and voila , I had my wine stock . After mixing the stock with water , sugar and orange juice , I was ready to roll .
The sugar acted as the fermenter and after a few days it was time to bottle the nectar . Because wine needs a means of expelling the gases built up in the fermentation process , the recipe called for putting a balloon poked with pinholes on top of each bottle for a few days before corking the bottles . Keep in mind ; this was not a recipe from any sort of winemaking website ; it was a “ living off the land “ kind of website .
Ted and I proceeded to fill the bottles , place the balloons on top and waited about a week before corking them . All was well and it smelled great . We stored the bottles in the cool , dark basement and anxiously anticipated our first sip which would be in about one month .
July fourth weekend as Ted and I sat in the living room , we heard a bang . Being a holiday , we figured the noise was one of our neighbors shooting off fireworks . Then another BANG ! And another . We looked at each other – “ Oh no …” Sure enough , the wine apparently had more gas to expel and the corks were popping out of the bottles . Wine was spewing all over the basement . As you can imagine , we had a sticky mess on our hands that took a bit of work to clean up . We did manage to salvage a couple of bottles which we immediately shared with friends . I have to say , it was pretty tasty .
Since that time we have taken a wine making class and know how to avoid a similar mishap . We now make some fine chardonnay , merlot , Malbec and mead . We haven ’ t tried dandelion wine again , but we have not totally discounted another attempt .
Just as Aroostook County celebrates the potato , some states celebrate the dandelion . I found three states that hold annual dandelion festivals complete with parades , dandelion queens , races , contests , and food booths . In Ohio a local winery sponsors the festival and naturally , dandelion wine is a major focus . A church in Michigan and a small town in New York are two other places to experience a celebration of dandelions . I am sure there are others as well .
One of the most unusual celebrations is in Rochester , New York . The University of Rochester chose the dandelion as its official school flower . The dandelion emblem can be found on various buildings on campus , and it is even emblazoned
on the school ’ s commencement maces .
Why , you ask , would a prestigious university choose such a humble flower ? The story is that when the school outgrew its current space in the early 1920 ’ s , they purchased land adjacent to the campus from farmer , Azariah Boody . The land , a cow pasture , was naturally fertilized and thus had lots of dandelions . Even with the cows gone , the dandelions thrived and each year the campus was awash with yellow . Two members of the university ’ s class of 1925 wrote one of the school ’ s official songs , “ The Dandelion Yellow .” The song tells the story .
O , Azariah Boody ’ s cows were sleek and noble kind
They wandered o ’ er verdant fields where grew the dandelion . And when they drove the cows away To build a home for knowledge They took the color from the flow ’ r And gave it to the college .
( chorus ) O , the dandelion yellow ‘ Tis a color rich and mellow Accorded love and loyalty By many a gallant fellow . O , let Harvard have her crimson And old Eli ’ s sons the blue To the dandelion yellow we will e ’ er be true .
The cows of Deacon Boody roam the happy hunting ground But dandelions flourish still as springtime comes around
Their golden glow thru-out the land is known and hail ’ d a far As the bright and glorious emblem of the good old U of R .
The County needs to embrace the humble potato in the same way . While it is true we do celebrate the potato , we don ’ t have an official celebration song , ( Dick Curless ’ s “ Tater Raisin ’ Man ” is more a salute to the farmer than the potato ). We also need a beverage – does anyone have a recipe for russet potato wine ?
10 SUMMER 2017