Sima: Finnish May Day Drink
The first of May is upon us. Although London has a distinct lack of fields, maypoles, and adorable animals (Hipster Cats not included of course) that does not mean there has to be a lack of tradition and celebration. Living in such a vibrant and multicultural city encourages you to embrace cultures from within and outside of your family. Here at the Hipster House, we have decided to embrace Cold Brew Kombucha and Retro Denim Jacket’s family heritage for May Day which has allowed Heritage Avocado Toast to experience a new, and in his humble opinion, delicious summer drink. Sima, the Finnish May Day drink, can really be best described as a sweet, fermented, lemon delight that you will want to drink all summer long, much like the Finns do. It may seem daunting to make, but it is really as simple as it is tasty. We will show you how.
Sima, Finnish May Day Drink
You will need the following ingredients:
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2 litres of water
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1/2 cup brown sugar
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1/2 cup and 2-3 tsp granulated sugar
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1 lemon
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Active dry yeast
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Several raisins
And the following equipment:
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Medium sauce pot
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Wooden spoon
Non-metal 2 litre container (or two 1 litre containers)
Sterilised 1 or 2 litre containers
Funnel
Strainer
Ok, now lets get cooking!
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Boil the water
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Wash and thinly slice the lemon
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Dissolve brown sugar and 1/2 cup of white sugar
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Add sliced lemon
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Cool mixture to lukewarm. Make sure its not too hot or too cold or the yeast will not work
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Transfer your cooled mixture to the non-metallic container
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Add 1 pinch of active dry yeast per litre of liquid and stir to dissolve
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Let mixtures stand in a warm place for around 10 hours, over night is even better
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Your mixture should have small bubbles around the edge to show it is ready
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Prepare your sterilised containers. We follow the tips from BBC Good Food found here
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Put 3 to 4 raisins and 1 tsp of white sugar per litre into sterilised containers
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Strain mixture and pour into your containers and cork/close your bottles
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Let stand at room temperature until the raisins rise to the top. This can take from 10 hours to 2 days depending on the temperature of the room
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Chill and serve
Store in refrigerator or cool place, although we can say from experience this will go fast. We love a refreshing glass with a cheese board or some delicious ginger biscuits. Even though this is traditionally a summer drink, there is nothing stopping you from making this anytime of the the year. However, colder temperatures will have an impact on the yeast and may mean that your Sima will take a bit longer to ferment, so be sure to plan ahead. Please note that Sima is fermented and therefore contains alcohol, enjoy responsibly.
Happy May Day!