Blackberry Vodka

[Wey Lass]

Blackberries are now becoming ripe and ready for picking along the towpath. If like me you don't like crumble, here's an alternative idea of what to do with them. You'll need the following.

 

Blackberries

Caster Sugar

Vodka (cheaper the better, ie basics or economy brand)

Clean empty wine bottle with screw cap

Small plastic funnel if you have one so as to avoid making a mess.

 

Wash blackberries and put in wine bottle until its about half full.

Pour in sugar (using funnel if possible) on top of the blackberries until it reaches about 3/4 full.

Top up with vodka. ( 1 wine bottle will use about half a 75cl bottle)

Give it a good shake and leave to brew for about 3 months shaking it as follows. Daily for the 1st week. Every 2-3 days for the 2nd week and then weekly for the remainder.

 

After 10-12 weeks approx., strain the contents through a sieve, squishing out all the goodness and vodka of course, out of those blackberries which you can then bin. Pour liquid back into your bottle and you'll have yourself a lovely tipple.( You may want to taste it and add a little more vodka or sugar here, depending on your individual taste.) This keeps for ages and I sometimes pour it into the small wine bottles to give away as pressies. You may want to keep it all for yourself though, as it does taste good.

 

(Not sure if I should mention here that there must be other recipes for non-alcoholic drinks made from blackberries available, but hope if you do make the above, you like it too.)

[Grace and Favour]

If you resist the temptation to 'Squish' the blackberries, and put them to one side (or freeze them even) - they are beautiful with ice cream/or used in an apple and blackberry crumble

[RichardH]

How much sugar?

 

Liking the idea....

[Dekazer]

Blackberry brandy works incredibly well too, although the night we drank a whole bottle (with friends!) and then ate the blackberries on a crumble, has gone down in history for being raucous and leading to dreadful hangovers. Drink in moderation indeed!

[dave moore]

We make Damson Gin and Vodka every autumn for Christmas. We were given a recipe which we call 111... A pound of fruit, a pound of sugar and a pint of spirit. The results are best described as a liquid orgasm!!

 

Cheers

 

Dave

[Wey Lass]

Hi Richard H.

Its about a quarter of a bottle of sugar as it will settle and pile up ontop of the blackberries which are already half way up: hence fill sugar so level in bottle now 3/4 full. I used to weigh it out but to be honest doing it by eye is far easier and works just aswell.

 

One of my friends has made raspberry vodka which is very nice too. Sweeter and more like a syrup. I just put the blackberry one on as usually you can find them for free, especially along the towpath.

 

Sloe gin is also a good one to do but its knowing where you can find the sloe bushes late summer/early autumn time.

[Bettie Boo]

Must remember to save some of the blackberries I've been picking whilst doing locks, instead of eating them

 

Will defiantly give this a try

[jim and pat dalton]

Hawthorn berry Brandy is even better. Hawthorns are good for your heart. Berries split and placed in cheap Brandy for 3 months then filtered thru muslin cloth to another bottle. Produces a very smooth and tasty brandy.

 

 

Hawthorn flowers make a very good tea too.

 

 

 

Jim