rescuing mamajuana

nacho said:

I tried to make some mamajuana recently, but not knowing the recipe (didn't check here) I just added a bottle of rum and honey to one of those bottles already filled with the bark and leaves. That was about 6 weeks ago, and so was very surprised the other day when I tried it out. Talk about bitter! I took one sip and poured the rest of the shot glass down the drain.

I have since read on DR1 that it is recommended that you first add some cheap gin and pour it off after 6 weeks to avoid that bitter taste.

Unfortunately I used a bottle of Brugal Extra A?ejo, so I am loathe to pour it all down the drain. Anyone have any ideas how I can rescue it? Maybe leave it for longer (I have my doubts) or add more honey?

Thanks in advance.

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Can't be rescued.
Serve it to any neighbours or relatives who you don't want visiting you anymore.
In the meantime, back to the drawing board.
Fill it up with pure gin or rhum and give it another 6 weeks before trying to make another batch.

nacho said:

Thanks Rocky. Live and learn I guess. One comfort is I know I will be back in the D.R. in 6 months or so, and can get more good rum.

At least I knew enough not to use the Imperial!!

By the way I did stop in at your place in June, you guys really do have great ribs!

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Glad you enjoyed the ribs.
Here's another tip that can help.
I once ran into a bunch of stubborn bottles. I guess the plants/herbs/bit's of wood were too green.
Anyhow, it came out incredibly bitter, so after emptying out the "tossaway" gin, I also rinsed them out with water and let them dry out thouroughly.
the next batch came out just fine.

Aw shucks.......

Don't you hate when that happens!

Add some more honey and a wee bit of sodium bicarbonate (that's baking soda to some of us-) but just a touch.

Then leave for another 6 weeks! Sample cautiously and repeat the procedure if needed......

My first bottle started out real bitter ('cause I didn't know about DR1 back then!) but it's now the best bottle in the bunch. Of course it's almost 15 yrs old and I just top up with rum and honey once in a while when it gets to about a third of a bottle!

Heck I have Dominicans who live down south that visit occasionally just for un 'drago' of that bottle!

MommC said:

Don't you hate when that happens!

Add some more honey and a wee bit of sodium bicarbonate (that's baking soda to some of us-) but just a touch.

Then leave for another 6 weeks! Sample cautiously and repeat the procedure if needed......

My first bottle started out real bitter ('cause I didn't know about DR1 back then!) but it's now the best bottle in the bunch. Of course it's almost 15 yrs old and I just top up with rum and honey once in a while when it gets to about a third of a bottle!

Heck I have Dominicans who live down south that visit occasionally just for un 'drago' of that bottle!

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Down south where? Don't you live in Juan Dolio? How more south can you get?

I killed my bottle too, Momm, I'll try your recipe - I hope it works too.

Nacho, I had to throw my best Brugal down the drain just the other day

Just be very careful with the baking soda....

a pinch will do the trick.....any more and you'll have a volcano!!

Dragonfly.......I live in Juan Dolio during the winter....

Summers are spent in the Great White North so 'down south' in this case means the Toronto, Peterborough area!

Now go read my blog and you'll 'see' what I mean!!

Sodium bicarbonate is a base so it neutralizes acids. However, bases are generally bitter in taste - so I am not quite certain what adding MORE base will do.

Are you sure that the mamajuana tastes bitter and not sour? If it is sour, the bicarbonate is exactly what is needed since sour taste is typically acidic.

I have the funniest story about mamajuana. On a trip I made to DR a few years ago I got my husband one of the things he really wanted from DR. a mamajuana. On the same trip I visited my aunt who sells pure honey. Being Dominican and having a asthmatic child I jumped at the opportunity to have some pure honey for ?remedios caseros? I also picked up some gomenol (sp) and aceite de tibur?n ( shark?s oil ). This is all for the ?remedio?

Well as soon as I got home my hubby started insisting that I give him some of the honey as this was the best for his MJ. I refused and told him to use regular store bought honey. A week went by and I started to prepare my remedio according to my aunt?s instructions. A bit of honey a bit of gomenol and a bit of red onions and a lot of aceite de tibur?n (those unfortunate souls that have had the displeasure of tasting this know this is horrid) this was to be prepared in a bottle and left for a few days then given to the person with the asthma. A teaspoon a day was the dose, this got rid of the phlegm that is associated with asthma. It is the nastiest thing ever I had to bribe restrain and use every imaginary forces to get Ambar to drink this thing. for those of you that are Dominicans you know the remedies for asthma are never good.

One day my hubby discovered my bottle in the fridge and thought he would steal some of the honey I had refused to give him for his MJ. Well he was so happy he got away with it. On the day that he decided to taste his MJ we were all gathered in the kitchen. You have to picture a grown man about to pass out from the horrible taste of all this mixed in with his good rum. He spit out the content he rinsed his mouth over and over, while the kids and I rolled around on the floor laughing. We couldn?t stop for hours. Needless to say its one of Ambar?s favorite story to tell about her dad. It is a classic. He has never stolen honey again hee hee.

After many washes with cheap liquor the mamajuana is drinkable again. But every time we see the bottle we get a fit of laughter.

Lina, there are one thousand and one remedies for asthma according to the Dominicans - but why are they so NASTY!! My poor baby gets a taste of some potion every December when I take him. Thank GOD that he only had childhood asthma and now he is growing out of it, he told me that if one more person gave him poison to drink he is refusing to get on the plane again...

Ok, back to mama juanas.

Do you guys feel the 'extras' make any difference? They want to add lambi's privates and other imaginative seafood items and charge more. Is it worth it?

I Have Differant Recipe

I was told too add only pure honey to the bottle no rum or gin .. let stay at least 3 weeks then add i shot too your drink. More or less the same as the turle shell in the vino .)))))