Sunday 21 August 2011

Bramble vodka, damson gin and other yummy booze

Today was warm and sunny and perfect for hedgerow harvesting. Here's my haul from my locality. There's blackberries, haws, wild plums and elderberries.

There were also some sloes:
Some of these things are going to be turned into a hedgerow jelly (with the help of some crab apples that aren't in the photos) but the rest will be yummy drinks by Christmas. Here's how to make bramble vodka.
Bramble, for those who don't know, is a country name for blackberry.


Start by washing a big jar that can be sealed. Rinse some blackberries and put them in the jar.
Add enough sugar to cover them well. About like this:

Now chuck in a bottle of cheap vodka. The cheaper the better. You really don't need posh stuff for this recipe.
Now give the jar a good shake until the sugar has all dissolved. Leave it somewhere cool and dark. It will need a good shake once a day for a week, once a week for a month, then whenever you think about it for another couple of months. In three months or so you can decant it into fancy bottles. Just in time for Christmas.
The same method works with gin and sloes, or (as in the photo) gin and damsons.

11 comments:

  1. Hi Auntie Anne
    This is something I've never tried. There's always a first time! Thanks for sharing
    XX

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  2. There are probably lots of brambles at Humber Bridge country park. There's plenty of elderberries there, I know.

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  3. That's a pretty good haul you got there. Chris went berry picking this morning in the hope of a crumble being made by me (he's still waiting at the moment :)

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  4. That would make a lovely Christmas gift .....to myself!

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  5. Do you peel your damsons first? It doesn't look like it in the photo but am not certain.
    (yes,yes, I know I said I wasn't going to make any...)
    meggs.xx

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  6. Hi all

    Important note: While I've said on my other blog that I give away jars of jam (jelly) I would like to point out that no-one (NO-ONE!) gets the booze but me and K. So yes, Stew. Make it for you (and your loved ones) and enjoy!

    Ravens - you need to stab the damsons/plums a few times wit a ocktail stick but you don't need to peel them.

    Poohtle - how was the crumble? With custard, I assume.

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  7. * with a cocktail stick.

    My excuse is that I've been drinking last year's brew! :)

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  8. My frinds came to stay and picked me 21lbs of blackberries - have been turning them into jelly for the lamb, jam for moi and next will be chutney still leaving me enough to have crumbles et al this winter - result!

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  9. 21 pounds! That's a lot of brambles!

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  10. Too funny. I also forgot to mention that I love the title, esp. yummy booze!! LOLOLOL!!

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  11. This all looks very good, will have to have a go next year x

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