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I spent all my childhood in Central Asia, where spring begins with the lush flowering of apricot trees. In summer, there was no need to buy apricots in the market – during their ripening period, the area under the trees was densely dotted with orange fruits.
We picked apricots, ruthlessly gutted them, intending to get the pits – sweet with a rich almond flavor. Years have passed…
This is how my subscriber Anatoly K began his letter. I also associate apricots with summer and childhood, which is why I was interested in his recipe. I want to share it with you too.
Why I decided to make alcohol myself
I honestly admit that I had no intention of preparing alcohol on my own: I prefer to trust professionals. Delicate orange, juicy, velvety apricots were purchased for making jam – my favorite with a stone.
But the amount of fruit turned out to be so significant (the wife coveted a share in the store) that they urgently needed to find another use for them. My wife cooked compote, baked a pie, and I decided to make apricot liqueur.
There were no family recipes for such a drink. So I had to make my own path. I decided to turn to the online community for help.
What ingredients are required
After reading a lot of recipes and watching a dozen videos, I set to production. As it turned out, nothing special was required to obtain apricot liqueur: sugar, vodka (moonshine) and, in fact, apricots.
I wanted to get a rich in taste, but not too strong alcoholic drink, so I chose the following ratio of ingredients:
- apricots – 1 kg;
- granulated sugar – 0,5 kg;
- vodka – 1,5 l.
Everything that was needed was found in the “bins”, so without thinking twice, I began the sacred service.
The cooking process
There was no difficulty in the recipe I chose. It is enough to follow this algorithm:
- Wash apricots and lightly dry.
- Remove pits from fruits.
- Place the apricots in a bowl with high sides and blend with an immersion blender until a smooth puree is obtained.
- Add sugar to the mixture and gently stir to dissolve it.
- Add vodka.
- Mix.
- Pour the mixture into a glass jar, I used a three-liter.
- Close tightly with a lid.
- Place in a dark warm place for a month.
Periodically (once a week) you need to look into the “secret” to see how the drink ripens and shake the contents.
After a month, it is recommended to filter the liquor through multilayer gauze or a layer of cotton wool. I did not do this, I wanted to get a thick aromatic drink containing the pulp of a sunny fruit. Therefore, it seemed to me sufficient to wipe the mass twice through a fine sieve.
I did not hurry with the tasting, but poured the liquor into bottles with tight-fitting lids and placed them in the refrigerator. And I forgot for another 3 months.
What result did I get
Three months later, I took out a bottle and was glad that everything was fine: a transparent liquid on top, a thick mass below, no foreign impurities. Opened and enjoyed a truly luxurious aroma drink.
When shaken, it turned out to be an opaque drink that retained its bright color, fresh aroma and sweet and sour taste of my favorite fruit – apricot. There was not even a hint of vodka in the taste, only a pleasant wine aftertaste. It is important that the feeling of fresh fruit is preserved – not cloyingly sweet, but slightly sour with an interesting tropical note.
I note that the drink will turn out in a unisex style – women liked the softness and delicacy, and men liked the astringency and richness.
You can use homemade liquor as a flavoring in cooking or make cocktails based on it. But in my opinion, it turned out to be a completely self-sufficient alcoholic drink, which will become an excellent digestif.
Excessive alcohol consumption is harmful to your health. Take care of yourself!
Do you agree with me that sometimes discoveries are made spontaneously? The main thing is that there is a desire and a high-quality initial product. How often do you make tinctures and what are your favorites?