Aug 21 2012
Plum Vodka, Part 1
What do you do when you’ve got many pounds of plums, and you’ve already made jam, ice cream, butter and barbecue sauce? You ask around, and if you’re lucky, somebody makes a brilliant suggestion.
Our cousin Stacy, who lives in England, mentioned that she had made damson gin in the past, and wondered if the same might not be done with the plums I have. Now, that’s something I should have thought of on my own, since macerating fruit in alcohol is something that is commonly done in much of Europe, and something that is still done in my family. My sister Catherine makes a delicious aperitif called vin de noix (walnut wine) by macerating green walnuts, red wine, alcohol (such as eau de vie), sugar and spices for a few months before filtering it.
The idea was thus quickly adopted, and Rob and I went out to look for a jar big enough to hold a couple pounds of plums, sugar, and two liters of vodka (which we like better than gin). The only thing we could find was a (very) large pickle jar, and it works wonderfully well – once you’ve managed to relocate the pickles in other containers, that is.
Here are some pictures of the process – no recipe as such; it’s really more of a use-your-own-judgement kind of thing. The only thing I suggest is cutting through the plums after they’ve been washed, so they get to absorb the liquid even better.
Fill the jar half-way up with plums.
Cover the plums with sugar.
Next, fill up the jar with vodka or gin (no need to use the expensive stuff). Shake well to dissolve the sugar.
The brew after 3 days. I will keep it in a cool, dark place for the next couple of months, giving it an occasional shake, and report back with the results. See you then!
