Haying season drink

teletech · May 27, 2012

OK the post regarding rhubarb juice in water for a refreshing drink reminded me of what we drank after putting loads of hay in the mow. We called it switch-el (sp.?). I believe the recipe goes like this 1 Gallon of water, 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of vinegar and 3 tbsp.of ginger.
Not for everyone, but I loved it.Felt like it washed the dust right away!
Anyone try it? or another recipe?

Greg1959 · May 27, 2012

BUDWEISER!

larry@stinescorner · May 27, 2012

the neighbors grandmother in pa makes a tea from mint leavea,I just had some today,it is good,and all natural

fixerupper · May 27, 2012

I've heard of the stuff but never seen it. When we baled everyone drank from the same jug and nobody got sick from it. One neighbor was kind of fussy and wiped the lip of the jug before he drank but the rest of us just tipped it up and chugged. Jim

Anonymous-0 · May 27, 2012

I drink a lot of this drink in the summer. In fact I have some in the fridge now. My recipe is as follows. 2 qts. water, 1 heaping cup of sugar, 5/8 cup of vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon of ginger. I believe this is an old German drink. It's a good thirst quencher.

BushogPapa · May 27, 2012

I'd agree, but that happened just before Dinner and Supper..(Maybe a "Shot" before Supper, too)..

IN the field, we usually had water with a small amount of Dill Pickle juice in it..
Quenched your thirst way better than water alone..

I have taken to Chewing "Wheat Gluten" while in the field..keep a small pill bottle in the toolbox..
About 1/4 teaspoonful and it is the Best chewing..ALL day long...never gets Tough or anything..
FWIW..
Ron..

BillinCentralMO · May 27, 2012

I was gonna try that Gluten myself. Can't beat the price. Several restaurants here give it away. Says , "Gluten Free" right on the menu.

BushogPapa · May 27, 2012

Goo stuff to chew...
Need to get it between your cheek and Gum, for it to turn to a chew....
Cheap and a bag will last for Years..!

(Don't try to blow any Bubbles..)!!!!!!

Ron..

Rick Kr · May 27, 2012

I"ll mix up a little and try it. Baled 300+ small squares of alfalfa yesterday. Cleared my throat with Guiness Black Label. Tasty.
Rick

showcrop · May 28, 2012

The best I ever had was one time when I was kid we were picking up hay in a big field and had been some time without water and none in sight. We were very thirsty, so finally the farmer I was working for took us to a long unused well at the edge of the field. We slid the flat cover rock aside and we had a couple empty beer bottles. Somebody pushed the floating dead mouse aside and we took turns dipping the bottles with our dirty hands. We are all still alive except the farmer who died about eight years ago.

cuttman · May 28, 2012

Either lemonade, or good ole well water.

dgasper · May 28, 2012

Many years ago I was combining oats with an old H and a Massey pull behind when I looked around and saw my brother Tom come bouncing across the field in his '59 Chevy. He had a couple icy cold six packs of Grain Belt which we polished off in the shade of the combine. Don't remember if I got any more work done that day or not but that was the best thirst quencher I ever had.

Tim Barnes · May 28, 2012

(quoted from post at 02:20:05 05/28/12) OK the post regarding rhubarb juice in water for a refreshing drink reminded me of what we drank after putting loads of hay in the mow. We called it switch-el (sp.?). I believe the recipe goes like this 1 Gallon of water, 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of vinegar and 3 tbsp.of ginger.
Not for everyone, but I loved it.Felt like it washed the dust right away!
Anyone try it? or another recipe?

teletech, I don't know where you are from but in N/W Mississippi a few oldtimer type people would know what switchell is. Back when cotton was still handpicked in that area, switchell would always be in the cotton wagon before they left the house. If there was a spring or creek near the field, they put the jugs in the water. I think the acid in the vinegar helped supply the electrolytes one needs when they sweat a lot.

Anonymous-0 · May 28, 2012

I spent many years drinking beer, and alternating with water, while stacking small squares. Now my weapon of self destruction is ice water, while baling rounds, and and bourbon and water, when the round baler breaks down. Today I was cutting, and the fan belt was slipping. Auto parts store was closed, 'cept for advance auto parts(AKA Retard auto parts!). Since I knew what the outcome would be if I asked for a belt 1/2" shorter than the one I had, I just bought a spray bomb of belt dressing. That worked for about 15 minutes, cause it passed all EPA rules, yet still managed to fail miserably, as a belt dressing! Had to spend most of the afternoon, cutting in low gear, to avoid overheating. Tractor didn't overheat, but I sure did!

Brian G. NY · May 28, 2012

Believe it or not the best thirst quencher I remember was REAL buttermilk, a byproduct of the butter we churned on the farm.
We kept our milk and buttermilk in Mason jars in a wire basket in the milk cooler. We had a milk cooler in the milk house years before we had a fridge in the house!

Haying season drink

teletech

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Greg1959

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larry@stinescorner

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fixerupper

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Anonymous-0

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BushogPapa

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BillinCentralMO

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BushogPapa

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Rick Kr

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showcrop

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cuttman

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dgasper

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Tim Barnes

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Anonymous-0

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Brian G. NY

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