2 replies added

1. 

   Sam1234 December 20, 2023 Log in to Reply

   I’d never heard of this drink before.
   Allspice berries can be hard to find. I had ordered a bag that lasted for years, but it ran out a while ago. I was looking at my local supermarket today for some berries today, but they didn’t have any. They did have ground allspice, but I didn’t buy any because I prefer to buy spices whole and grind them myself. 😉

   Here’s a nifty little tip from the Web. In place of 6 allspice berries, you can substitute 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon *ground* allspice. But if you don’t have allspice at all, you can try one of these: 1) Substitute the same amount (1/4 to 1/2 tsp. ground) of Chinese five-spice powder for the allspice; or 2) Mix together 3 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 1/4 teaspoons ground nutmeg (or mace), and a pinch of ground cloves. Then use 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of this mixture in place of 6 allspice berries.

   Another tip—try to buy organic spices whenever possible. Most conventional spices are irradiated. 🙁 It’s best to do the same with fresh spices too, like ginger.
2. 

   Sam1234 December 21, 2023 Log in to Reply

   Reading some articles on the Web, I learned a couple of interesting things about this drink: 1) You can ferment it, and 2) Ginger and brown sugar may be best avoided by some people (not sure how true this is, but it’s something to be aware of).

   Here are the relevant quotes:

   “If you are storing outside of refrigerator, for long periods, it will ferment so you will want to add more sugar to your sorrel up front. That is not an issue per se, just remember to open the air tight bottles every few days to let the gases escape. I would only do it for a couple days to start out so that you can gauge and see. I would not want a huge batch going bad on you because it wasn’t kept optimally.”

   “Do not use ginger or brown sugar for persons on a low-potassium diet, such as persons with kidney disease.”

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