Tobinambur

Information about fruit/vegetable type washes.

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Mrschmitt
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Tobinambur

Post by Mrschmitt »

My father in law grew up in Germany and always talks about Tobinambur. It is a "vodka" that is made from jeruselum artichokes. We have the jeruselum artichokes and I would like to attempt to make our own tobinambur this year. Does anyone have a recipe that they could share with me? I know that the fermentation will be difficult (from what I have read), so any help that people can give me would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Matt
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still_stirrin
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Re: Tobinambur

Post by still_stirrin »

Matt Schmitt (a good German name),

They’re “wild sunflowers” around here. Most now have died back (dried flowers) this late in the season. But they’re everywhere here (the ditches are full of them this year), in fact, it’s the state flower.
Wiki wrote: Jerusalem artichoke brandy smells fruity and has a slight nutty-sweet flavor. It is characterized by an intense, pleasing, earthy note. The tubers are washed and dried in an oven before being fermented and distilled. It can be further refined to make "Red Rossler" by adding the roots of the common tormentil, giving it a bitter and astringent taste and a red color. Red Rossler contains other ingredients such as currants, producing a schnapps with about 50% alcohol used as digestif and as a remedy for diarrhea or abdominal pain.
sunflower
sunflower
So, I believe you harvest the roots (tubers), dry them, and then mash them. I’d grind the dried roots before mashing. I suspect you’ll need a bunch of plants to get enough fructose to ferment much volume. But, it will be a unique spirit.

Good luck.
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Kareltje
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Re: Tobinambur

Post by Kareltje »

According to me it is a rightfully forgotten vegetable.
I tasted a testing bottle of the spirit once and it tasted just as horrible as the root.
But some people seem to enjoy it.
The sugar, inuline, is indeed in the roots. Maybe roasting may cure the bad flavour.
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NZChris
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Re: Tobinambur

Post by NZChris »

There is a method here: https://www.topinambur-manufaktur.de/ea ... d-drinking

I have plenty of artichokes to get rid of, but no enzymes. :(
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NZChris
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Re: Tobinambur

Post by NZChris »

https://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtop ... 38&t=69516

P.S. You might get better search results by spelling it correctly.
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