As an experienced moonshiner and distiller, I have tried almost all types of berries, fruits, vegetables, cereals, herbs and spices as the main component for tinctures. And I wanted, you know, something new, unusual and exotic.
I stopped my choice on mango, because this fragrant fruit has always attracted me as a “eat”, but I have never considered it as a “drink”. Therefore, I decided to experiment!
In this article I will tell you how to make 2 types of tincture at once from a single mango! Let’s try and compare the results.
The story was sent by blog subscriber Victor.
Ingredients and equipment
So, with the equipment, everything is extremely simple. We will need two jars (or bottles) with a capacity of 1 liter and a filtering device. I usually use cheesecloth folded in 4 layers.
Now let’s make a list of the necessary ingredients:
- moonshine or distillate – 1 l;
- mango – 1 pc. (at least 350-400 g with peel and bone);
- cloves – 2 pcs.;
- a quarter of a lemon;
- granulated sugar – 80
If the mango is not ripe, it can be put in the refrigerator for a week, and then stand at room temperature. The pulp will acquire the consistency we need.
From all these ingredients, we will make 2 different mango tinctures. I promise you the result will surprise you!
The cooking process
We will prepare the tinctures at the same time, so we put both cans (bottles) in front of us at once and proceed:
- Wash the mango thoroughly, remove the skin and remove the pit. Cut the pulp into small pieces and place in the first jar. We put the peel and bone in the second jar.
- In each container, add one clove and 40 g of sugar.
- Squeeze the juice of a quarter of a lemon into a jar with pulp, having previously rid the fruit of the seeds. Next, cut off the lemon pulp and add the zest to the jar of mango peel and pit.
- Pour the contents of the jars with the selected alcohol, 0,5 l each, hermetically close, shake and leave in a cool, dark place for 1 month.
A month later, our mango tinctures will be ready. All that remains is to strain them, and you can start tasting.
Result
We’ve got two flavors. For convenience, we will call the infusion from mango pulp No. 1, and from the peel and bone – No. 2.
So, tincture number 1 has a pleasant yellow color, characteristic of mango. The aroma of mango is very clearly felt, sweet and fruity. But the taste, unfortunately, was not as mild as the smell.
This fruit, despite its juiciness and pronounced taste, could not fully obscure alcohol, which is felt both on inhalation and exhalation.
Tincture “number one”
Tincture number 2 does not look so appetizing. Initially, it is more transparent, the lack of pulp affects, and the color is yellow-green and resembles olive oil. Surprisingly, it smells wonderful, a mixture of mango and … something fresh, spruce.
This shade of taste is well felt on the exhale. And the bouquet at tincture No. 2 turned out to be much richer. You can feel both mango and lemon zest, but the bitterness of alcohol has disappeared.
And the Grand Prix of our competition
The conclusion is that for mango tincture, the peel and the stone are much better suited than the pulp, which I advise you to just eat.
Let’s calculate the total cost of our experiment:
- 1 liter of moonshine – from 150 rubles;
- 1 liter of distillate – from 250 rubles;
- cloves – 1 ruble (very conditional)
- mango 400 g – 100 rubles;
- a quarter of a lemon – 10 rubles;
- granulated sugar 80 g – 5 rubles.
The prices indicated are very approximate, because in different regions of the country they may vary. The total cost of two tinctures will vary from 266 to 366 rubles, depending on the alcohol base. Agree, very profitable.
What to use with
Mango tinctures have a frankly fruity, sweet flavor, so chocolate, fruit, cheese, and nuts are good snacks for my taste.
Sliced vegetables or pickles can overpower the flavor of the mango tincture, as can foods with a strong spice flavor.
On the other hand, I am a supporter of the fact that snacks and drinks should be chosen not based on generally accepted standards, but on your personal preferences!
So experiment and enjoy the result! What exotic tinctures have you tried? Share your experience or recipe in the comments.