Sima - Finnish May Day Mead

This very easy mead recipe is a delicious, mild-tasting soft drink that's traditionally made for May Day (Vappu) in Finland.

Prep Time 2 days

Cook Time 0 minutes

Servings gallons

Calories 224kcal

In a large pot, add 2 gallons of water and heat until near boiling. Remove from heat and add the sugars, the juice from the 4 lemons, and lemon peels. Allow liquid to cool 1-2 hours.
After the liquid has cooled to slightly warmer than room temperature, stir in the yeast until dissolved.
Cover the pot with a lid and let it sit at room temperature for 24 hours. Or, for fizzier sima, pour the liquid into two 1-gallon glass jars fitted with airlock lids instead of leaving it in the pot.
After 24 hours, stir the liquid. Using a funnel, divide the liquid into clean plastic bottles and screw the caps on tightly. I used plastic bottles that hold up to 17oz.
Let the bottles sit at room temperature until they feel hard when you try to press the sides, about 1-8 hours depending on the air temperature in your home. Then move them into the fridge to chill. They should be consumed within 1 week.

Use an apple peeler to remove the lemon peels. Carefully try to peel only the yellow part of the peel, the "zest." The white inner part of the lemon peel will make the sima more bitter.
Sima is a traditional soda-like soft drink which contains a very low amount of alcohol.