Our friend Ann has shared her recipe for her superb Ginger wine, also known as OT. It is an Anglo-Indian drink that has good kick from the ginger and chillies but is alcohol free.
With your favourite dessert or with a slice of homemade cheesecake like Ann served hers with, this Ginger wine is just magic.
It is also a great warmer in the cooler months and has been said to be a soothing drink to take for coughs, sore throats and digestive problems.
Ann’s Ginger Wine or OT
Ingredients:
- 250 g Ginger root, washed, peeled and thinly sliced
- 375 g sugar
- 3 red chillies, whole
- 5 whole cloves
- 1stick of cinnamon
- 1 Cardamom pod
- 1 Tblsp Lime or Lemon juice
- 2 1/2 L water
Method:
- Add water to a large heavy saucepan
- Stir in sugar
- Then add the ginger, chillies, cloves, cinnamon sticks and cardamom pod
- Bring to a rolling boil then reduce to simmer and cook until the mixture is reduced by half and thickened (at least 1 hour)
- Remove from heat and stir in the lime juice
- Allow to cool then, using a piece of cheesecloth, strain off the ginger and spices
- Bottle and keep in the fridge
- Enjoy your Ginger wine with your favourite dessert
The Grantham Gardener 
Hi Ann I liked your ginger wine reciepie the good thing about it is you do not add yeast and the ingredients you used were minimal . Would like to know for how long will this remain good in the refrigerator. Could I keep it out of the fridge .
What is OT?? Could you give us your grape wine recepie.
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The OT means “the other thing” i.e., not alcohol. Ann tells me it will keep in the fridge for a year. It will not keep so long unrefrigerated. It is well worth making and very delicious.
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I have made my wine but getting a thin layer of white stuff on my wine after I have bottled it , can install me how I can get rid of
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Hi Maleika,
Ann advises that all equipment used to make the wine should be washed well and dried and bottles and lids sterilised and dry.
She has been making Ginger wine for many years and has never experienced this. It could be a “flowers of wine infection” where an environmental yeast or bacteria uses the oxygen between the surface of the wine and the lid to grow.
She suggests straining the liquid through fine layers of clean cheesecloth into a new sterilised and dry bottle and lid that has been thoroughly washed. Leave a 1 inch space between the surface of the wine and the lid. This reduces the amount of oxygen available to the organism.
Always store the wine in the refrigerator as heat and humidity helps the growth of these organisms too.
Try this and see if it helps.
Due to organisms in the environment always thoroughly wash and dry all equipment that will be used in the wine making.
Let us know how you get on.
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