As
the nation sizzles like a fatty burger on a makeshift barbeque during this
unexpected heatwave, I’ve crawled under a shady rock to secretly sample the
blackcurrant hooch I brewed up last September.
Mmmm – it’s delicious!
Not
being a seasoned brewer of anything other than the odd silent but deadly trouser
trump, making your own booze is by far a much better way of getting rid of
surplus berries. The end result is
certainly tastier than home-made jam and it’s so easy to make too.
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| This year's crop of blackcurrants |
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| Fruit should be free from stalks and ripe |
So
for what it’s worth, here’s the recipe for your very own Blackcurrant Rum
Hooch:
- In a wide necked bottle/jar place your blackcurrants plus a few leaves from the blackcurrant bush (creepy crawly free). Give this a good shake to mush up the berries a bit or squash down slightly with a potato masher.
- Make up a sugar syrup using 2 parts sugar to 1 part water. Simmer on a low heat but do not stir the sugar, just move this gently for about 20 minutes or until dissolved.
- The amount of sugar used should equate to about a third of the weight of the fruit. I used about half a pint of water to 7 oz of caster sugar.
- Cool the sugar syrup for about 10 minutes then pour over the fruit.
- Top up the bottle with rum. I used golden rum from Lidls for this but you can also use brandy, vodka or whatever base alcohol you fancy.
- Seal the bottle up tightly and leave in a dark cupboard for 3 months. Give the bottle a good shake every now and again.
- Taste after 3 months and add a bit more sugar if needed.
- After 6 months or once good to taste, strain the alcoholic fruit mix through a muslin cloth to filter out all fruit and any debris. You should be left with a lovely rich ruby red liquid.
- Bottle and cork.
My home brewed liqueur tastes almost as good as the cherry vodka we brought back from Poland probably
due to the fact I forgot I had it stowed away in the cupboard and didn’t
disturb the bottle for almost 9 months.
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| Wide neck jar easy to get fruit in and out |
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| TKMaxx for nice bottles and jars |
I’ve
managed to find a recipe for a blackberry liqueur which I’m hoping to try out
once all of this year’s berries have been harvested but in the meantime, down
the hatch!
