The Best Wassail Recipes for the Holidays

What Wassail Is and How to Make It

© Deborah Harding

Nov 13, 2009

Wassailing goes back to the 1400’s in Britian and has been associated with Christmas at least that long. It was a method of wishing good luck to family and friends and ensuring that the harvest would be good the next year. Doing things to ensure a good harvest has been going on longer than in just the 1400’s and these things were usually done in the winter when the orchards were dormant. So wassailing probably is more ancient than we know.

Wassail is a drink or punch. In the past it was made of ale with spices and honey. It was served in really big silver or pewter bowls and passed from guest to guest while they said wassail (good luck) to the next person. There is some documentation that wassail revellers would go out into the orchards and give a little wassail to the trees to coax them into producing for the next year. Often times modern wassailers will have a bowl and then go carolling around the neighborhood.

The name wassail comes from an Old English expression “waes hael” that meant “be well”. The saxons would gather at the start of the new year and the lord of the house would shout the words waes hael to which the guests and family would respond “drinc hael’ or “drink and be healthy.”

Today we make wassail with liquor and without. The following recipes are for the family and therefore do not contain any spirits. You can add them as you see fit however. Wassail is always served hot so put a big shiney pot on the stove and place a ladle next to it to scoop of the delicious drink into mugs. You can also put your wassail in a crock pot and place it on low to keep it warm and toasty.

Wassail with Pineapple and Citrus

Float some orange slices and thinly sliced pineapple slices on top of this punch in the pot.

Ingredients:

• 1 can (1 quart 14 ounce) pineapple juice
• 1 quart orange juice
• ½ cup lemon juice
• 5 regular tea bags
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons whole cloves
• 4 cinnamon sticks

Directions:

1. In a large container combine the pineapple, orange juice, and lemon juice.
2. In a large pot boil 2-1/2 quarts of water.
3. Turn the water off and add the teabags, cover the pot and let steep for 10 minutes.
4. Remove the tea bags.
5. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved.
6. Add the juice.
7. Place cloves and cinamon sticks in cheese cloth and tie it up tight. Throw it in to the pot and turn the heat back on.
8. Bring back to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer and simmer 5 minutes.
9. It is ready to serve.

Really Spicy Wassail

Ingredients:

• 1 gallon apple cider
• 1 liter of lemon lime soft drink
• 24 whole cloves
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• ½ cup red hot cinnamon candies

Directions:

1. In a large pot put the cider and soda and heat on Medium. Do not boil.
2. Once the mixture starts to simmer place the cloves and cinnamon sticks in a cheesecloth and tie. Put it into the cider mixture.
3. Simmer for about 10 minutes and throw in the red hots.
4. Stir constantly until the red hots dissolve.
5. Serve hot.

Christmas Wassail

Ingredients:

• 1 gallon apple cider
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 – 6 ounce can frozen lemonade, thawed
• 1 – 6 ounce can frozen orange juice, thawed
• 1-1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• 1 orange
• 12 whole cloves

Directions:

1. In a large pot combine the cider, brown sugar lemonade and orange juice.
2. Add the nutmeg and cinnamon sticks.
3. Simmer 20 minutes.
4. Slice the orange in thick slices and stud each slice around the edge with the whole cloves. If they are hard to insert into the skin of the orange use a darning needle or one you use to sew knitted parts together and insert it in the skin first then insert the clove.
5. Add the slices to the mix and heat them through.
6. Serve hot.

CranApple Wassail

Ingredients:

• 4 cups cranapple juice
• 10 cups apple cider
• 8 whole cloves
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 3 tablespoons honey
• half a lemon cut in slices

Directions:

1. In a large pot put the cranapple juice and cider.
2. Heat until boiling and reduce heat.
3. Add the cloves and cinnamon sticks then add the honey and stir until it dissolves.
4. Add the lemon slices and serve hot.

Make some Wassail during the Holiday season and you too can go out and pour some on the roots of the best apple tree to ensure a good harvest next year. Or maybe you just want to keep it all for you and your guests to enjoy.

HOL101

Cup of Wassail

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