Homemade redcurrant liqueur

Currants have long been considered a unique crop. Even in ancient times, people noted the healing properties of its berries for human health, and the pleasant sweet and sour taste of the fruit and high yield made it a popular ingredient in a wide variety of dishes and drinks. The latter include not only compotes and fruit drinks, but also alcoholic drinks, such as red currant liqueur. For those who want to look at a familiar culture with a new perspective, it will be interesting to understand the benefits and harms of this unusual drink and try out several recipes.

The benefits and harms of red currant liqueur

The benefits of red currant liqueur are difficult to deny for the simple reason that it consists exclusively of natural ingredients, without artificial additives or dyes. However, the main health value of such a drink lies in its main ingredient.Red juicy berries are a source of vitamins, as well as macro- and microelements.

Currants contain vitamins A, B1, B12 and P, sodium, iron, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium. In addition, this berry is famous for its antioxidant effect, as it contains a large amount of vitamin C.

The active components in the berries significantly affect the human body in a positive way. Red currants are capable of:

• increase the body's resistance to pathogenic bacteria;
• speed up metabolism;
• activate the elimination of toxins;
• improve vision;
• normalize the functions of the gastrointestinal tract;
• strengthen joints;
• Positively affect the condition of hair and skin.

Eating fresh currants provides the body with an abundance of useful substances to maintain tone and strengthen the immune system. The same applies to drinks made from this valuable berry, prepared at home.

How to make redcurrant liqueur at home

Making redcurrant liqueur is not difficult. Regardless of the recipe, it is quite possible to prepare a drink from this healthy berry even for beginners in this matter, if you follow some simple recommendations:

1. Fresh, dried and frozen berries are equally suitable as the main ingredient for liqueur.
2. Fresh currants should be used within 5 - 7 days, as they tend to spoil quickly.
3. It is necessary to infuse the berry liqueur for at least 1.5 - 2 months so that the flavor palette can develop more fully, and it is advisable to keep the drink in a dark place for 4 months. The optimal temperature should be between 20 and 24 °C.
4. In the process of preparing the drink, the manufacturer will need 2 - 3 enamel pans, several glass jars or bottles, and a sieve. In order to mash the pulp of the berries, use a masher or meat grinder.

Currant liqueur can be considered a universal drink, since it can be based on almost any high-quality alcohol: vodka, alcohol, moonshine, wine, gin or cognac.

Redcurrant liqueur recipes

There are many recipes for making liqueur from red currant berries, and each of them has its own characteristics. However, following the basic principles of preparation and strictly following the recipe will allow you to create a drink from these healthy berries that is in no way inferior to factory-produced products.

A simple recipe for homemade redcurrant liqueur with vodka

The least time-consuming and effort-consuming recipe is considered to be a recipe for red currant liqueur made with vodka. Cooking recipe:

1. Fresh currants (3 - 4 kg) are washed with running water, overripe or deformed berries are removed and cleaned of the green parts of the plant.
2. Then the fruits are thoroughly dried, laid out on a towel, and then crushed in a meat grinder.
3. Pour 1.5 liters of clean drinking water into the resulting mass of berries and leave for 20 - 30 minutes.
4. After the allotted time, the berry pulp is filtered in a sieve, squeezing out all the juice from the cake.
5. The juice of the berries is mixed with 0.5 liters of wheat vodka and 1.2 kg of refined white sugar until it is completely dissolved.
6. The finished drink is poured into glass containers and put in a cool place to brew.

Frozen redcurrant liqueur

You can also make a high-quality and tasty liqueur from frozen red currants if you follow the same algorithm as in the vodka recipe described above. However, when preparing such a drink, you should keep in mind the following nuances:

1. It is necessary to defrost currants in the same container where the ingredients for the drink will be mixed, so that the juice does not disappear during thawing.
2. The amount of water added should be reduced by at least half.
3. The strength of a liqueur made from frozen berries will be lower than from fresh ones, since in the first case the currants produce more juice.

