Laura Dean Bennett
Staff Writer
Naturally, when Old World immigrants came to the New World, they didn’t leave their precious apple trees or the traditions associated with apples behind. One of those traditions was that of “wassailing the apple trees.”
The ancient Celtic pagan tradition of wassailing has roots that go back to the Middle Ages in Britain and beyond.
Wassail is derived from the Anglo-Saxon waes haeil meaning “to be healthy.” The ritual was intended to drive evil spirits from the orchard and encourage a healthy apple crop the next summer.
The wassail tradition was celebrated in many parts of Britain on January 17, a date known as “Old Twelvy Night.” In other parts of the British Isles, the pagan ritual was anglicized and included in Christmas celebrations.
One of the trees in the orchard would be selected to be the Apple Tree Man – the guardian and representative of the entire orchard. Noise to scare away evil spirits would be made by the clattering of pans or blowing of horns before there would be a torchlight procession around the Apple Tree Man accompanied by the singing of a traditional Wassail song.
To wish good health to the orchard, cider containing roasted apples would be poured on the roots of the Apple Tree Man and cider-soaked toast would be hung as an offering on the tree’s branches by the orchard King and Queen (usually played by two children).
A Wassailing cup or bowl was used to dip the toast before hanging it in the trees. This tradition of dipping the piece of toasted bread is said to have given rise to the expression “to make a toast.’
In some places in today’s Britain, a modern version of wassailing, usually taking place between Christmas and New Year’s Day, has been making a comeback. In some communities, apples are blessed in churches on Saint James’s Day, July 25.
In Colonial America, many of those who had orchards continued to anoint their apple trees with wassail to ensure a good apple harvest. It many homes, it was usually incorporated in Christmas celebrations.
Today, some Americans still enjoy a variation of the wassail tradition by sharing a cup of wassail with family and friends.
Wassail Recipe
Wassail is cider punch, usually, but not necessarily, containing “hard” cider and brandy, and always served piping hot.
Ingredients:
4 cored apples
Brown sugar, to fill the cored apples
1/2 cup water
2 oranges, halved
20 whole cloves
5 cups apple cider (or 11 total cups of apple cider for non-alcoholic wassail)
48 oz. hard cider (omit for non-alcoholic wassail)
1 cup brandy (substitute with orange juice for non-alcoholic wassail)
1 tbsp. ground ginger (or 1-inch piece, fresh)
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 cinnamon sticks more for garnish, optional
Toast, for serving (optional)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Using a melon-baller, gently core apples.
Fill apples with brown sugar, keeping it loose and filling it to the top. Place apples upright in a baking dish and pour the water into the bottom of the dish. Bake 40-45 minutes until the apples can be pierced with a fork, but not so soft that they are mushy and falling apart.
In the meantime, pierce the peels of the orange halves with cloves, 5 cloves to each half.
Pour the apple cider, hard cider and brandy (or non-alcoholic substitutes) into a large non-reactive pot (eg. stainless steel, enamel or pyrex). Stir to combine. Choose a vessel suitable for serving the wassail, to retain the heat.
Over low-medium heat, gently stir in spices and cinnamon sticks. Add the orange halves, cloves side down. Simmer gently for an hour. Do not let the contents boil, which will cause evaporation and create a syrupy consistency.
Using a slotted spoon to remove the cinnamon sticks and oranges and set them aside for later.
Strain the wassail to remove the particles of cloves and spices. If planning to serve in the cooking vessel, strain the wassail into another pot for a moment and immediately pour back into the cooking vessel to keep warm.
Gently add the baked apples and stir gently. Add back the cinnamon sticks and the orange halves.
Serve in a mug or heat tolerant punch glasses. Garnish with a cinnamon stick, if desired.
Your home will be filled with the irresistible aroma of wassail.
Toast the apple trees that provided the cider and don’t forget to enjoy the delicious baked apples soaked in wassail.
