Blackberry Liqueur Using Vodka

[237SJ]

Has anyone got a tried and tested recipe for the above? I know there are some on the internet but I wanted a personal recommendation.

[Togo]

http://www.badgerbushcraft.com/wild-food/how-to-make-blackberry-vodka-recipe.htm
I used this recipe 2 years ago SJ. Don't get leathered.

[shoota]

I'd try the same ratio as Sloe Gin:
75cl bottle of spirit
1lb + of fruit (make sure it's juicy, some imported blackberries have no juice in them)
Between 1/2 and 1 lb of sugar depending on the sweetness required.
Put the ingredients in a clean sterile (preferably) glass airtight container, agitate, allow to rest, aitate again until the sugar has gone.
Leave in a dark place for 3 months or longer agitating occasionally. Decant and strain and then use.

[woofgang]

Its difficult to say "this one works, this one is less good because its going to depend so much on the quality of the blackberries and how "wet" the juice is, also how sweet you like your liqueur. I have had great success with cranberries and with cherries using a very simple method. Get a large (four pints ish) jar, clean it well even if its unused, put it through the dishwasher if you have one, and a bottle of decent quality neutral flavoured vodka. At least 3/4 fill it with fruit uncompacted. Tip in sugar until all the little gaps in the fruit are full. If the berries are sharp, you might like to add a little more. Fill to the top with vodka. Put the lid on tightly and leave in a cool dark place, not the fridge. Shake daily for the first couple of weeks if you remember. Do shake it though. once the sugar has dissolved, or about two months in, have a taste. It will taste a bit rough but you can judge if it needs more sugar. leave for another three months ish, shaking occasionally, taste again. At six months strain out the solids and put the liquid through a a wine filter or a coffee filter to polish it. Check sweetness and adjust. Put away in a scrupulously clean jar or bottle. leave for another three months, six is better. i have had two seconds at the local show with liqueurs made by this method.

[237SJ]

Thanks for the replies. The recipe I looked at was this http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/8727/blackberry-liqueur.aspx which involved adding water and heating but most others just involve throwing the lot in a bottle. That`s why I was wondering what others have done.

[shoota]

I think that recipe is a quick way of doing it and would probably work just as well, it just means that the sugar is already dissolved when it hits the fruit.
Go careful with the sugar - you can always add more but you can't take it out if it is too sickly.

[237SJ]

Thanks. I want it to be more of a liqueur than a spirit so I`m not too bothered about the sweetness. I did see one recipe with a picture of the finished product and it looked very dense in colour which is what I want but it was American and I can`t be bothered faffing around with cup sizes.

[atalanta]

You will probably have great difficulty filtering this mixture to get a clear liquid. It would be even more difficult if you cooked the blackberries. The only really successful filters are coffee filters, but these leave a strange taste behind. You can strain the stuff through old tights until you are blue in the face, and you will still get a heavy sludge left in your liqueur.

[woofgang]

atalanta, I use coffee filters to get mine clear and there was no strange taste and lovely glowing clear liquid.

[Prudie]

I've had amazing success with blackberry brandy. strained mine through a muslin cloth and it's crystal clear and really dark and rich. Half weight sugar to fruit is the easiest way to go, same for sloe gin.