Peysakhovka – This is Jewish vodka made from raisins (it is more correct to call the drink moonshine) with a strength of 40%, which was named in honor of the religious holiday of Passover (in our opinion, Easter). On this day, Jews are forbidden to consume and keep in the house alcohol made from foreign non-kosher raw materials. Considering that only grapes grow in Israel, the choice is small. Believers can only drink wine, brandy and self-made Izyumovka.
In addition to raw materials, Peisahovka differs from Russian sugar moonshine in that it ferments on wild grape yeast, and double (sometimes triple) distillation is used in the preparation process, which improves quality.
To make a paisahovka, you need fragrant large raisins, minimally processed with preservatives. Otherwise, fermentation will not start or will be sluggish, and unpleasant notes will appear in the taste of the drink, especially if the berries have been treated with sulfur dioxide.
Ingredients:
- raisins – 2 kg;
- water – 10 liters;
- sugar – 100 grams.
Raisin mash recipe
1. Classic paisakhivka is prepared without yeast. First you need to make a starter – activate the wild yeast that lives on the surface of the berries. To do this, it is enough to mix 200 grams of raisins, 100 grams of sugar and 0,5 liters of warm water (25-30 ° C) in a liter glass jar. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved, close the jar with a lid and leave for 2-3 hours.
2. Get the raisins and twist through a meat grinder. Add the resulting mass back to the jar and mix well. Put a few whole unwashed raisins, then tie the neck with gauze and put in a warm dark place for 2-3 days. When signs of fermentation appear (foam, bubbles, sour smell), the starter is ready. You can move on to the next step.
If the raisins have not fermented, it means that the natural yeast on them has been killed by preservatives, and these berries are not suitable for paisahovka. We need to look for others. Otherwise, you can spoil 2 kg of raw materials without getting a result.
3. Pour all the remaining raisins (1,8 kg) with 2-3 liters of warm water and leave for several hours. Process the swollen berries in a meat grinder.
4. Mix the raisin mass in the fermentation tank, all the water indicated in the recipe (in which the berries were soaked, we also use) and the leaven. I advise you to fill the jars (bottles) to a maximum of 3/4 of the volume so that there is room for foam and carbon dioxide.
5. Install a water seal (a medical glove with a hole in the finger) on the container and place it in a dark, warm (18-27°C) place.
6. After 3-6 weeks, sediment will form at the bottom of the container, the mash will become light and tasteless without sweetness, and the water seal will stop bubbling (the glove will deflate). This means that the raisin mash is ready, you can start distillation.
Distillation of raisin vodka
7. Drain the mash from the sediment through a thin tube. Squeeze out the sediment itself through gauze, mix the resulting liquid part with mash. Squeezes are no longer needed.
8. Overtake the mash for the first time without separation into fractions. Finish distillate extraction when the strength in the jet falls below 30 degrees. The product may be cloudy, this is normal.
9. Measure the strength of raisin moonshine. Determine the amount of pure alcohol.
10. Dilute the distillate with water up to 20%. Overtake again. The first 10% of the amount of pure alcohol is collected separately and poured. These are “heads” – a harmful faction that can only be used for technical needs. Finish the selection of the main product when the strength in the stream falls below 42%.
11. Dilute the resulting paisahovka with water to a comfortable fortress (40-45 degrees). Pour into bottles and seal tightly. Let stand for 2-3 days in a dark, cool place to stabilize the taste.
The homemade coat is ready. The drink has a caramel smell, slightly sweet taste and is drunk very easily. In Israel, moonshine from raisins is usually eaten slowly from small glasses (20-30 ml), snacking on tsimes, forshmak and matzah. But this does not mean that Peisakhivka does not go well with dishes traditional for Russian cuisine. For a drink, you can serve everything that ordinary moonshine has a bite to eat.
