Homemade Elderberry Liqueur---Easy To Make!
80Christmas Giving On My Mind!
The Elderberry Liqueur is the fifth item that is ready for the Christmas
gift baskets. The elderberries this year were probably the best ever, big and soooo sweet. Quick and very easy to make.
(Check out this hub for more details about the Bakers dozen gift baskets. I've also added the links at the bottom of the hub)
http://hubpages.com/hub/Christmas-giving-on-my-mind
Elderberry Liqueur was the cure all as far as my Granma was concerned. Even as a kid or teen if you complained about a tummy ache, a cold coming on or 'monthly lady cramps' out came the elderberry liqueur decanter with the tiny thimble sized glass measuring cap. Her rule of thumb was to dole out your age divided by five...if you were five years old you got one thimble full poured over a sugar cube...at fifteen you got three caps full. According to Gramps who used to tease Granma relentlessly said that according to her, the elderberry liqueur would cure even hangnails and cankers.
They, my grandparents, made their elderberry liqueur or cordial from scratch (through a still etc.) This is my adaptation and just as tasty as I remember the old style recipe tasted. The old style was possibly a bit stronger but didn't have the fabulous deep color of the new recipe.
Equipment!
~Large stockpot (enamel or stainless steel)
~2 gallon food grade plastic bucket with tight fitting lid (ask for them at Bakeries or Delies, sometimes they give them away for free or just charge a couple of bucks)
~large colander or strainer
~cheesecloth or large new cotton dishcloth
~blender or food processor
~long handled spoon
~large glass or stainless steel bowl
~ glass bottles with corks
~hand made labels
Ingredients!
~14 - 15 cups Fresh Elderberry clusters which should give about 8-9 cups of juice
~80 ozs of clear 80 proof clear alcohol or any other liquor you like. Vodka, Gin, Tequila or White Rum, either of them will work great.
~8 cups of sugar
~5 cups water
~1/2 teaspoon almond extract
~juice of 3 lemons
~2 tablespoons salt
Methodology!
~Wash and remove all stems of the elderberries. You can freeze the berries if you do not have enough ripe ones at a time.
~Run them through the blender
~In stock pot bring the berry juice to a rolling boil and keep it going for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool about 2-3 hours.
~Strain through new clean dishtowel or cheese cloth. I like using a dishtowel better as it is more durable when squeezing.
~Combine sugar, salt, lemon juice and water to make a syrup keeping it at a rolling boil for 5 minutes. Add Juice and let cool.
~In clean sterilized bucket mix together all ingredients with the alcohol. Stir, lid and set aside in dark cool place for about 3-4 weeks. Stirring daily.
~Fill into sterilized bottles and cork and label.
The elderberry liqueur will be at its optimal flavour within three to four months. If kept in a cool and dark place it will be good for years. I don't know exactly how long from experience as mine always seems to 'evaporate' (yum) within the year.
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Comments
Rochelle, will pop it into the mail soon. With measurements like thimble fulls, age divid by 5etc. I often wonder how people actually made it to the 21st century. My Gramps never wanted to eat eggs (because of a mishap) so whenever he suspected or caught Granma smuggle eggs into any type of food he would start complaining about a stomach ache, but only after having eaten everything with great gusto. He would then argue about the amount of thimble fulls.
Their recipe was the real mccoy though...I don't think mine does anything for the stomach aches...but it sure id good though.
hope you're well, kindest regards Zsuzsy
Sounds yum all right! We don't have elderberry in the part of India that I live in. Do you think one could use other berries, and get a differently flavored liqueur?
I can well imagine how it 'evaporates' - the same way as the Cointreau and the Drambuie! :)
Jaspal, thanks for taking a look and for commenting. I tried the same recipe with raspberries about 7 years ago when I had an abundance of them. It turned out just fantastic. I must check on the bottom back of the wine rack, in the root cellar, I might even have one bottle left. I'll be right back, I'll check right now.
