Content
- 1 Secrets of making cherry liqueur from chokeberries and cherry leaves
- 2 Classic recipe for liqueur made from chokeberry and cherry leaves
- 3 Liqueur from 100 cherry and chokeberry leaves
- 4 Liqueur made from chokeberry and cherry and raspberry leaves
- 5 Chokeberry liqueur with cherry and currant leaves
- 6 Liquor made from chokeberry leaves and berries
- 7 Chokeberry liqueur with cherry leaves and lemon
- 8 Liqueur from chokeberry and cherry leaves with vanillin
- 9 Recipe for chokeberry liqueur with cherry leaves and mint
- 10 Cherry liqueur from chokeberry with cloves
- 11 Recipe for liqueur from cherry, chokeberry and orange leaves
- 12 Liquor of cherry leaves and black rowan with honey
- 13 Cherry liqueur from chokeberry with rosemary
- 14 Rowan liqueur from chokeberry with cherry leaves in cognac
- 15 Rules for storing and drinking chokeberry liqueur with cherry leaves
- 16 Conclusion
The liqueur made from chokeberry and cherry leaves matches its name more than any other homemade liqueur. The tart taste and beneficial properties of chokeberry are not lost in the drink. Shades of cherry complement the bouquet and make it rich. Liqueurs were originally invented by French monks as a way to sweeten not-so-tasty herbal medicines; a slight bitterness is their classic characteristic. Therefore, a viscous alcoholic drink made from healing black berries with a cherry aroma is definitely worth trying.
Secrets of making cherry liqueur from chokeberries and cherry leaves
If you carefully follow the recipe and follow the instructions, then using chokeberry, you can make a drink that is indistinguishable from cherry. Its flavor will be deeper, and the astringent notes will balance out the sweetness. This “cherry” liqueur, taken in moderate doses, will tone and heal blood vessels, reduce blood pressure, and support the immune system.
A necessary condition for the successful production of liqueur from chokeberry fruits is the quality of the raw materials. The berries must be picked on time, properly prepared, and the cherry leaves must be processed so as not to lose the flavor.
The main factors influencing the quality of the finished liqueur:
- The later the chokeberry fruits are harvested, the better their taste. After the first frost, the balance of sugars and bitterness in the berries is optimal for making liqueur.
- If the berries are picked before the cold weather, they should be placed in the freezer for a day. This technique loosens the dense skin of the chokeberry and reduces the astringent taste.
- Cherry leaves are chosen whole, dark-colored. They contain more odorous substances.
- Chokeberry provides excellent color and consistency; chokeberry leaves are more responsible for the taste and aroma. The raw materials release odorous substances best when infused for a long time; it is not advisable to boil them for a long time.
- The level of sweetness and alcoholic strength of “cherry” liqueur are easy to adjust. It is enough to change the proportions of sugar and the amount of alcohol in the recipe.
It is this concentration of alcohol that does not harm the healing effect of chokeberry.
To prepare chokeberry fruits, you need to sort them out, removing damaged, dried out, unripe specimens.Cherry leaves and berries are washed in running water, then excess moisture is allowed to drain off. Only after this they begin to create a flavorful drink.
Classic recipe for liqueur made from chokeberry and cherry leaves
A properly prepared liqueur will have the color, taste, and aroma of cherry, although not a single berry of this culture will have to be added to it. For the classic recipe you will need the following ingredients:
- water and vodka (40%) equally – 500 ml each;
- cherry leaves - about 50 g (at least 30 pcs.);
- black rowan berries – 500 g;
- citric acid – 15 g;
- sugar – 500 g.
The traditional method of preparing liqueur requires fermentation of the raw materials, but chokeberry berries contain few yeast cultures and many bactericidal substances that interfere with the development of the process. Therefore, it is easier to create a low-alcohol drink bypassing this stage.
The process of preparing liqueur step by step:
- Place the chokeberry with cherry leaves in an enameled or stainless steel cooking container and fill it with water.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, cover with a lid and immediately remove the pan from the heat.
- Leave the mixture until it cools completely, and then place it in the refrigerator for 8-10 hours. The cherry leaves will have time to impart their aroma and color to the drink, and the dense chokeberry pulp will soften.
- Decant the broth and squeeze out the remaining mass, trying to get all the juice.
- In the same cooking vessel, mix the infusion with the squeezed out liquid, add sugar and citric acid, and put on fire.
- By heating and stirring the composition, the grains are completely dissolved. It is not necessary to boil the workpiece.
- After removing the container from the heat, wait for the liquid to cool to room temperature. Only after this is the vodka poured in.
Chokeberry liqueur with cherry leaves is ready for bottling. You can taste the drink right away, but it will show its best qualities no earlier than after 30 days. Choose dark glass bottles with tight stoppers to store homemade liquor.
Liqueur from 100 cherry and chokeberry leaves
An original and simple recipe for liqueur made from chokeberries, in which not only cherry leaves are counted. This method gives a composition with a different shade, its strength is lower and its taste is subtler.
Ingredients:
- For 100 cherry leaves, count the same number of chokeberry berries;
- 1000 ml filtered water;
- 500 ml of quality vodka;
- 250 mg sugar;
- 10 g citric acid.
