Best spirits for what fruit?

[Tengu]

Have had a nose round the deserted gardens here, I have redcurrants, blackcurrants, goozegogs and plenty of raspberries...

Id like to preserve them but dont have the resources.

Only way I can think of doing it is in spirits.

So which would be best to get? brandy will do for the rasps but what about the others?

And where to get the spirits? Asda do a nice budget range, but no asda in Exeter...would Tescos have some cheap spirits?

 

[scrogger]

HI Tengu

I think all the main supermarkets have their own brands now. last year I did Sloe Vodka and Gin they were lovely so planning on doing more this year. If memory serves me right I paid about 7 pound for a wine bottle (750cl) of Gin. I am no gin drinker but if your going to put fruit into it its not an issue. they also do Brandy , Rum etc.

I also did bottled plums with cinnamon and a few cloves they are nearly gone now. looking forward to see what can be had this year .

Sounds like you should do ok anyway have fun.

Andy

 

[Tadpole]

Have had a nose round the deserted gardens here, I have redcurrants, blackcurrants, goozegogs and plenty of raspberries...

Id like to preserve them but dont have the resources.

Only way I can think of doing it is in spirits.

So which would be best to get? brandy will do for the rasps but what about the others?

And where to get the spirits? Asda do a nice budget range, but no asda in Exeter...would Tescos have some cheap spirits?

Get yourself a stone/ceramic crock pot or two, whack in the fruit, add a equal amounts of sugar, then cover with rum, Keep covered with a well fitting lid when more fruit is ripe add that, half the amount of sugar to fruit but keep the level covered with rum. Keep going till the crock pot is full leave somewhere dark for 4 to 6 months.
The rumtopf make a great christmas surprise pudding.
I’ve been known to cover with home made crumble and serve with thick cream.

 

[mace242]

Have had a nose round the deserted gardens here, I have redcurrants, blackcurrants, goozegogs and plenty of raspberries...

Id like to preserve them but dont have the resources.

Only way I can think of doing it is in spirits.

So which would be best to get? brandy will do for the rasps but what about the others?

And where to get the spirits? Asda do a nice budget range, but no asda in Exeter...would Tescos have some cheap spirits?

There's a big asda in Newton Abbot. Asda value gin is great for sloe gin.

 

[British Red]

Vodka works for all as its almost flavourless.

Brandy and whisky work nicely with autumnal fruits (blackberries and sloes and plums etc.).

Gin doesn't like me so I give it a miss.

Don't forget how bitter gooseberries are so don't stint on the sweetener. You can use other things than sugar though - try molasses or honey or even maple syrup for interesting flavours.

Red

 

[wildman695]

Vodkova is a 22% is a vodka derivitive at a silly price of only £3.99 a bottle so makes it very cheap to use and taste of the fruit you bottle. Well recommended

 

[xylaria]

Like tadpole I do rumtopf. I don't use a jar though, you can get special jars for it, but all the german people i know that have tried it with proper jars have said it goes fluffy on on top. What I do is get a bottle of the not quite cheapest rum or brandy, basically the cheapest that doesn't have stuff added to fake out the flavour, and decant half into clean bottle with a screw top lid. The first fruit to go in is handful strawberries and raspberries, then more is added throughout the season so the fruit layers up in bottle. I put in a handful of sugar per handful of fruit with some varitaion depending on the fruit. Blackberries can make for a very sweet drink if they are given the same amount of sugar as sloes and mahonia. It is drained off the fruit on the winter equinox. The fruit gets eaten on icecream and mince pies, and is very good at making everyone very very drunk.

 

[Arth]

Vodka..... Vodka ......... and Vodka

Did I mention Vodka?

 

[Tengu]

Thanks for the advice guys. Ill see what I can get.

(hopefully some will be ready for the Bushmoot)

Next problem; find suitable receptacles.

I may also make some orange brandy, as there seems to be a lot here. (no one eats them.)

 

[clcuckow]

Hi Tengu, do you want to preserve the fruit or us it to make fruit spirits?

The reason I mention is that like Red says brandy and in my opinion whisky works really well blackberries and raspberries (I always have some bramble whisky on the go) but I tend to leave them that long (I will not touch them for at least 6 months and usually at least a year if not two) that the fruit is pretty much spent when I take them out and normally is only fit for mixing into melted plain chocolate to make my own boozy bars.

Sometimes the blackberries are almost white when I have finished with them so not that appealing.

 

[Tengu]

a bit of both really.

 

[clcuckow]

a bit of both really.

Apart from the already mentioned Rumtopf I would think you are better off going traditional and Jamming or drying (either hole fruits or leathers) for eats then make fruit liqueurs/spirits with the rest.

There is alway making contry wine and laying that down while we are thinking out the box.

 

[badgeringtim]

Sounds like you have enought to do a little bit of everything!
Country wine would be my tuppenyworth - especially bramble.

Using the cheap spirits i would think you would have to be a bit carefull you dont water them down too much with juice/sugar etc. You dont want to make uit go low enought to go off or ferment again. Especially the 22% one mentioned above. However you can get economy booze at around 37%, if i recall right for £6-£7.

I think you can probably taste the difference betwen the cheap and the decent, and how chemically the really cheap stuff if i wouldn like to think about. But is it 2.5 times the price better for passable stuff - probably not worth it.

Dont forget Jam, bramble and apple soo good, chutneys are great i still have some of a (big) batch i made 3 years ago and its fine -Smokey Damson. so you dont need to make each year.

hmm hungry now