Ok…all I can say is whatever works to capture the season’s bounty…do it! I’ve baked, cooked, preserved, and eaten whole – but there is so much this season that I needed another simple solution that could offer some versatility. The result: infused vodka! Yes…we like our cocktails and spirits at EpicCuriousLife!
Our urban farm and garden was bursting with plums, so I made a plum infused vodka and it is soooooo tasty! I'll bet if I tried it with the blackberries we picked, that would have been yummy too! I have strawberries and mint right now and will soon have pears, apples, and even Asian apple pears…so I’m going to try those too! A trip to your local Farmer’s Market will spark some creativity for what you can use for your infusion.
Whether or not you wish to experiment with the bounty of new vodka flavors, one thing is for certain – anyone can be more creative with their cocktails. So why not have fun and make some fresh flavors and unique combinations for your next party.
The process couldn’t be more simple: place your infusion ingredient in a jar -- add vodka - secure the lid. Give the mixture a good shake every day. In 3-7 days, you’ll have naturally flavored vodka, which you can use in a variety of cocktail recipes. If you like it a bit sweeter so you can use it as a mixer, just add just a touch of sugar.
For this post, we tried the beautiful, dark red plums from our urban farm and garden. The taste and the color is absolutely amazing!
Let’s get infusing!
Here’s what you will need:
Infusion ingredient from list below
3-4 cups vodka (this is an infusion so you don’t need top shelf, something inexpensive will be just fine)
1/8 cup sugar (optional, use only if you want your infusion to have a little sweetness and cut any edge from your vodka)
Funnel
Mesh strainer
Quart mason jar with lid
3-4 cup capacity glass bottle with lid or cork (for bottling your infused vodka)
Here’s what to do:
First, prepare the flavoring/infusion ingredient you will be using in your infused vodka. For the recipe we made, we used plums.
Take a clean quart jar with a wide mouth and place your infusion ingredient inside—you can fill up to 1” of the top of the jar.
Pour 3-4 cups of vodka over the top of the infusion ingredient (fill to 1/2” from top of the jar. You will want to measure the capacity of the bottle you'll be using at the end of the infusion process for storing the vodka, so you know how much it will hold. Important to note: you should push down your infusion ingredient to eliminate any air pockets and be sure your infusion ingredient is completely covered with vodka so that nothing is exposed (this will prevent any spoilage of your infusion ingredient).
If you know you want a bit of sweetness to your infusion, add the sugar (otherwise, you can check in 2-3 days and if you determine you want some sweetness, you can add the sugar at that point.
Seal the jar with a lid. Shake to make sure the infusion ingredients are settled nicely in the jar (as well as to dissolve the sugar if you have added).
Place in a cool, dark area for 4-5 days to infuse.
Once a day, shake the vodka to speed infusion process. After 3 days, you can begin to test the flavor of your infusion. This is really a "to taste" kind of thing-- if it tastes right and smells right, with the essence of the flavoring you have chosen, then you can move ahead to the straining process. If you want to add some sweetness, you can add the sugar now. If your vodka needs a bit more infusion, let the jar sit for another 3 days. The length of time can vary depending on the amount of infusion ingredient and level of infusion you like.
Once the vodka is infused, strain it into a bottle for storing and/or gift giving. Depending on the amount of infusion ingredient, 2 infused jars equal 1 final infused vodka jar once strained.
If you've infused large or heavy ingredients, like chunks of fruit, you may want to fish them out before straining to avoid making a mess.
Seal the bottles. If giving as gifts, you can use decorative tags and twine to label the type of vodka you've infused or use an oil-based Sharpie pen that come in all kinds of colors to write a message and your vodka infusion right on the bottle.
Tip:
If using berries, add at least a cup (or more) of whole, well-washed berries to your vodka. If you want to release more flavor and color, you can slightly mash or bruise your berries.
If using stone fruit, be sure the fruit is clean, halved, and pit removed. Leaving the skins on will produce a deeper color. You will use 2-3 cups of fruit.
If using citrus, use a peeler to peel the colorful part of the peel from the fruit, leaving the white part (the pith) behind. The pith can lead to bitterness, so you only want to use the thin outer layer of the citrus peel. You will use the peel of 2 fruits.
If using vanilla bean, slice the bean from top to bottom in one long slit, keeping it attached at the upper stem, so that the bean looks like a large V-shape. Use 2 whole pod.
For larger fruits like pineapple, melon and mango, these should be cut into 1-2” chunks using 1-2 cups of fruit. Melons and other fruits with tough outer rinds should be sliced from their rinds prior to infusion.
If you are using herbs (rosemary, basil, mint, etc) use 2-3 sprigs that have been well-washed.
If you want to heat things up and make it spicy, try adding some whole chili peppers to the jar – can you imagine taking your Bloody Mary to a whole other leve! Depending on the heat level, 3-5 peppers will do nicely. Make a long thin slit into the skin of each pepper. Do not cut too deep or wide; the seeds need to remain inside the peppers. Just a simple slit will do it.
Apples and other fruits with thin peels can be used, peeled or unpeeled, as long as they are clean with as little wax as possible on the exterior.
Note:
Vodka can be made with ingredients as varied as grains, potatoes, and even grapes. If you're gluten-free, be sure that your vodka was not distilled from grains like wheat or barley – best to use a certified GF vodka made from potatoes.
Vodka made with perishable items, like fresh fruit or herbs, should be stored in the fridge. If you used shelf-stable items like dried spices or dried fruit, the vodka can be stored at room temperature.
Cheers!
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