Crab apple liqueur

Mr Portions and I are determined to become more skilled in the art of foraging. It’s amazing how many fruits and berries around you in everyday life are edible. There may be no such thing as a free lunch but there are definitely free crab apples – easily identifiable as they are tiny apples.

In the name of research we each took a bite. I gagged more than Mr Portions as they are sour and I have a sweet tooth. The liqueur would definitely need sugar! We picked the crab apples before they got a red blush from the sun – we were looking to make a tart liqueur.

Here’s what you need:

4 cups of crab apples
4 cups caster sugar (I know this sounds a lot but crab apples are mighty bitter!)
2 ½ cups vodka (we used Smirnoff Blue)
½ cup Polish pure spirit

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

Wash, chop and core the crab apples. This is a bit of a faff as they are small and hard but it’s worth it so share the task and make witty conversation to pass the time.

Place the prepared crab apples in a kilner jar.

Add the sugar and close the lid. Shake.

Add the vodka and Polish pure spirit and close the lid. Shake.

Leave in a quiet spot, at room temperature for 4 weeks and shake occasionally to ensure the sugar mixes in with the crab apples and vodka.

When the month is up strain the mixture using a fine sieve or straining bag. Then move on to a more refined filter either lining a sieve with a butter muslin or a coffee filter (but this can get clogged requiring frequent changing of the paper). Here’s what crab apples look like after they’ve been in a jar with vodka and sugar for a month:

Bottle your liqueur and age for a further month. It was a touch “punchy” after a month but some people liked that – if you don’t, leave if another couple of weeks and try again...it will mellow over time!

Cheers!

Time to make, from start to potable: 2 months

Yield: approx 3 cups/750ml

Mr Portions’ tart Applicious liqueur

Our last batch of Applicious was delicious (don’t worry – there’s no charge for the poetry), but Mr Portions, being a tough and manly sort, found it a little too sweet.

So here’s our more butch version of it – man’s Applicious! Method, volumes and maturing times are exactly the same, the only difference is the apples used.

Here’s what you need:

4 Granny Smith apples
1 Bramley apple
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. Strain out the fruit using a filter bag.

Filter the liqueur through a fine sieve or mesh mashing the apples to ensure you get all the juice and flavour out of them.

You will have to filter at least twice 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 this can get clogged) filtered the liquid very effectively. Clarity is your goal!

Bottle your now-potable liqueur!

Cheers!

Time to make, from start to potable: 4 weeks

Yield: approx 3 cups/750ml

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