Our blackberries are coming fast and furious on our canes at the moment. They seem to be a bit earlier this year than before, but I say that every year. Blackberry Liqueur is something I have always wanted to try making and so this year I thought I would actually do it.
It was actually relatively easy to make. You simply mash a quantity of clean berries and then leave them to macerate for a couple of days with a bottle of wine.
It says to use a medium bodied wine. I looked that up and a medium bodied wine would be a Merlot, Shiraz, Tempranillo or Nebbiolo. I wouldn't really know one wine from another as we are not wine drinkers really, but I used a Shiraz.
I do know that in cooking they say you shouldn't use any wine that you would not drink, and so I used a moderately priced one. Not the most expensive, but not the cheapest either!
You clean your berries really well, removing and discarding any leaves or stems, etc. and then you mash them in a large non-reactive container. I used a large glass bowl. That's when you add the wine.
Give it all a good stir and then leave it to macerate for 48 hours. Cover it of course so nothing falls into it. I used a clean tea towel.
At the end of that time you strain the juice twice. Once through a fine mesh sieve to remove all the seeds, etc. and then again through a bit of cheesecloth to make sure absolutely no debris remains and you have a nice clear liquid. Any solids left behind might go mouldy, so you really need to be careful there are none left.
After that you heat it gently with a quantity of sugar, until the sugar melts . . . and then you add some alchohol. Vodka or gin. I used vodka.
At that point it is ready to decant into clean and sterile bottles, ready to seal and store in a dark place, ready for gifting, or keeping depending on your religious affinity.
As with most of these things, the longer they sit the better they get, or so I am told. I did share a bottle with my next door neighbor and she thought it was quite nice!
I call that a win!
I used Kilner clip top square bottles, and filled five of them.
Very pretty and jewel-like. Very festive. I suspect it will be really nice by the time Christmas rolls around.
Homemade Blackberry Liqueur
Yield: 1 scant litre (35 oz)
prep time: 48 hourcook time: 8 Mtotal time: 48 H & 8 M
This sweet and fruity liqueur is amazingly easy to make. It is also known as Creme d Mure. It would make the perfect gift for all your friends who drink alcohol this Christmas and is the perfect thing to make from some of that Blackberry Glut.
Ingredients:
- 5 cups blackberries, picked through, de-stemmed and washed (700g)
- 26 1/2 ounces of a medium bodied red wine (750cl bottle, I used Shiraz)
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (300g)
- 1/2 cup of vodka or gin (120ml)
Instructions:
- Measure your berries into a large glass or other non-reactive bowl. Mash them with a potato masher and then pour the bottle of wine over top. Cover with a clean towel and leave to macerate for 48 hours in a cool dark place. Give them a bit of a mash every now and then.
- When 48 hours is finished, strain everything through a mesh sieve to remove all of the berries and debris. Strain again through some cheese cloth to make sure you have a clean juice without anything extra in it.
- Pour the juice into a large saucepan. Add the sugar. Heat gently to a simmer and leave to warm over low heat for about 8 minutes, until all the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and stir in the alcohol.
- Leave to cool completely and then decant into clean sterile bottles. Store in a cool dark place. If your bottles are sterile it should keep for a very long time, if not then keep an eye on it and use it within a year.
I labeled my jars with the Innoveem Labels for Jars.
They worked really well. These are a nice size and perfect for this purpose. I have used these before and I can attest that you really can remove them without any sticky residue being left behind and they are very easy to write on. I think all of the shapes are quite attractive!
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