Twelfth Night, Apples and Wassailing: A Traditional English Wassail Recipe (2024)

Twelfth Night is just a day away as I write, and I am minded to share an old English recipe with you today, arecipethat will be just the ticket for a night of feasting and revelry, aswell as being perfect toserenadeany apple trees you may have in your garden on the 6th January, which is Twelfth Day orEpiphany.A traditional hot, mulled drink, Wassail is making a comeback after being in a culinary wilderness since the beginning of the 20th century; today’s recipe is based on a very old recipe from Suffolk in the East of England, and is basically a spiced hot cider that is fortified with port and sherry and is served with hot, baked apples.

Wassail was a traditional Christmas and New Year toast, derived from the Anglo-Saxon words for “to your health” – “waes hael”, the recipe of the same name is a spiced and very alcoholic hot beverage that was offered to visitors throughout the festive period, or in some cases taken around the community in a large wooden bowl decorated with evergreen leaves (usually holly and ivy) and festoons of bright red ribbons. There is no definitive recipe for “wassail” the drink, as it varies from county to county, and was often dependant on local ingredients and libations such as ale, cider, apple juice and fruit, OR whatever was used to “top” the wassail bowl up as it was taken around to individual houses in the local community.

However, it is generally agreedthatthe main components are the spices and alcohol, as it is a drink towish all who partake of it, good health.Although wassail is usually associated with Christmas and the New Year, it was very often offered as a toast at weddings and christenings, as well as at harvest suppers……..it’s basically a boozy beverage to be enjoyed when making merry! My recipe today serves 6 to 8 people and is fragrant with aromatic spices, roast apples, oranges and lemons, as well as Suffolk cider, or should I say “Cyder” to use the old English spelling.

As well as imbibing in a mug or two of hot booze, wassail is also accompanied by singing…….and it is popular as a beverage to enjoy whilst “wassailing” apple orchards.Although the practice of wassailing apple orchards has all but died out now, there is a village in Cornwall, Grampound, where wassailing still takes place every New Year, and the Wildlife Trust in Staffordshire are hosting a big Wassail this year too, with Morris Dancers, Mulled Apple Juice sampling, a procession and offerings to the local apple trees. More local London events for Twelfth Night celebrations and wassail can be found here:Twelfth Night celebrations

Itwouldn’tbe right if I didn’t end today’s post with a wassail song, and one of my favourites is a traditional apple wassailing song from Somerset, where they also still celebrate wassailing on Old Twelfth Night which is the 17th January;bread that is soaked in cider is placed on the branches of an apple tree whilst onlookers sing wassail songs…..

Old apple tree we wassail thee
And hoping thou will bear
For the Lord doth know where we shall be
‘Til apples come another year

For to bear well and to bloom well
So merry let us be
Let every man take off his hat
And shout to the old apple tree

Old apple tree we wassail thee
And hoping thou will bear
Hat fulls, cap fulls, three bushel bag fulls
And a little heap under the stair

Hip! Hip! Hooray!

…….before I sign off, I must mention my local version of wassail – “Lamb’s Wool” – Lamb’s Wool is made with ale instead of cider and is a wassail toast from Yorkshire to “mutton and wool” the staples of localtradeand agriculturein theYorkshireDales.The apples are roasted as in my Suffolk recipe for wassail, and spices, sweet wine and sugar are also added, but, the apples are then skinned and mashed with the pulp being added which is supposed to represent and resemble lamb’s wool.

Whatever your last tipple before “Dry January”, I hope you enjoy Twelfth Night and Epiphany and I will be back next week with some new 5:2 diet recipes, as well as some thrifty “penny saving” ideas for the New Year. Waes Hael! Karen