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Project 7: Fruit Cordials

Why would you want to do this? This is an easier way to preserve berries than making jams or preserves, and the cordials can be used in many ways, not just in drinks. They can be given as gifts, used as natural cough syrups, or poured over ice cream or cake as luxurious dessert toppings. Some flavors can also be used as ingredients in exotic marinades or glazes.

Why wouldn’t you want to do this? You don’t like sweet drinks, you don’t drink alcohol, or your family and friends don’t drink alcohol.

Is there an easier way? There’s not much about this that can be easier. Straining out all of the residue is the biggest challenge, and that just takes time and patience.

Cost comparison: Your homemade version will cost about half of what a store-bought bottle of liqueur costs—even less if you use your own homegrown fruit.

Skills needed: No special skills needed—it’s pretty darn easy.

Further refinements/learn more about it: You can take this to a higher level by experimenting with different fruit flavors or trying recipes for flavors other than fruit, such as Irish cream or coffee. Two good references are Making Liqueurs for Gifts (A Storey Country Wisdom Bulletin, 1988) by Mimi Freid and The Joy of Home Wine Making (William Morrow, 1996) by Terry A. Garey.

I love summer berries, but I’m not a big jam or preserves eater. I like to preserve the look, color, and taste of these summer treats in a different way. Berry cordials make wonderful gifts and, with their beautiful colors, are very pretty to have on display. There is something special about presenting a gift of a liqueur that you made yourself, and sipping on a cordial is a nice way to end a meal.

The book that I use as my cordial/liqueur bible, Making Liqueurs for Gifts by Mimi Freid, distills (pun intended) the cordial-making process down into three simple steps: steep, strain, and filter. That’s about it.

The final yield of this formula will be a little more than a pint of cordial (you won’t be using the entire quart of vodka because volume will be taken by the berries). These proportions can be easily adjusted, depending on what you have available.

When you collect your materials, try to use fruit that is ripe but not overripe. Either pick your homegrown fruit or get fresh fruit from a pick-your-own farm, a farmers’ market, or a grocery store while the fruit is in season. “Off” flavors can be transmitted to the drink easily, and you want your cordial to have the best fruit flavor possible.

Materials/Ingredients:

•Quart jar with lid

•Strainer or fine sieve

•Funnel

•Paper towels or coffee filters

•Decorative, resealable bottles

•1 cup sugar

•1 quart berries

•1 uart vodka

Step 1: Rinse the fruit immediately prior to use, no earlier. Moisture can cause mold to form on the fruit, and although high-proof alcohol has antibacterial properties, the moldy flavor can be imparted to the liqueur.

Step 2: Pour the sugar into a quart jar. Fill the remainder of the jar with the fruit, being careful not to pack it down or squish it. Fill the jar with vodka so that the fruit is completely covered and then seal the jar with a lid. I gently roll the jar around a bit to mix the sugar and make sure it is evenly moistened. It will settle to the bottom again until it fully dissolves.

Step 3: Let the jar sit for two months in a cool, dark spot, such as a basement or pantry closet, gently shaking or turning it about once a week to mix the ingredients. The sugar will slowly dissolve, and the berries will release some of their color into the liquid.

Step 4: At the end of the two months, strain the fruit in a mesh strainer or fine sieve, reserving the liquid. You can serve the fruit in small quantities over ice cream or pound cake, or you can squeeze or press it to get more of the liquid out (be forewarned: if you do this, there will be more residue to filter out).

Step 5: Pour the reserved liquid through a finer filter—coffee filters or a paper towel in a funnel will work. This step takes a long time, and you may have to change the filter once or twice when it stops letting the liquid through. If you skip this step, you will see residue form on the bottom when the cordial is bottled. If you’d prefer, you can decant the clear uppermost liquid and pour just the sludgy parts through a filter. A crystal-clear, beautiful cordial is the goal.

Store in bottles with corks or stoppers. Because the cordials take on the beautiful fruit colors, you can display them in decorative bottles. To give one as a gift, make a nice label or wrap raffia around the neck of the bottle and attach a tag. Depending on the bottle, you might even be able to dip the closed top in wax for an attractive seal similar to that on a fine Madeira or port.