Yup, there are two bottles left, but I was wrong about the date it was made in Oct.1999. I just opened one...smells great, mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm and tastes even better. I must have wanted to save it for some special occasion then forgot about it. Thanks for reminding me. (Unfortunately it will also 'evaporate' now that it's open) I have also tried the recipe with peaches one year but the sugar amount needs to be adjusted and I haven't had a chance to experiment with it yet.
After this long spiel, yes Jaspal try the recipe with different berries (not strawberries though...they haven't got enough flavor to over-trump the alcohol)
kindest regards Zsuzsy
Thank you Zsuzsy. We do have raspberries here and I think their season is about to begin in another month or so! I will definitely make some raspberry liqueur according to your recipe and let you know how it went - if I am still standing on my feet that is! :)
With peaches what I do is to just halve and soak them in vodka in a glass jar or covered bowl - leave for a month, and you have some excellent schnapps!
Jaspal, What do you mean '...still standing on my feet' The elderberry liqueur or in your case raspberry liqueur is for medicinal uses only by the thimble fulls. Now this is how I get around that 'age divided by five' bit... when I'm ready for my elderberry liqueur I'm usually sick and tired and at that time I feel about as old as Noah's wife...divide that age by five that is quite a substantial number of thimble fulls. (hahaha)
zs
I wish that you are never ever sick and tired, ZS! When it comes to liqueurs, one can always go wrong in mathematical calculations, or even mistake a shot glass for a thimble!
What's a few ounces or even pints between friends? :)
You're right Jaspal complex mathematical equations like these ones can easily go wrong. And more is always safer then not enough...right?
zs
Shot glass for thimble? Hum, I like the sound of that. Where do I sign up? Thanks!
Thanks for taking a look and for commenting Harper. After a lazy Sunday afternoon I think I will go sit back and pour myself a mathematically incorrect glass full and maybe watch a little tv. Great plan if I dare say so myself.
regards Zsuzsy
This sounds really good! Can you use other kinds of berries?
I don't see why not. Always glad when you come for a visit.
regards Zsuzsy
Mmmm, sounds great. I'll find out how black currants come out with this. I've been trying to think of more uses for them, as they're rather dry for traditional desserts.
Joy at home, I love black currants. I can see them tasting absolutely fantastic made into a liqueur.
Let me know how it goes.
regards Zsuzsy
I made some peach wine once-- it was a little cloudy looking-- but it had a little "fizz" to it, and it was really pretty tasty. Because it wasn't clear like wine-- we just called it 'ugly punch', though it tasted beautiful.
Hi Rochelle how are you?
I read somewhere years ago that peaches are hardest fruit to keep clear in either wine and liqueur, something to do with the high sugar content. As long as it tasted good is all that matters.
hope you're well
kindest regards Zsuzsy
Yum! Brings back memories of my Grandma Ellie's dandelion wine. I'll have to go hunt for the recipe, Zsuzsy, because it wasn't wine at all. Too much of an alcohol content! I did make it once or twice years and years ago, and I remember it was always a bit cloudy, but it tasted like nothing else on earth. Not even like young dandelion flowers, which I did eat in order to see if the "wine" tasted like the flowers. It did not. This wine was not made with an alcohol base.
What a lovely Hub! Mom sent me a list of foods to eat in winter to build up the immune system, and elderberry is there to be taken as a juice. Well, I don't think liqueur is too far removed from juice, do you?
Sally, always a treat when you drop in. Once you find that recipe for the dandelion wine I would love to try it. I have five different recipes one is super the others are soso the problem is I don't remember which is the great one. The one I made last year was not bad but I've had better.
As an elderberry "juice" connoisseur I would say this elderberry liqueur will definitely double as juice...it starts out as juice...you do not take away from the juice you just add a little "umph" so this can only be good for the immune system too...
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Rochelle Frank says:
2 months ago
Could you send me a little of that when it's done? I think I'm going to have a cold by then. I should be old enough for about 13 1/2 thimblesful.