Celebrate the Arrival of Warm Weather With Some Finnish Spring Mead

Gather the ingredients. Bring the water to a steady boil. Peel or trim off the bitter inner white rind of the lemons and discard. In the meantime, use a lemon zester or a potato peeler to remove the outer yellow rind of the lemons in strips, placing these in a large glass or plastic (non-metal and heat-proof) container. Slice the lemons and place in a container with the zest, adding brown and white sugar. Once the water boils, pour it into the container with the lemons and sugar. Let cool to lukewarm, then stir in yeast. Cover and allow to sit at room temperature for 24 hours (and up to 48 hours), or until surface begins to bubble slightly. Strain the liquid into clean glass bottles, quart jars, or plastic containers. Add 5 to 6 raisins and 1 teaspoon sugar to each bottle. Seal tightly and refrigerate for 2 to 5 days, or until the raisins float at the top of the bottles. Keep refrigerated and serve cool. Enjoy!