Monday, June 29, 2009

Raspberry Liqueur

Raspberry Liqueur – Small batch ingredients thanks HoneyLioness!
* Fifth of vodka
* Heavy syrup(see below)

* Raspberries
* Large sealable container – I recommend one with a wide opening. Either a few Quart Mason jars, a gallon jar or even a cleaned Gallo wine jug.
* Put two cups of water and four cups of sugar into a pan. Heat on the stove until the sugar is completely dissolved. Cool before adding to vodka.
* Into a large glass container pour in the vodka and syrup.
* If the container’s mouth is not real wide you will need to crush the berries ahead of time. Add at least four cups lightly mashed (8 cups whole fruit) into the mix. You can add more as wanted. The riper, or more over-ripe the berries the better in terms of color and flavor.
* Seal the container and let it sit in a cupboard or pantry for at least three months and up to six months. For the first month or so gently shake the container every few days – once a month after that.
* When you are ready to use or decant into smaller containers for gifts strain the liqueur through a fine mesh sieve (NOT a colander) to remove the spent fruit. The alcohol will have leeched the color out of the berries and they will appear grayish in color.


The final liqueur can be kept for over a year in the cupboard or indefinitely in the freezer.