Ok….So many requests for the recipe for my blackberry liqueur! It’s very simple, but very effective and totally adjustable to your tastes. And so is the type of fruit you can use!
The pictures show a variety that I have made, strawberry guava, mulberry, blood plum, orange, strawberry, mandarin, lemon and last but not least, blackberry 💜
All follow the same basic recipe and for some you can use the fruit afterwards for jam or cheesecake (the latter is adults only because it retains some alcohol content 😉).
Ingredients
- 700-1000ml of high strength vodka or gin if you prefer
- 1/2kg approximately of Berries.
- White sugar
Instructions
- Combine fruit & alcohol and mix
- Leave for 4 weeks to maturate in a large airtight jar out of direct light.
- Strain the fruit from the liquid, squeezing all you can from the fruit.
- Make up a batch of sugar syrup by mixing 1 cup of white sugar with 1/2 cup of water and warm over a low heat until dissolved.
- Allow to cool completely before adding to your liqueur. Stir well and then bottle.
Notes
Depending on what fruit you use, you may notice fermentation may start if allowed to go warm, so store in the fridge.
Aging of the liqueurs differs between fruit flavours too. I’m not a fan of the aged orange liqueur, but the blood plum compares to a fine port after a couple of years.
The strawberry pulp leftover is excellent in a cheesecake (adults only as aforementioned) and all the berries can be used in a chunky fruit conserve rather than wasting them (cooking will eliminate any residual alcohol content).
Alternative fruits
Instead of berries, you can use oranges: the juice of 10 & the rind of the best one- no pith. Same for lemons and other citrus.
For blood plums and other fruit: 1kg, but destoned/deseeded first.
Words and images by Jen from Pickle’s Patch