Monday 26 July 2010

Applicious liqueur



Apple liqueur is divine! We love it neat, diluted with lemonade or as a component in a cocktail – Applicious Martini anyone?

It is worth spending time filtering your liqueur to ensure it is crystal clear; our Applicious just cries “drink me!”:


This liqueur is soooooo smooth! We are definitely going to experiment with sharper apples (probably a mix of Granny Smiths and Bramleys) because some drinkers found it a little sweet – rather like a dessert wine. However, I have a sweet tooth and it was perfect for me!

Here’s what you need:

5 eating apples – we used Gala for their sweetness but if you prefer tart apples go for Granny Smith
1 lemon’s peel
1 ½ cups vodka (we used Smirnoff Blue)
½ cup
Polish pure spirit
1 ½ cups
sugar syrup

NB. If you don’t wish to use Polish pure spirit, simply replace it with extra vodka.

Core the apples then coarsely chop – there is no need to peel the apples. Place in a kilner jar and add the lemon peel.


Add the vodka and seal the jar.

Place jar in a cool, dry spot away from any direct sun. Leave for 2 weeks but pick the jar up and swirl it every so often.

After the two weeks has passed, add the sugar syrup then return the jar to its cool, shady place for another 2 weeks. Again, swirl the jar now and again.


When it’s ready to filter your liqueur and fruit will have turned a rich ochre – full of mellow mists and fruitfulness:


Filter the liqueur through a fine sieve or mesh mashing the apples to ensure you get all the juice and flavour out of them. We start with a bit of brute force with the straining bag:


This is what was left in the straining bag after we had wrung it dry:


You will have to filter several times to ensure that all the apple flesh is removed and you have a clear, pulp free liqueur.
We found that lining the sieve with a butter muslin (you could use a coffee filter but beware this can get clogged and you'll have to change it frequently) filtered the liquid very effectively. Filtering takes time - hours! Ensure you leave enough time as you don't want to rush. Clarity is your goal!


Bottle your now-potable liqueur!


Cheers!

Time to make, from start to potable: 4 weeks

Yield: approx 3 cups/750ml

7 comments:

Pattypan said...

Nice one. I was in the pub at dinner and funnily enough looking at the Apple Vodka that was on sale there as well as the Lime Vodka. Another one to try.

Pattypan

Choclette said...

Well I'd certainly not have thought of doing this with apples - sounds delicious. I do make rhubarb vodka along with sloe gin and blackcurrant vodka. I tried blackberries once, but didn't think the resulting drink was that flavourful.

The Caked Crusader said...

I was lucky enough to try some of this - it is AWESOME! Everyone should make it!

Coco Cooks said...

I have dabbled in making my own bres, but never with apple. I so see this in my future , esp with Falls apple crop.
Love this site idea!

Rachel said...

I came to visit your blog site after seeing a link on The Cake Crusader's site, and im so glad i did.
I'm really looking forward to trying your recipes!

Can i ask a few questions that are probably really simple answers but i just want to double check:-
1) Are your kilner jars - 2 litres (i.e. the one you are using for the apple/pineapple recipes)?
2)When you use the cup' measurement in the ingredients lists is 1 cup equal to 250ml?

Thankyou in advance!

Mrs Portions said...

Hi Rachel

Thanks for your questions, and your lovely comments!

Our kilner jars are a smidgen over 1 litre - with hindsight, I'd buy 2 litre as this gives more options!

Yes - 1 cup = 250ml

Hope you make the applicious, it's so lovely!

ruou chivas said...

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