetable, such as a pumpkin or other hollow
squash, with fermentable sugar, nutrient and yeast.

Pectic enzyme will also help, or better yet, a starch-converting enzyme,
such as Koji, or Diastase. As fermentation proceeds, the sugars in the
squash will be fermented, and the whole thing gets digested. Best to do it
in a container, since it may eat through the outer skin. You can do it with
either beer, or wine. If you use something like a large pumpkin, and
carefully cut a round hole as you remove the stem, it is possible to fit it
with a fermentation lock. Then pour in any basic must or wort, grape juice,
sugar water, whatever. Add a touch of yeast, and away it goes. Draw a happy
Bacchus face on the pumpkin !



----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----





Marrow Rum

Take a large marrow, cut a section near the top or stalk end, and with a
long spoon take out the seeds, leaving a cavity in the centre of the marrow.
Pack this cavity as tightly as possible with demerara sugar, replace the top
and tie it on like a lid. Suspend the marrow in a cradle of tape, or in a
bag of butter muslin over a basin large enough to hold the liquor which will
begin in a few days to drip through the cloth, and make a tent of thick
cloth, over all, to exclude dust, air, and the vinegar bacillus, and leave
suspended until the basin is full and the marrow has shrunk to a pulp, no
more liquor oozing from it.

Strain and bottle the content of the bowl. The wine can be drunk at once,
but will improve if set asside aside to mature. The fermentation occurs
inside the vegetable.



----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----

marrow rum

1 ripe marrow

5 to 7lb of demerara sugar, according to size of the marrow

wine yeast

Yeast nutrient

Wipe marrow clean with damp cloth, then cut a piece off the stalk end of the
marrow, deep enough to enable you to scoop out the seeds and pith from the
rest of the marrow. Press the demerara sugar into the cavity left; it
depends on the size of the marrow how much you will need; a large one will
take 7 pounds of sugar.

Replace the end of the marrow and seal with a pice of sticky tape. Then
suspend the marrow over a jar or jug;something with a narrow neck so that
the marrow can rest on this but not touch the bottom of the container.

After two or three weeks unseal the end of the marrow and add some more
sugar; some of the frist lot will have been absorbed into the flesh of the
marrow. Put the end on again and leave for about six to seven weeks,when the
sugar should have mixed with the flesh of the marrow and the resulting
liquid will have dripped through into the jar leaving only the shell of the
marrow. Add yeast and yeast nutrient. Strain into fermentation jar fit
airlock and allow fermentation to finish until dry.

Keep at least twelve months when it will be very strong.

what exactly is a marrow?

john


Stephen SG wrote in message ...
>General Purpose wine yeast
>
>Yeast nutrient
>
>Wipe marrow clean with damp cloth, then cut a piece off the stalk end of
the
>marrow, deep enough to enable you to scoop out the seeds and pith from the
>rest of the marrow. Press the Demerara sugar into the cavity left; it
>depends on the size of the marrow how much you will need; a large one will
>take 7 pounds of sugar.
>
>Replace the end of the marrow and seal with a piece of sticky tape. Then
>suspend the marrow over a jar or jug; something with a narrow neck so that
>the marrow can rest on this but not touch the bottom of the container.
>
>After two or three weeks unseal the end of the marrow and add some more
>sugar; some of the first lot will have been absorbed into the flesh of the
>marrow. Put the end on again and leave for about six to seven weeks, when
>the sugar should have mixed with the flesh of the marrow and the resulting
>liquid will have dripped through into the jar leaving only the shell of the
>marrow. Add yeast and yeast nutrient. Strain into fermentation jar fit
>airlock and allow fermentation to finish until dry.
>
>Keep at least twelve months when it will be very strong.
>
>MARROW RUM (the alternative method)
>
>This one looks good hanging in the kitchen for a few days! 4 oz of sugar
per
>half pint of rum, White preferably, it blends better with the marrow. Get
>yourself a good mature marrow, cut open the top & scoop a good cup full out
>of the middle. Underneath the Marrow make about half a dozen puncture
wounds
>with a sharp narrow needle (preferably long sowing needle or a sharp thin
>knife ), & suspend above a glass bowl . Feed the marrow through the top
hole
>with sugar & rum in proportion & in a few hours you'll get lovely scented
>marrow rum dripping out of the bottom. An average marrow will normally take
>about one & half pints of rum (over a few hours) I prefer to make most
>liquers on the tart side & sweeten to taste afterwards if necessary.
Geraint
>
>
>
>
>
>Marrow Rum
>
>This is going to be impenetrable for most of us colonials, who don't know a
>"marrow" is Brit for "squash", or Zucchini. You can make a kind of wine by
>filling the cavity of a hollow vegetable, such as a pumpkin or other hollow
>squash, with fermentable sugar, nutrient and yeast.
>
>Pectic enzyme will also help, or better yet, a starch-converting enzyme,
>such as Koji, or Diastase. As fermentation proceeds, the sugars in the
>squash will be fermented, and the whole thing gets digested. Best to do it
>in a container, since it may eat through the outer skin. You can do it with
>either beer, or wine. If you use something like a large pumpkin, and
>carefully cut a round hole as you remove the stem, it is possible to fit it
>with a fermentation lock. Then pour in any basic must or wort, grape juice,
>sugar water, whatever. Add a touch of yeast, and away it goes. Draw a happy
>Bacchus face on the pumpkin !
>
>
>
>---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
>----
>
>
>
>
>
>Marrow Rum
>
>Take a large marrow, cut a section near the top or stalk end, and with a
>long spoon take out the seeds, leaving a cavity in the centre of the
marrow.
>Pack this cavity as tightly as possible with demerara sugar, replace the
top
>and tie it on like a lid. Suspend the marrow in a cradle of tape, or in a
>bag of butter muslin over a basin large enough to hold the liquor which
will
>begin in a few days to drip through the cloth, and make a tent of thick
>cloth, over all, to exclude dust, air, and the vinegar bacillus, and leave
>suspended until the basin is full and the marrow has shrunk to a pulp, no
>more liquor oozing from it.
>
>Strain and bottle the content of the bowl. The wine can be drunk at once,
>but will improve if set asside aside to mature. The fermentation occurs
>inside the vegetable.
>
>
>
>---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
>----
>
>marrow rum
>
>1 ripe marrow
>
>5 to 7lb of demerara sugar, according to size of the marrow
>
>wine yeast
>
>Yeast nutrient
>
>Wipe marrow clean with damp cloth, then cut a piece off the stalk end of
the
>marrow, deep enough to enable you to scoop out the seeds and pith from the
>rest of the marrow. Press the demerara sugar into the cavity left; it
>depends on the size of the marrow how much you will need; a large one will
>take 7 pounds of sugar.
>
>Replace the end of the marrow and seal with a pice of sticky tape. Then
>suspend the marrow over a jar or jug;something with a narrow neck so that
>the marrow can rest on this but not touch the bottom of the container.
>
>After two or three weeks unseal the end of the marrow and add some more
>sugar; some of the frist lot will have been absorbed into the flesh of the
>marrow. Put the end on again and leave for about six to seven weeks,when
the
>sugar should have mixed with the flesh of the marrow and the resulting
>liquid will have dripped through into the jar leaving only the shell of the
>marrow. Add yeast and yeast nutrient. Strain into fermentation jar fit
>airlock and allow fermentation to finish until dry.
>
>Keep at least twelve months when it will be very strong.
>
>