The preparation of liqueur is similar to the classic chokeberry recipe, only the number of ingredients changes. All stages are repeated sequentially. The finished cherry liqueur can not be bottled immediately, but left in a large jar with a tightly closed lid for several weeks to mature. After this, you need to monitor whether sediment has appeared and carefully drain the clean infusion from it.
Liqueur made from chokeberry and cherry and raspberry leaves
The liqueur made from chokeberry and leaves of other garden plants will combine even more summer aromas. Raspberry goes well with the taste of cherry. Its leaves have a more delicate taste and delicate consistency, so you need to be especially careful that the raw materials are not overcooked, otherwise the liquor will turn out cloudy.
Proportions for adding food per 1 kg of chokeberry:
- cherry and raspberry leaves - 30 pcs.;
- alcohol (90%) – 300 ml;
- water – 1000 ml;
- sugar – 300 g.
Alcohol can be replaced with a triple dose of vodka. This homemade brew will be close to 20% ABV and will have a more grassy flavor.
Preparation:
- Compote is made from berries and water, adding sugar after boiling. Heating time – 15 minutes.
- Lay raspberry and cherry leaves. Boil for several minutes.
- The broth is cooled. The berries can be crushed a little to release the juice.
- Drain the liquid along with the berries and cherry leaves into a large container.
- Add alcohol, cover with a lid, and leave for about 15 days.
The ripened drink is filtered, squeezing out all the liquid from the raw material. Filtered chokeberry liqueur is bottled and sealed.
Chokeberry liqueur with cherry and currant leaves
Different shades of taste can be obtained by introducing other garden crops into recipes. Currants add a bright berry aroma. To obtain this type of cherry liqueur, simply replace the raspberry leaves in the previous recipe in the same proportion.
Increasing or decreasing the filling affects the final taste. If it is desirable to preserve the cherry flavor of the drink, there should be twice as many corresponding leaves as currant ones.
Liquor made from chokeberry leaves and berries
Black rowan liqueur with cherry leaves can be further enriched with beneficial substances contained in the green parts of chokeberry. This additive will allow the composition to exhibit choleretic and anti-inflammatory properties and improve blood composition.
Alcohol infusions of the plant are absolutely contraindicated in case of increased stomach acidity.
The amount of cherry and chokeberry raw materials is calculated equally. Otherwise, the preparation does not differ from the given recipes. Chokeberry leaves also do not tolerate prolonged heat; they should not be boiled for a long time.
Chokeberry liqueur with cherry leaves and lemon
Citric acid enriches the sweet taste of liqueur and makes it less cloying. Citrus fruits are also used to neutralize unwanted astringency if chokeberry berries are excessively bitter.
Using lemon together with the peel, you get a new bouquet of taste with a citrus note. But the zest can overpower the subtle cherry aroma. Most often, only juice is used in home recipes.
Liqueur from chokeberry and cherry leaves with vanillin
It is recommended to keep the drink prepared with the addition of spices longer than previous formulations. Spices release their flavor gradually. A liqueur made from cherry leaves and chokeberry, to which vanilla pods are added, requires infusion for 3 months. The velvety taste of such an aged drink is compared to Amaretto.
Ingredients:
- chokeberry - 250 g;
- vanilla – ½ pod or 0.5 tsp. powder;
- cherry leaf - 20 pcs.;
- citric acid – 1 tsp;
- vodka without flavors – ½ l;
- sugar – ½ kg;
- water – 1l.
Rowan is poured with water and boiled for about 10 minutes. Place the leaves in the pan and heat for another 2 minutes. If natural vanilla is used, it is added at this stage. After removing from the heat, allow the broth to cool, grind, squeeze out the chokeberry, and filter everything. The vanilla pieces can be returned to the solution for further infusion.
Sugar and soluble packaged vanillin are added to the resulting liquid, if natural vanilla is not at hand. Bring the mixture to a boil, add acid and immediately stop heating.
The cooled drink is combined with vodka and left to mature in a cold place for 90 days. After the expiration date, the liqueur is filtered and bottled.It can now be stored at room temperature.
Recipe for chokeberry liqueur with cherry leaves and mint
Spicy herbs can add a hint of menthol freshness to a viscous, dense drink. Chokeberry liqueur with mint has a very unusual invigorating bouquet and a pleasant aftertaste.
The best reviews are received by drinks made from a mixture of several types of plant materials. Mint sprigs are added along with cherry, raspberry, and currant ingredients. The processing is no different. Shoots and green parts of plants should be added or removed from the composition at the same time. If the proportions are observed, mint does not affect the color, enriching only the aroma and taste.
Cherry liqueur from chokeberry with cloves
The use of spices adds warming, deep aromas to chokeberries. In a recipe with cloves, rich citrus flavors are appropriate; orange or lemon zest is quite suitable here.
Composition for 1 kg of prepared chokeberry berries:
- alcohol (96%) – 0.5 l;
- vodka (40%) – 0.5 l;
- water – 0.2 l;
- sugar – 0.5 kg;
- clove buds – 5-6 pcs.;
- cherry leaves – 30 pcs.;
- a pinch of vanilla powder;
- zest from a lemon and a small orange.
