Going through some old recipe books and came across these. Judging by the interest in strawberry liqueur and the lemincello I thought someone might be interested in giving these a go.
These recipes are from “Margaret Fulton’s book of Preserves and Pickles.”
Apricot liqueur
Ingredients
1kg or 2lb apricots, pips removed
2 ˝ cups of white wine
1 cup of white sugar
1 teaspoon of allspice berries
2 ˝ cups of brandy
Method
Put the apricots and wine into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer until the apricots are soft then mash.
Add the sugar and allspice berries and stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour into a bottle or jar, cover and leave in a warm place for 4 to 5 days.
Strain and squeezing out all the juice. Add the brandy, pour into sterilized bottles and cork tightly.
Makes about 7 cups.
Note. To improve flavour, crack the apricot stones, blanch the kernels and add to the liquid as it infuses.
Blackcurrant Liqueur (Cassis)
Ingredients
500 grams or 1lb of blackcurrants (topped and tailed)
1 x 3.5cm(1 ˝ inch) cinnamon stick
2 to 3 cloves
6 fresh blackcurrant leaves (optional)
2 ˝ cups of brandy
1 ˝ cups sugar
Method
Put the blackcurrants in a basin and mash with a potato masher. Put in a bottle with the spices and leaves. Add the brandy and sugar, cover and leave in a warm place for 1 to 2 months.
Strain, squeezing out as much juice as possible, pour into sterilized bottles and cork tightly.
Orange liqueur
Ingredients
36 sugar cubes
3 large oranges (seville if possible)
2 ˝ cups white rum
Method
Rub the sugar cubes against the oranges until they are deep orange in colour, this shows that they have absorbed the essential oil from the rind.
Remove the white pith from the oranges and cut up the flesh, discarding the pips. Put the sugar, orange flesh and rum in a jar or bottle cover tightly and leave in a warm place for 3 to 5 days. Strain, pour into sterilized bottles and cork tightly.
Makes about 3 ˝ cups
Plum Liqueur
Ingredients
500 grams of plums
2 cups of sugar
2 ˝ cups of gin
Method
Prick the plums all over (with a skewer or toothpick)
And put into a jar or bottle with the sugar. Cover tightly and leave to stand for 2 to 3 days or until the juice runs freely. Pour in the gin and cover tightly. Leave in a warm place for about 2 months.
Strain, squeezing out as much juice as possible, pour into sterilized bottles and cork tightly.
Makes about 3 ˝ cups
Coffee bean liqueur
Ingredients
9 mocha coffee beans
2 ˝ cups of white rum
1 cup sugar
Method
Put the coffee beans in a bottle or jar and pour in the rum. Cover and leave in a warm place for about 2 months
Add the sugar, shake well and leave until dissolved. Strain, pour into sterilized bottles and cork tightly.
Makes about 3 ˝ cups.
The coffee bean Liqueur souds interesting.
