Happy Yule Everyone!
Wassailing for Yule
An ancient custom of blessing orchards with fertility for the coming year.
There are different types of Wassailing. One is to visit the orchards and another is to go door to door to visit with people. This is where you would sing and offer a drink from your Wassail bowl.
Since I don’t have orchards around me, I take this wassail drink and go out to the evergreen forest on my property and bless the trees. After all these trees offer me shelter, beauty, and fuel for the long winter nights. You can do this at a local park as well. I’ve also heard of people bringing evergreen boughs into the house and doing an indoor version. I think Wassailing is something we don’t do enough. So no matter what your situation is, try it. It is a lot of fun! You can sing, drum or chant for the trees. Dance around while you sprinkle them with the Wassail.
You can use the recipe below or whatever festive beverage you typically serve.
I got this recipe from nourishedkitchen.com and it is the best I’ve seen so far.
Ingredients
- 4 small apples
- ¼ cup unrefined cane sugar
- 1 medium orange
- 13 whole cloves
- 2 quarts hard apple cider
- ½ cup brandy
- 1 tbsp powdered ginger
- 1 tsp grated nutmeg
- 6 allspice berries
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 6 large eggs, (separated)
- toast, (optional, to serve with)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Scoop out the core of the apples without fully penetrating the apple – a melon baller works well. Fill each apple with about a tablespoon of unrefined cane sugar. Place the apples in the baking sheet. Stud an orange with thirteen cloves and place it in the baking sheet. Bake the apples and orange together for forty minutes.
- While the apples and orange bake, pour apple cider and brandy into a heavy-bottomed stock pot and warm over moderately low heat. Whisk in powdered ginger and grated nutmeg. Do not bring the wassail to a boil.
- Cut a small square of the butter muslin and place allspice and cinnamon into the square; tie with 100% cotton cooking twine and float this sachet of spices in the wassail as it warms.
- Beat egg yolks until light in color and set aside. In a separate bowl, whip egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold egg yolks into whites, then temper the eggs by slowly pouring one-half cup wassail into the eggs. Remove the spice sachet from the wassail and pour in the tempered eggs. Transfer to a punch bowl. Float baked apples and orange in the wassail and serve by the mug, topping each much with a small slice of toast if desired.
Everyone have a happy and safe Yule!
Blessings,
Sway