John D. Misrahi wrote:

> what exactly is a marrow?

A gourd, basically.
--
charles
Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
"I certainly do not drink all the time. I have to sleep you know."
- W.C. Fields

John D. Misrahi > wrote:
> what exactly is a marrow?

You know what a zucchini[1] is? Well if you let one of them grow you'll get
something much larger [~60cm] which is called a marrow.

[1] We call them courgettes here.

Geoff,
North Loburn
New Zealand

--
Space is big.
Space is dark.
It's hard to find,
A place to park.

Interesing....in french a squash is a courge..and courgette would be a small
one I think..
>
>[1] We call them courgettes here.
>
>Geoff,
>North Loburn
>New Zealand
>
>--
>Space is big.
> Space is dark.
> It's hard to find,
> A place to park.

I'm trying wine made from frozen grated zucchini from my garden. Just
started it a few days ago.
Darlene
Wisconsin USA

"Geoff McCaughan" > wrote in message
...
> John D. Misrahi > wrote:
> > what exactly is a marrow?
>
> You know what a zucchini[1] is? Well if you let one of them grow you'll
get
> something much larger [~60cm] which is called a marrow.
>
> [1] We call them courgettes here.
>
> Geoff,
> North Loburn
> New Zealand
>
> --
> Space is big.
> Space is dark.
> It's hard to find,
> A place to park.

In article >,
Adam Lang > wrote:
>And to think I assumed he meant making wine out of the stuff inside bones

On the beer side of things, there *are* old recipes for "cock ale." One
I have uses a ham in addition the whole rooster, if memory serves,
while the other merely uses a rooster.

It gets discussed sporadically, but I've never heard of anyone actually
making it in modern times--and if they did, I'd be afraid to drink it.

hawk
--
Richard E. Hawkins, Asst. Prof. of Economics /"\ ASCII ribbon campaign
111 Hiller (814) 375-4846 \ / against HTML mail
These opinions will not be those of X and postings.
Penn State until it pays my retainer. / \

In article > ,
Ray > wrote:
>Sounds suspicious to me. Especially the part about using raisins as a yeast
>source. Raisins are heavily sulphited and I don't think you would find much
>in the way of viable yeast on them. I would suspect also that it would come
>out something like sweet jungle juice.

Raisins are a common yeast source in older beer & wine recipes. The
correct yeast for wine is naturally found on the skins.

Whether modern packing methods would kill that is something I'd know
nothing about, however.

btw, Prauger (sp?) winery in Napa claims to be the only commercial
operation in the U.S. to use only the natural yeast on the wine (the
rest may use that yeast, but culture it to speed the start). The
consequence is hitting the market a year later, but the wine is
spectacular.

hawk
--
Richard E. Hawkins, Asst. Prof. of Economics /"\ ASCII ribbon campaign
111 Hiller (814) 375-4846 \ / against HTML mail
These opinions will not be those of X and postings.
Penn State until it pays my retainer. / \