Strawberry Liqueur
Making homemade liqueur is such a popular kitchen gift to give for the holidays, particularly since it tastes so much better than the mass produced rot gut.
However, now is the time to be making this liqueur, as it must age at least a month as part of the final step. This would put the final stages finished beginning of December. So make this marvelous wonderful tasting liqueur now if you would like to really impress your friends and family with this for Christmas.
As a word of advice on the ingredients here: when it comes to the vodka, purchase mid-market vodka. There is no need to purchase the most expensive label, as the flavor will be wasted (you want to taste strawberry, not vodka), and the cheapest stuff just leaves a bitter taste behind. So go for midrange (and on sale, with luck).
Check the berries carefully. If there are any imperfections, toss that part as the imperfections will ruin the batch.
3 cups fresh strawberries
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups 100% proof vodka
1 cup water
1 teaspoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
Wash and stem the berries. In a bowl crush the berries and sugar together. Let stand for 1 hour. Transfer mixture to a clean large (at least two quart) container. Add vodka, water, lemon juice, and zests. Cover and let stand in a cool dark place for 2 days, shaking several times each day.
Press the mixture through a fine mesh sieve, discard solids.
This deserves a paragraph before moving on. The easiest way to do this is first by use of the mesh sieve. If that does not filter enough of the mixture for your satisfaction, you can then line the fine mesh sieve with clean cheesecloth or a coffee filter and filter the mixture again. If you choose to do this, be aware that this process will be very time consuming.
Transfer the liqueur to a clean container. Cover and let stand for 1 week. Filter into a decorative bottle with a tight fitting lid. Age for at least 1 month before serving.
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