Butia Wine

[malcthomas]

Has anyone made or have a recipe for making Butia wine.

I am curious to know how the juice is extracted from the seed.

thanks...Malcolm

[Neofolis]

I was under the impression that the wine is made from the sap of the tree. To be really unspecific, I think they cut the tree down, leave it laying flat then wait for it to start producing sap from the cut end and just collect the sap in a bucket. Thereafter, I have no idea of the process.

[merrill]

Hi, Malcolm:

Nice to hear from you again. This is long-winded in an attempt to be helpful!

Years ago, I made a lot of Butia jelly and jam. Never did find an easy way to separate out the seed. Used a 1.5 HP Waring blendor controlled by a large variac. Small blendors didn't survive well when their speed was reduced markedly; the large one could be turned down completely safely.

One strategy would be to use a Butia that is pollinated by an incompatible pollen that produces smaller seed w/o endosperm but basically normal fruit.

A kitchen strainer w/ mesh just a bit smaller than the seed, struck hard so that the macerated pulp falls away from the strainer when struck, would help some.

It would be good if the macerated pulp could be fermented w/o separating the seed.

Do you use yeast starter?

Hi, Neofolis:

The method you describe is used on huge Jubaea; haven't head of it for Butia, which is much smaller.

Best Wishes,

merrill

Edited May 15, 2008 by merrill

[Alicehunter2000]

If you make some........I would be interested in trying it

[Gaston in Argentina]

In south Brazil is very common also the Butia icecream.-

Just there i saw this.

Tell us more about this Nigel.

[Alicehunter2000]

In combination with another thread........how bout making Betelnut wine......might be the next Absinthe.

[malcthomas]

Merrill,

Many thanks for your response. I made Butia jam once and stewed the fruit intact which made the removal of the seed a little easier. Will try your suggestion of the fruit blender.

A woman that I work with is really into her wine making and I suggested to her to try Butia fruit. She's from England, and apart from nuts like Nigel, Butia are not known in them parts. When I suggested leaving the fruit to ferment with the seed intact she said that it would probably give the wine a woody taste as apparently it does with plum wine when the plum is not de-stoned. As grapes and other fruit are not stewed first, I guess there might be some very good reason for not making wine from stewed Butia fruit pulp. Can anyone assist on this?

The majority of my Butia capitata for some reason produce incomplete seed...(3 little pips). These are red/orange fruit and the fruit that I thought would make great wine is a variety that produce a yellow fruit with a sweet pineapple flavour.

Thanks neofolis. I recall someone last year posting a copy of an advertisment for canned Jubaea syrup produced in Argentina.

David....you may be a little too far away for a tasting session

regards...Malcolm

Edited May 16, 2008 by malcthomas

[Neofolis]

Yes, sorry, as Merrill pointed out, I was thinking of Jubaea. I've only heard of Butias being used in preserves, etc., but I seem to read about quite a few palm species being used to make Palm Toddy.

Has anyone tried the Ice Cream that Gaston mentioned?