Thyme After Time: Sugar, Sugar, mmm Honey, Honey

I Mead You

Mead: An alcoholic beverage that is made by fermenting honey and water. It may be flavored with spices, fruit or hops.

The earliest archaeological evidence days back to 2,000 BC.

The earliest fermentation using honey has been found as far back as 9,000 BCE

Sima: A type of mead made in Finland used to celebrate the spring and the arrival of warmer weather. It makes its appearance on Mayday and then is enjoyed throughout the summer.

It was originally made with honey but because of cost is now made with sugar as well.

May Day is coming!!!!!!

"Harold? Did you hear me? Mayday is coming!!! HAROLD! Turn your hearing aid on!"

Harold did as he was told mumbling something under his breath.

"What?!?! It's on now. What do you want?"

"Mayday's coming. I want to go get some recipes."

"Go online, you old bat!" Harold whispered and laughed, knowing Gladys couldn't hear very well either.

"Go start up the time machine. I want to see Mayday."

"Never a moments peace with this woman! Harold this and Harold that. One day, just one day, give me peace, Lord!"

"HAROLD! NOW!"

Harold hopped up amazingly fast for an older gent and was at the time machine turning the key before Gladys could take another breath.

"So, where are we going Gladys?"

"May Day Celebrations....the earlier, the better. I really want an authentic mead recipe."

"May Day Celebrations, eh? Alright let me make sure this old thing here works. I need to make a stop that's not quite so far back...just in case we get stranded. I may need a few spare parts."

Gladys got in brimming with excitement. "This will be fun, Harold. We never travel anywhere anymore. Holographic entertainment get's old after a while. I like actually leaving our home."

The machine started vibrating, gears started turning, beeps and buzzes sounded and a bit of smoke rose into the air. Then nothing; total silence.

"Harold....did you type in the wrong password, remember you changed it last month when the neighbors kids broke into our garage?"

"Hmmm I guess you're right, I did."

"You senile old coot!"

OK, we're off...lights flashed, sounds whirred and crowds cheered......It was 1951 and Mickey Mantle had just hit his first home run for the New York Yankees....There he was, the guy picked to fill Joe DiMaggio's shoes. The legend of Mickey Mantle was born. "This is what May 1st is all about, the Yankees and baseball!!!" Harold took in the sounds and smells around him before a sharp slap to the head broke into the baseball mood.

"Damnit, Harold, I told you no sports!!!" Come on, let's go!"

Sigh..."OK Gladys...but I'm coming back...WITHOUT YOU!!!!"

"Fine!!"

Whirs and Whizzes started again and Harold began to giggle as things started to clear up around them...and...they were still in a baseball game.

"There you go, Baby!!!! Yeah!!!" Did you see that, Gladys? Babe Ruth's 50th home run...the first with the Yankees. NEW YORK!!!! Yeah!!!!! Ahhh Polo Grounds, this is the life!!"

"HAROLD!!! SNAP OUT OF IT!!! WE ARE GOING TO SEE AN ANCIENT CELEBRATION OF SPRING WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT!"

"Gladys, Spring is baseball."

"NOW!"

A few people in the stands turned their heads looking Gladys's way but they quickly faded in the abyss and whirlwinds of times whizzed by.

And there they stood. It was amazingly quiet as a meadow appeared around them. Spring flowers had bloomed and there was a sense of freshness, like right after a rain that permeated the land. They heard laughter and some singing in the distance and they approached.

"You know, Harold, in Romania, where you're from, Mayday was celebrated to ensure good wine for the coming year and rituals were done to protect everyone from storms and mother nature."

"Yeah, yeah....Get your recipe and let's go. The Yankee's are playing tonight."

"We have a time machine, you ass!! You won't miss your game!"

Harold let out a big sigh. Gladys had grown pretty crabby in her "twilight" years. He sat on a rock reminiscing waiting for her to come back. He waited

and waited for what seemed like hours...

He thought he heard her voice but it was way to happy and girlish to be hers.

Maybe I should go look for her, he thought as he slowly got up and unsteadily made his way over the hill.....Oh no....That can't be my wife! Harold looked on in horror.....

There Gladys was, in all of her God-given glory dancing around in her birthday suit, things flapping in the wind that normally should stay in one place. The natives smiled, nervously glancing at her, some were giggling, some just stared.

She must have drank.

She danced around the maypole in all of her glory, flowers in hand, smiling and laughing.

"Gladys, you didn't drink the local's mead, did you?"

"Howard!!! Come dance with me!!!"

"Come on, Gladys, we have to go home now. You can make your mead when we get back, sweetie! Put your clothes on."

"Oh Harold, I love you so much! I mead you!!!!" she laughed hysterically at her little word exchange. "I didn't get the recipe. Come and Dance with me first."

Harold stared at her, her eyes twinkling, a smile lighting up her face. He loved her so much, that crazy old woman!

"Gladys, put your clothes on now. We're going home. You can get a mead recipe online. You've bothered the locals enough. Let's go!"

She obeyed but not before saying goodbye to all of her new friends and dancing around the maypole one last time. The next morning, throbbing head and all she still hadn't given up on her mead. She searched the Internet intently.

"Howard, what are the chances of finding ancient honey with our time machine?"

There was a tiny click of Howard turning off his hearing aid and all went blessedly silent.

The Mead

adapted from Sima, The May Drink of Finland

The champagne yeast can be found at a beer/wine supply store. We bought ours from Rozi's in Lakewood, OH (Just in case you live in the Cleveland area.)

You can use regular yeast but the flavor will be heavier and a bit more "yeasty".