First of May is just ahead of us and the traditional Finnish drink that symbolizes this day is Sima.

Sima is a very old drink that became associated with the Finnish labour movement in the 1900s and since it became a tradition to prepare it before the labour day.

Here we have the nonalcoholic version of it, you can add 1dl of beer to each litre if you would like to but this is the traditional recipe.

The lemons are the main and dominant ingredient of it so if you are a lemon lover, you might adapt this recipe to your own tradition.

It takes 3-4 days to get ready in room temperature so those of you who would like to keep traditions or would like to get a taste of hundreds of years, hurry up and prepare it.

The recipe here is for 10 litres in case you will have guests in coming years.

This year we will have a unique and different Vappu than others.

So make your own drink and Vappu delicates to create your own home Vappu atmosphere shine.

Watch the making of video at   https://www.instagram.com/tv/B_iHXYKjqUr/

To make 10 litres

 

Ingredients

• 8 litres water
• 1Kg brown sugar(Fariini)
• Juice from 5 lemons
• Thick slices lemons Zest
• 6gr fresh yeast
• 40 raisins
• a bit of sugar
• Tip: If you like ginger, you can add a small piece, grinded when mixing the lemon. It is not the traditional basic recipe but if you are a ginger lemon lover, try in part of the portion.

 

Instructions

 

• Place the sugar in a 10-litre casserole
• Boil 4 litres of the water and mix with the sugar till the sugar is dissolved.
• Add the other 4 litres of water.
• Make long thick slices of lemon zest from the lemons.
• squeeze the lemons and add their juice to the casserole.
• Mix well and add the slices of lemon zest.
• Let it rest until the temperature of goes under 40°C
• Mix the yeast with a bit of water, add to the mixture and mix well.
• Cover and let it rest for 24 hours in room temperature.

 

 

After 24 hours

• place 1 tsp and 4-5 raisins to the bottom of each bottle
• Add the Sima in.
• Let it rest in room temperature for 3-4 days.
• The drink is ready when the raisins pop up on the top of the bottle.

 

 

Hauskaa Vappua!