Blackcurrant tincture on cognac is remembered for its rich dark color with red tints, characteristic currant aroma and delicate berry flavor with notes of cognac aging.
For cooking, fresh or frozen blackcurrants of any variety are suitable. It is important that the berries are ripe, without rot and mold. As an alcohol base, you can use budget cognac (grape brandy) aged 3-5 years. It makes no sense to overpay for high-quality long-aged alcohol, as this will not affect the taste of the tincture.
Ingredients:
- blackcurrant berries – 250 grams;
- cognac – 0,5 liters;
- blackcurrant leaves – 10 pieces (optional);
- cinnamon – half a stick (optional);
- sugar (honey) – 100 grams + to taste.
Leaves enrich the aroma of the drink, cinnamon adds piquant tones. Sugar can be replaced with liquid flower honey, as buckwheat interrupts notes of aging.
Blackcurrant cognac recipe
1. Remove the berries from the stalks, wash, knead with your hands or with a crush.
2. Fold the resulting mass into a glass jar. Add sugar, leaves washed in running water and cinnamon. Pour in cognac. Mix.
3. Close the jar tightly. Transfer to a dark room at room temperature. Leave for 30 days. Shake every 5-6 days. After 10 days from the start of the infusion, remove the leaves and cinnamon.
4. Strain the resulting cognac currant through a kitchen strainer or 2-3 layers of gauze. Berry cake to squeeze dry. If necessary, filter the drink through cotton wool or a coffee filter for transparency. Filtration does not affect the taste, but only improves the appearance.
5. Taste, optionally sweeten with sugar or honey. Pour into bottles for storage, seal tightly. Leave for 2-3 days to stabilize the taste.
Away from direct sunlight, the shelf life of homemade blackcurrant tincture on cognac is up to 3 years. During storage, a precipitate may appear. Fortress – 18-20% vol.
