Description
This recipe has been kicking around the Wonderfully Patient Spouse’s family for the last 30 years or so. It’s an indispensable component to Christmas for oh-so-many reasons.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1 cup Water
- 1 whole Orange, Zested In Strips
- 1-¼ cup Fresh Orange Juice
- 1 whole Lemon, Sliced In Rounds About 1/4 Inch Thick
- 3 whole Cinnamon Sticks, Broken In Half
- 18 whole Cloves
- 15 whole Allspice
- 1 bottle Full-boded Red Wine (750 Ml – Cabernet Or Zinfandel Work Well And CHEAP Is Ok!)
Preparation
Combine sugar, water and orange zest in a small kettle and heat over medium heat till sugar is completely dissolved and you have a simple syrup. Then, add orange juice, lemon and spices, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
Strain liquid into a bowl through a colander and reserve the spice mixture! Refrigerate the spice mixture. Pull it out and simmer over low heat in a small saucepan filled with water whenever you want your house to have that wonderful spicy-citrusy smell of the holidays. Replace water as needed. You should get about 4-5 turns from the mix. Refrigerate after each use.
Back to the hot-spiced wine. . .
Add wine to syrup-juice mix, cover and simmer another 30 minutes.
Serve heated. Mix also keeps well in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks.
P.S. Sorry about the fake holly!
