Recipe Swap: Raise a glass of an authentic Amish beverage

Recently I purchased a couple of Amish cookbooks, volumes one and two of "Amish Friends Cookbook" by Wanda E. Brunstetter. I have enjoyed them a lot, and I especially like the Amish history at the beginning of each chapter. The Amish way of living has always fascinated me, and their cooking techniques and recipes are interesting. These two books are full of great home-style, tried-and-true recipes. I started at the beginning of each book and decided to do an entire column on Amish recipes for beverages. I hope you find a few recipes you can add to your beverage files.

Quick Root Beer

1 teaspoon yeast

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 teaspoons root beer extract

Warm water

In a 1-gallon jar, dissolve yeast in 1 cup warm water. Add sugar and root beer extract with enough warm water to dissolve thoroughly. Stir until dissolved. Fill jar with water and set in the sun or a warm place for several hours or until strong enough. Cool. Note that this root beer can be made in the morning and be ready to drink by noon.

Hay-Time Switchel

2 cups sugar

1 cup molasses

1/4 cup vinegar

1 teaspoon ginger

1 gallon water, divided

Heat sugar, molasses, vinegar and ginger in 1 quart water until dissolved. Add remaining water. Chill and serve. Yields 1 gallon.

Fruit Slush

1 (6-ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

3 cups water

1 1/2 cups sugar

6 bananas, mashed

1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained

Lemon-lime soda, optional

Mix concentrate, water and sugar. Add bananas and pineapple and stir. Freeze. To serve, thaw to slush. Add soda if desired.

Cheery Cherry Punch

3 (3-ounce) packages cherry gelatin

2 cups sugar

6 cups boiling water

1 (46-ounce) can unsweetened pineapple juice

1 (12-ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

1 (12 ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

1 gallon cold water

2 (2-liter) bottles ginger ale

Dissolve gelatin and sugar in boiling water. Add pineapple juice, orange juice and lemonade concentrates and water. Mix well. Chill until very cold. Just before serving, add ginger ale and ice.

Grape Punch

1 (6-ounce) can frozen white grape juice concentrate, thawed

4 cups water

1 (2-liter) bottle lemon-lime soda

1/2 gallon raspberry sherbet

Mix all ingredients together. Add lemon-lime soda and sherbet last.

Vinegar Punch

2 quarts water

1/4 cup vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

In large pitcher, measure water. Add vinegar, sugar and nutmeg. Stir until sugar is dissolved.

Rhubarb Punch

12 cups chopped rhubarb

8 cups water

3 cups sugar

1 (12-ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

Cook rhubarb in water until done. Let drip through sieve, collecting juice in large container. Add sugar, orange juice concentrate, and water to equal 3 gallons.

Icy Punch

1 (6-ounce) package or 6 tablespoons orange gelatin

3/4 cup sugar

2 cups boiling water

1 (46-ounce) can pineapple juice

6 cups cold water

2 liters ginger ale

1 (1-quart) container orange sherbet

In 4-quart freeze-proof container, dissolve gelatin and sugar in boiling water. Stir in pineapple juice and cold water. Cover and freeze overnight. Remove from freezer 2 hours before serving. Place in punch bowl. Stir in ginger ale and orange sherbet just before serving. Yield 32 to 36 servings or 6 quarts.

Amish Wine

1 (16-ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate

1 (16-ounce) can frozen grape juice concentrate

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 (2-liter) bottle Sprite

Mix all ingredients and add ice. Serve.

Tea Concentrate

1 quart water

1 cup sugar

2 cups tea leaves, packed

Bring water and sugar to a boil. Remove from heat. Add tea leaves, cover and let steep 5 to 7 minutes. Strain mixture and add water and ice to make 1 gallon. Concentrate may be frozen.

Rhubarb Drink

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 cups rhubarb, cut in pieces

4 cups water

Juice of 1 lemon

1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate

1 liter ginger ale

Water to taste

Cook sugar, rhubarb and 4 cups water 5 minutes. Add lemon juice and orange juice concentrate. Put mixture through a strainer. Freeze or can. Mix with ginger ale and add water to taste to serve.

The temperatures outside will soon be turning warmer and maybe some of these cool beverages will sound good to make on a hot spring day. Have a wonderful week, and until next time, happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at smcclanahan@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701. Recipes published have not been kitchen-tested by Southeast Missourian staff.