Hedgerow Gin
The choice of fruit is up to you basically any hedgerow fruits can be used in this recipe. Use just a single fruit or a mixture of fruits, Wild Damsons, sloes,, elderberries,rosehips, blackberries,blueberries in fact any of the edible fruits that you find in the hedgerows. What you make now will not be ready for a year so it might be worth doing a couple of batches at a time. However if you want to eat the alcoholic fruit afterwards probably best not to put too many rosehips or haws in.
Ingredients
500g fruit of your choice either one blend or a mixture (but remember to keep notes on your recipe so if you find a combination that you particularly like you will be able to repeat it)
500ml of gin
500g sugar
1 litre clean dry wide necked jar with a screw top lid
Pack the fruit sugar and gin into the jar. Cover with cling film and then seal with the screwtop lid (stops any nasties getting in). Label the jar (very important as otherwise you will end up having a blind tasting - which can be interesting - I know I have done it) Pop in a cupboard with an even temperature and forget about it for a year.
When you are ready to try it pour off the spirit off the fruit (I pass this through a coffee paper filter) decant. This will leave you with alcoholic fruit. This can be served in small portions as a dessert with some cream, but if you don't fancy it discard it.
The longer the liqueur is kept the better the flavour, but if you can't wait for a year try it after about three months.
Serve in a glass with some amaretti or cantucci.
Ingredients
500g fruit of your choice either one blend or a mixture (but remember to keep notes on your recipe so if you find a combination that you particularly like you will be able to repeat it)
500ml of gin
500g sugar
1 litre clean dry wide necked jar with a screw top lid
Pack the fruit sugar and gin into the jar. Cover with cling film and then seal with the screwtop lid (stops any nasties getting in). Label the jar (very important as otherwise you will end up having a blind tasting - which can be interesting - I know I have done it) Pop in a cupboard with an even temperature and forget about it for a year.
When you are ready to try it pour off the spirit off the fruit (I pass this through a coffee paper filter) decant. This will leave you with alcoholic fruit. This can be served in small portions as a dessert with some cream, but if you don't fancy it discard it.
The longer the liqueur is kept the better the flavour, but if you can't wait for a year try it after about three months.
Serve in a glass with some amaretti or cantucci.
For many years I used the high-sugar recipe like yours. Then I tried the Hugh Fearnley-whatamess recipe, which only used a couple of ounces of sugar, and I prefer this now as it is lighter. Perhaps the palate changes as one gets older. I still think my favourite fruity booze has got to be raspberry ratafia. Do you make that too?
ReplyDeleteI tend to give the higher sugar quantities for people who have never had a go before and after all this is the original recipe. However I do tend to use less sugar myself. I think the palate changes greatly over the years. Yes I make Raspberry Ratafia, Orange and Lemon brandy, apricot brandy, home made Cassis Sloe Gin, Lemoncello (I have a recipe somwhere for a cream of Lemoncello as well). I also Made some Rhubarb Schnapps last year which haven't tasted yet have quite a lot of decanting to do I made some mixed fruit rum last year, but sadly did not get to taste any as the cats climbed up where they shouldn't and knocked it for six. I was not best pleased! Oh and then again there is the Rhumptopf. Now I really need to find a source of Damsons!
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