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My wife and I went this summer to the local bazaar near the dacha and saw a lot of rich colors on the shelves. The raspberry, blackberry and strawberry season has finally begun! The wife said that there is nothing better than fresh raspberries, but blackberries called her an unsuccessful hybrid.
Allegedly, the taste is not so sweet, and it is painted strongly. I bought a kilogram of this “doubtful” berry and promised my wife that she would soon change her mind about blackberries.
The story was shared by blog subscriber Vadim.
What ingredients and equipment will be needed
Maybe fresh raspberries are really more delicate in taste, but the tincture from it turns out to be weak. Certainly does not compare with blackberry. It is easy to prepare, you only need the basic ingredients, 2 large glass bottles and a deep plate.
The classic recipe is based on moonshine, blackberries and sugar. To make the tincture saturated, I recommend the following proportions:
- blackberry – 950 gr. (bought on the market for 140 rubles);
- moonshine – 1 liter (at cost, preparing a liter of homemade moonshine will cost 80 rubles);
- sugar – 200 gr. (10 rubles).
To dilute the moonshine, well-filtered water (0,5 l) is still needed. I used water from a cooler this time.
In order for the tincture to turn out to be of good quality, the choice of blackberries must be approached responsibly. Berries should be fresh, fragrant, not broken or crushed. Before cooking, carefully sort out the blackberries and ruthlessly dispose of even minimally defective berries.
I only use fresh blackberries. But my brother in the off-season prepares tincture from frozen ones. The recipe is similar, but you have to withstand the infusion for 3 months. Tasted this moonshine, did not like it. Compared to that prepared from fresh blackberries, the tincture on frozen berries turned out to be not so dense in taste, the aroma was barely pronounced, and the color was dull.
I approach the selection of blackberries for tuning very reverently. Berries should be fresh, elastic, without the slightest defect.
The cooking process
I thoroughly wash the blackberries under hot water, dry them on a towel. I pour it into a plate, knead it well with a fork to make a berry gruel.
He made a tincture on whole, unmashed berries. The taste is not as intense. Therefore, I recommend that you first crush them with a fork or pestle in a mortar (keep in mind – the berry is painted). The abundance of blackberry juice only helps to turn the moonshine into a delicious berry tincture.
The ideal consistency of berries, which you should get for tincture.
I put the blackberry gruel into a bottle, cover it with sugar and fill it with moonshine. Close tightly, shake and put for 4 days in a dark but warm place. Then I put gauze on the neck of the second bottle and pour the tincture into it.
I put the berries remaining on the gauze back into the bottle and fill them with filtered water. I close, shake, insist 5 hours. I decante the berries again and pour the blackberry-infused water into an alcohol tincture. I close, shake, insist another 3 hours.
What will be the result
It turned out a fragrant berry tincture. Alcohol itself is not felt at all. I get this effect due to the fact that I dilute blackberries mashed into gruel with moonshine, and not whole berries.
I don’t feel the alcohol plume in the taste either. Berries neutralize it well, interrupting with their juice. The added sugar adds a pleasant sweetness. It reminds me of expensive semi-sweet wine. By the way, the color. It’s juicy, rich. If poured into a beautiful bottle, it will generally be difficult to distinguish from high-quality store-bought alcohol.
Homemade blackberry tincture can hardly be distinguished from expensive fruit and berry wine.
The beauty of this tincture is that at a cost it comes out to a minimum. I spent only 1,5 rubles on 230 liters. If you also grow blackberries in your summer cottage, then you will get the tincture almost for nothing.
What can be added or replaced in the recipe
The bouquet of the tincture can be made more complex by adding berries and fruits to it. An interesting aftertaste and a chic aroma are obtained by blending blackberries with currants, slices or zest of lemon, orange.
Blackberry and blackcurrant tincture is very dark in color. Taste with a touch of sourness, so I advise you to add more sugar or honey.
Dried sprigs of rosemary or mint will help enhance the aroma of blackberry tincture. If you want to please your beloved woman with a dessert drink, add a pinch of vanillin.
If there is no opportunity or desire to prepare home-made moonshine, it is quite possible to replace it with store-bought vodka. A very unusual blackberry tincture is obtained if cognac is taken as the basis.
How to serve and with what to use
I advise you to serve the blackberry tincture chilled. He decided to subdue his wife completely and presented his creation a la cocktail. I poured it into a beautiful glass, which I put in the freezer for half an hour. The glass froze, the tincture cooled. Garnished with fresh berries and a sprig of mint. The wife did not even guess that this tincture was made from moonshine!
Since moonshine has a sweetish berry flavor, it is difficult to combine with a hearty dinner. But recently I decided to experiment and put it on the table with meat stew. An unusual, but rather pleasant combination of flavors.
If you are not a gourmet, then use the tincture for light snacks. For example, chocolate. But only bitter, because the sweetish spirit lamp combined with milk chocolate is too cloying. Nuts, peanuts, slices of fresh fruit and cheese go well under the tincture.
Under the tincture, an intricate snack is not needed. Enough good company, bunches of grapes – and the evening was a success!
I proved to my wife that blackberries are an excellent berry if you make a tincture based on it, and not eat it in its pure form. Especially compared to her favorite raspberries. I also want to find interesting recipes for berry tinctures, so please share your home secrets in the comments.
Dear readers, remember that alcohol abuse harms your body. Take care of yourself!