Handcrafted Berry Liqueur Recipe

Handcrafted Berry Liqueur Recipe

You will need:

• 3 cups ripe berries (blackberries, raspberries, blueberries or a mixture), or cherries
• 3 cups good-quality vodka (about one 750 ml bottle)
• ½ cup brandy (optional)
• 1 whole clove
• A strip or two of lemon peel, pith removed
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 cups white sugar (you can add more later)

Instructions:

1. Pick through the fruit and discard any that is overly soft or has spots of mold. Gently rinse in a colander and drain for at least 10 minutes.
2. In a large mixing bowl, lightly crush the fruit, using the bottom of a drinking glass.
3. Add the vodka, brandy (optional), clove, lemon peel and vanilla and mix well with a large spoon. Do not add the sugar yet.
4. Pour mixture into a large, clean sealable 2-quart glass jar or divide among several smaller jars.
5. Let stand to age in a cool, dark place for 3 weeks. Stir once each week during that period.
6. Pour the liqueur mixture through a cheesecloth or large wet coffee filter and strain into a large mixing bowl. Pour the strained liquid back into your glass jar(s).
7. Let stand to age again for one week in a cool, dark place and repeat the straining process to get a beautiful, jewel-like liqueur.
8. After the second straining, heat the 3/4 cup of water and the sugar in a medium saucepan over low heat, just until the sugar dissolves. (High heat will cause the sugar to crystallize.) Cool completely.
9. Add the sugar syrup to the strained berry mixture, and pour the liqueur into decorative bottles or canning jars and cork or seal them. Label and date the jars.
10. To be safe, age for at least 8 weeks in the refrigerator. Aging for 12 weeks will result in a better liqueur.

Yields about one quart of liqueur. Keep refrigerated or frozen.