To prepare a spicy drink reminiscent of Mulled wine, you will need to make an alcoholic extract from spices with chokeberry.
Cooking method:
- Blanched chokeberries are lightly kneaded and placed in a large glass jar.
- Cloves, zest, vanillin, and leaves are also added there.
- Pour in the entire amount of alcohol and stir. They insist for at least a month.
When the alcohol extract is ready, drain it from the sediment, add the liquid from squeezing the berries, and filter. A syrup is made from water and sugar, which after cooling can be combined with the tincture.The strong composition requires aging for about 90 days, after which it develops its full flavor.
Recipe for liqueur from cherry, chokeberry and orange leaves
Citrus fruits can be added to any basic recipe. Orange in liqueurs with cherry leaves based on chokeberry has a more delicate effect on the taste than lemon. It will have almost no effect on the sweetness of the drink, but will add flavor nuances.
If you decide to use the whole orange, it can be crushed and added to the chokeberry decoction before infusion. But it is better to separate the fruit, adding the zest and juice separately. Their methods of releasing taste are different.
The juice is poured in before the end of the heat treatment. In basic recipes, this is the moment of adding citric acid. The zest can be infused in the same way as cherry leaves. They should be added and removed from the drink at the same time.
Liquor of cherry leaves and black rowan with honey
The bee product will make the liqueur even healthier and thicken the liquid. In any recipes with chokeberries, it is permissible to replace up to half the sugar with honey.
It is added to liqueurs based on chokeberry after the mixture has cooled to 40 °C.
Another way to introduce honey into recipes is to add it to the infusion before packaging. This addition is well suited to a spicy composition with cloves, where all the sugar can be replaced with honey.
Cherry liqueur from chokeberry with rosemary
Some strong spices highlight the cherry flavor well in chokeberry liqueurs, where cherry leaves play a key role in creating the bouquet. One of these herbs is rosemary.
Ingredients for creating “cherry” liqueur from 1000 g of chokeberry:
- cherry leaves - at least 100 pcs.;
- food alcohol – 0.5 l;
- water – 1 l;
- vanillin – 1 tsp;
- sprig of rosemary;
- medium orange;
- small lemon.
Cooking process:
- Prepared chokeberry berries, washed cherry leaves, and rosemary are placed in a pan.
- After adding water, boil the ingredients over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Add sugar. Heating should be continued until the grains dissolve, after which citrus juice is poured in and vanilla is added.
- There is no need to boil the composition anymore. It is cooled and insisted on cold for 24 hours.
- The settled mixture is filtered, and the chokeberry with cherry leaves is carefully squeezed through a filter cloth.
- Add alcohol, stir, pour the mixture into a glass bottle, and close the neck tightly.
The finished “cherry” liqueur with rosemary is additionally filtered after 60 days. During this time, it will fully ripen and acquire a harmonious taste.
Rowan liqueur from chokeberry with cherry leaves in cognac
Liqueurs prepared with cognac get a very noble taste. The tartness of chokeberry with oak notes is an original combination for sweet alcoholic drinks.
To obtain exactly the liqueur taste and consistency, first prepare a cognac extract with honey, and then mix it with sweet syrup.
Composition of cognac tincture from chokeberry:
- black rowan – 400 g;
- cognac – 500 ml;
- honey - 2 tbsp. l.;
- crushed oak bark - 1 pinch.
The prepared fruits are poured into a glass vessel with a wide neck, honey and dry bark are added, cognac is poured in, and mixed. Infuse the mixture for at least 4 months, shaking occasionally. In the last 10 days, the sediment separates, so the container is not disturbed during this time.
To prepare sugar syrup, cherry leaves are first infused with boiled water (about 12 hours). From 500 to 1000 g of sugar is added to 500 ml of liquid, depending on the desired sweetness. The mixture is heated. When the grains are completely dissolved and the syrup has cooled, you can pour in the filtered cognac extract.
The bottled drink gains flavor within 14 days. After this, chokeberry liqueur made with cognac can be served.
Rules for storing and drinking chokeberry liqueur with cherry leaves
The sweet alcoholic drink stores well at room temperature. The main rule for chokeberry is to avoid direct sunlight. To protect the composition from exposure to light, dark glass dishes are often chosen.
For serving, it is customary to pour the liqueur into small (up to 50 ml) glasses that are narrowed at the bottom. The drink tastes better if it is pre-cooled.
Like cognac, chokeberry liqueur made from chokeberry fruits can be served separately from meals. Coffee, fruits, and chocolate products serve as good accompaniments for the drink.
Conclusion
Liquor made from chokeberry and cherry leaves can be called not only a culinary masterpiece, but also a way to support the immune system, maintain healthy blood vessels, and avoid colds in the cold. The warming sweetness of the drink with a moderate amount of alcohol is appropriate for the holidays and can lift your spirits after a hard day. It should be remembered that the healing properties of chokeberry with alcohol are preserved only with moderate consumption.