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Cranberry liqueur is popular for several reasons. Firstly, it's taste. The homemade homemade drink is very reminiscent of the popular Finnish liqueur Lapponia. Secondly, preparing cranberry liqueur at home is quite simple; the process does not require special equipment or specialized knowledge; simple things and ingredients are enough for it. Thirdly, cranberries contain many valuable micro- and macroelements, such as calcium, iodine, magnesium, iron, as well as a variety of antioxidants and vitamins. Since a small part of the beneficial properties of the berries remains even after making homemade liqueur, it can be consumed in small portions to prevent diseases. And finally, the preparation of such a drink can be called a variation of preparations for the winter, aimed exclusively at adults.
Sweet cranberry liqueur
Some varieties of cranberry liqueur are adapted recipes from popular alcoholic beverages. Last but not least, their taste depends on the alcohol used: any strong alcohol is suitable for making liqueur, preferably if it does not have a pronounced taste, but this is not always possible.As a rule, they use vodka, but you can also use moonshine and even medical alcohol. In some cases, cognac is used instead of vodka.
If the strength of the selected alcoholic drink is too high, you can dilute it with a small amount of water to the desired strength. In general, the basic set of ingredients will be repeated from recipe to recipe - to prepare a sweet cranberry liqueur, as a rule, cranberries, an alcoholic beverage of choice and granulated sugar are required. Sometimes water is added to the list to make syrup.
Before cooking, the berries are sorted, removing rotten and spoiled ones. At the same time, initially slightly bruised fruits are not substandard, and they can be safely used. Both fresh and frozen cranberries are suitable for cooking. Since frozen gives more juice, it is sometimes recommended to pre-freeze fresh berries.
So, to make sweet liqueur at home, you need the following:
- 500 g cranberries;
- 500 g granulated sugar;
- 200 ml water;
- 500 ml vodka.
Prepare this way:
- The berries are washed and allowed to stand for a while.
- Combine water and sugar in a saucepan to make sugar syrup. Once the syrup has thickened, remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
- Mash the berries with a masher.Attention! You should not turn the berries and juice into a homogeneous puree - then it will be very difficult to remove the pulp.
- First add syrup and then vodka to the crushed berries. Stir.
- The container with the liqueur preparation is covered with a lid and moved to a cool, dark place, where it is left for 25-30 days. The liqueur is shaken every day, so it is better to choose a tightly sealed container for storage.
- After the drink has infused, it is filtered to remove the pulp and bottled.
Moonshine cranberry liqueur recipe
To prepare cranberry liqueur at home from moonshine, use only double-distilled moonshine.
In principle, you can prepare liqueur from moonshine based on the previous recipe, but there are other methods.
So, you will need the following ingredients:
- 300 g or two glasses of cranberries;
- 1 liter of moonshine;
- 1.5 cups sugar;
- 500 ml water.
The amount of water and sugar is adjusted depending on the desired strength of the alcoholic drink. If you need to reduce the strength to 30 degrees, the amount of water for the syrup is increased to 700 ml.
Preparation:
- The cranberries are washed and mashed with a masher.
- Pour moonshine over the berries, cover the container with a tight-fitting lid and place in a cool, dark place for three weeks.
- During this time, the container is shaken daily.
- The infused drink is filtered, removing the pulp and cloudy sediment.
- Boil the sugar syrup and let it cool.
- The tincture is poured into the syrup, stirred gently and poured into bottles.
Cranberry liqueur with cloves and cardamom
Technically, instead of cloves or cardamom, you can use any spice you like. However, it is important not to overdo it with their quantity, so as not to interrupt the cranberry flavor.
To prepare liqueur according to this recipe, you will need:
- 500 g cranberries;
- 1 liter of vodka or moonshine;
- 500 g sugar;
- whole cloves;
- cardamom;
- cinnamon stick - to taste.
Prepare cranberry liqueur as follows:
- Pre-sort and wash the berries, shake off the water, and then knead.
- Pour vodka over the crushed cranberries, cover with a lid and put in a dark place.
- Leave for a week, shaking the container daily.
- After the expiration date, the drink is filtered (it is better to repeat the procedure twice).
- Place the pan with liqueur on the fire, add granulated sugar.
- Heat over low heat, stirring constantly and not allowing the liquid to boil. When the sugar is completely dissolved, remove the pan from the heat.
- Spices are wrapped in a gauze or fabric bag and dipped in heated liquor for 10 minutes.
- Take out the spices and, if necessary, strain the drink again, removing the remaining pulp.
- Bottled.
Homemade cranberry fortified liqueur
Required ingredients:
- cranberries – 500 g;
- strong alcohol – 1 l;
- sugar – 500 g;
- spices - cardamom, cinnamon, cloves - to taste.
This recipe is prepared as follows.
- The cranberries are sorted and washed thoroughly, then the excess liquid is shaken off and the berries are allowed to stand for a while.
- The berries are then turned into a homogeneous mixture. To do this, you can use either mechanical hand tools such as a masher, or a blender or meat grinder.
- Pour the crushed cranberries with alcohol, close the container with a lid, and then put it in a dark place for 4-5 days.
- The liquor is shaken daily.
- Filter the drink and squeeze the juice from the berry mixture.
- Add sugar and cook, without allowing it to boil, until it is completely dissolved.
- Remove the liqueur from the heat and dip the spices in a fabric bag into it for 5–10 minutes.
- Then the drink is allowed to cool, it is filtered again and poured into prepared bottles.
Shelf life
The normal shelf life of cranberry liqueur is three years. As with infusing the drink, dark and cool places are best for long-term storage.At the same time, it is not at all necessary to store the drink in the refrigerator; usually a place isolated from direct sunlight and away from heaters is sufficient.
The benefits and harms of cranberry liqueur
Despite the great popularity of this drink, it is impossible to talk about its unambiguous benefits. Thus, it will not be possible to obtain elements important for the body in large quantities when drinking liquor, since their content in the finished product is not so high. However, cranberry tincture can be used as an additional source of micro- and macroelements.
Cranberries are beneficial for the body because:
- the vitamin C it contains has a positive effect on the condition of the skin, hair, bones, brain, etc.;
- Vitamin B helps strengthen the nervous system and improve vision;
- has an anti-inflammatory effect, which means it can be used as a cure for colds;
- it contains iron, so eating cranberries is beneficial for anemia;
- normalizes acid-base balance.
Despite the fact that the list of beneficial properties of cranberries is not limited to those listed above, you should not use liqueur as a medicine for two reasons. Firstly, the beneficial properties of the berry are not completely transferred to the drink. Secondly, if you overdo it with the amount of drink, all possible benefits for the body will be offset by the harm that alcohol brings - that is, the destruction of brain cells, possible poisoning of the body, etc.
Conclusion
Cranberry liqueur at home is popular due to its excellent taste and ease of preparation, and the technology for creating the drink and the recipe can differ significantly. The flavor of the finished drink depends on the recipe chosen, as well as the spices used or unused.
