Homemade Plum (or other fruit) Liqueur
I get great satisfaction out of making things at home instead of buying them, I’m always up to take some home grown goodies from someone when they are offered, and I hate to waste anything. So, when I found myself with pounds and pounds of deliciously ripe, freshly picked plums I had to figure out what to do with every last one of them. I made the obvious plum jam, a few fruit crisps (recipe >>HERE<<), a handful of gluten free plum cakes (recipe >>HERE<<)…AND we consumed as many of them fresh as we could. We were still left with tons so I decided that a sweet fruity liqueur would be the perfect option to use them up!
This liqueur has a beautiful festive color and is lovely to sip on after a meal! Keep it all for yourself or give it as a sweet unique gift for the holidays!
THE INGREDIANTS -
1 - 750 bottle of Everclear or 100 proof vodka. A standard 80 proof Vodka can be used as well if desired - *see note on alcohol below
2 - 2 1/2 lbs plums or other fruit such as peaches or cherries
2 cups granulated sugar
3 cups water - *see note on simple syrup below
THE PREPARATION -
Halve or quarter the plums depending on the size. Add the cut fruit to a large glass jar or container with a tight fitting lid. A gallon jar works well.
Pour the alcohol over the fruit making sure to cover it completely, close the jar tightly. Place in a cool dark place for 2 to 4 weeks (more time = more fruit flavor), shaking or swirling the jar once a week.
When the mixture has sat for it’s time and is ready to use, strain the fruit from the alcohol using a cheesecloth. Discard…or eat them if you’d like. They will be very strong!
Put together a simple syrup. Add the desired amount of water and the sugar to a saucepan and bring to a simmer (do not boil), stirring until the sugar has completely dissolved. Cool.
Add the simple syrup to the jar with the infused alcohol and let sit for another 2 weeks to let the flavors refine.
Bottle the liqueur in desired bottles and store or give as gifts for the holidays!
This liqueur is best served chilled in gorgeous little glasses :)
Note about the alcohol - If you are using the Everclear or 100 proof Vodka then you will probably be happy with a 1 to 1 ratio of alcohol to simple syrup (more below). If you are using a regular 80 proof Vodka then you might want to do a more concentrated simple syrup so that it isn’t too watered down. Try 2 cups water and 2 cups sugar.
Note about the simple syrup - The last batch I made of this I didn’t end up adding the last bit of simple syrup because I was happy with the taste. This recipe can be adjusted to your liking by adding more of less of the syrup. You can also add more sugar when making the syrup if you find you like it sweeter.