Martha Washington's Cherry Bounce Question

[hndrx]

To quote Martha Washington:

Extract the juice of 20 pounds well ripend Morrella cherrys. Add to this 10 quarts of old french brandy and sweeten it with White sugar to your taste. To 5 gallons of this mixture add one ounce of spice such as cinnamon, cloves and nutmegs of each an Equal quantity slightly bruis’d and a pint and half of cherry kirnels that have been gently broken in a mortar. After the liquor has fermented let it stand close-stoped for a month or six weeks then bottle it, remembering to put a lump of Loaf Sugar into each bottle.

The inclusion of the lump sugar at bottling implies carbonation to a modern brewer. However, in Martha's time, carbonation wasn't commonly done yet. Also, I'd think the alcohol content wouldn't allow yeast to grow given the use of so much brandy in the mix. If the lump sugar isn't for carbonation then what is the purpose?

 

[DBhomebrew]

What/where's the primary source?

 

[hndrx]

What/where's the primary source?

From the Martha Washington papers at Mount Vernon. Referenced by many with "Dining With The Washingtons" which is sold at Mount Vernon being one of the more well known.

 

[DBhomebrew]

From the Martha Washington papers at Mount Vernon. Referenced by many with "Dining With The Washingtons" which is sold at Mount Vernon being one of the more well known.

Are you quoting the book? Does the book quote M Washington directly?

 

[hndrx]

Are you quoting the book? Does the book quote M Washington directly?

You might want to contact Mount Vernon if you'd like more info. This is a basic article on their website: Cherry Bounce

 

[DBhomebrew]

I should contact Mt. Vernon. It's for answering your question about interpting a historic document that I'm seeking context.

I had already found that article and noted two things. The recipe it presents is a modern adaptation and it doesn't include any carbonation let alone late sugar at packaging.

 

[DBhomebrew]

a pint and half of cherry kirnels that have been gently broken in a mortar.

Forget what the late sugar is doing. I'd be questioning the crushed cherry pits.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/cherry-pits
Eating just 3–4 pits of the Morello cherry or 7–9 pits of red or black cherries may lead to cyanide toxicity (2).

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

To quote Martha Washington:



The inclusion of the lump sugar at bottling implies carbonation to a modern brewer. However, in Martha's time, carbonation wasn't commonly done yet. Also, I'd think the alcohol content wouldn't allow yeast to grow given the use of so much brandy in the mix. If the lump sugar isn't for carbonation then what is the purpose?

I have made cherry bounce and from what I suspect from your post is the sugar is added to cut the sourness of the cherries. Since they are added to a wine base very little carbonation is going to happen. In a regular " bounce" recipe sugar, tart cherries are added to brandy, if even vodka or bourbon.

 

[hndrx]

I have made cherry bounce and from what I suspect from your post is the sugar is added to cut the sourness of the cherries. Since they are added to a wine base very little carbonation is going to happen. In a regular " bounce" recipe sugar, tart cherries are added to brandy, if even vodka or bourbon.

That does make sense. I suspect that you're correct. Fermentation would be unlikely given the alcohol content of the brandy unless a lot of it had been removed from the brandy by evaporation, etc. She does reference "old".

 

[hndrx]

Forget what the late sugar is doing. I'd be questioning the crushed cherry pits.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/cherry-pits
Eating just 3–4 pits of the Morello cherry or 7–9 pits of red or black cherries may lead to cyanide toxicity (2).

You are correct about the pits.

 

[hndrx]

Are you quoting the book? Does the book quote M Washington directly?

The book and numerous other sources quote that text complete with spelling.

 

[OakIslandBrewery]

Back in Martha's day they referred to things differently than what we do so I can understand some of the differences.

If you mixed everything in a single container you would be fine. Then after everything sat a while you could bottle it up in smaller sizes. I just made some cherry bounce with tart cherries, bourbon, oak and maple syrup.

Edit: the cherries I used were already pitted.