Redcurrant liqueur with alcohol

As a rule, the choice of base for red currant liqueur is based solely on the taste preferences of the manufacturer and does not particularly affect the final product. However, connoisseurs of homemade drinks claim that it is the liqueur made with undiluted alcohol that has the most intense taste and rich aroma. Prepare it this way:

1. Pour 1 liter of washed currants into a 3 liter glass jar.
2. The berries are poured with 300 ml of alcohol with a strength of at least 60% and the container is closed with a nylon lid, after which they are placed in a dark place for 1.5 - 2 months.
3. Then the workpiece is filtered through a sieve, on top of which gauze is placed.
4. Filtered currants are carefully squeezed.
5. Sugar in the amount of 600 g is combined with 600 ml of water and boiled until a homogeneous syrup is formed, then cooled.
6. The syrup is added to the drink, bottled and allowed to stand for another 7 days until it is completely ready.

Redcurrant liqueur with added wine

Red currant liqueur based on wine will have an original taste. This drink can be prepared very quickly, since it does not need to be infused for several months. In addition, this liqueur is not distinguished by its strength, which varies from 5 to 8%, and can serve as an exquisite aperitif before dinner or a holiday meal. Cooking sequence:

1. 1 kg of prepared currants is poured into a pan and 0.5 liters of red wine are poured.
2. Cover the container tightly with foil and make several holes in it.
3. After this, place the pan in an oven heated to 40 - 60 °C for 8 - 10 hours.
4. Then the workpiece is cooled at room temperature and filtered through cheesecloth.
5. Add sugar to taste in an amount of 100 - 200 g.
6. After 1 - 2 hours, the liqueur is poured into bottles, sealed and sent to the refrigerator for 2 - 3 hours.

Red currant honey liqueur

The liqueur from red currant fruits with the addition of honey also does not require complex manipulations.To prepare it you will need 1 kg of peeled, washed berries and 0.5 liters of high-quality vodka. There is no need to add sugar to such a drink: honey will add the necessary sweetness to the liqueur.

1. Currant berries are placed in a three-liter jar.
2. Add 1 tbsp. l. honey
3. The resulting berry raw material is poured with vodka without shaking the contents of the jar.
4. Seal the container and leave in a cool, dark place for 2 weeks.
5. After the specified time, filter the liquid through cheesecloth.
6. The finished liqueur is bottled.

Redcurrant liqueur with moonshine

Currant liqueur made with moonshine is highly prized. Although the base of the drink is quite strong, the alcohol is practically not felt when drinking it. This is achieved through additional purification of moonshine and its double distillation. The recipe for this liqueur is quite simple:

1. Selected red currants in the amount of 300 g are placed in a 1 liter glass jar.
2. Add 500 ml of homemade moonshine there.
3. Pour 150 - 200 g of granulated sugar into a container.
4. After this, carefully close the jar, shake the container and move it to a warm room without direct sunlight.
5. Once every 4 days, the container with the liqueur must be shaken to speed up the fermentation process.
6. The finished drink can be drunk after 2 weeks.

Contraindications

Despite all its benefits, red currant liqueur has certain contraindications. Since the drink consists of a number of components, it is quite difficult to list all the cases in which it is not recommended to use it.

Thus, currants do not pose a danger to allergy sufferers, but people suffering from:

• gastritis;
• stomach ulcers and other acute inflammations of the gastrointestinal tract;
• hemophilia.

The high sugar content in currant liqueur can negatively affect your health:

• persons with diabetes;
• disorders of the pancreas;
• hypertension.

Alcohol in the liqueur can harm people with the following health conditions:

• pregnancy;
• breastfeeding;
• heart problems;
• problems in the functioning of the central nervous system;
• depression and other mental disorders.

In addition, in large doses, red currant liqueur, like any alcoholic drink, can be harmful even to a completely healthy person. Therefore, before consuming the liqueur, it is strongly recommended to consult with your doctor.

Terms and conditions of storage

If, for health reasons, there are no restrictions on the use of red currant liqueur, you should take care of how to properly store the drink so that it does not lose its beneficial properties.

The finished liqueur, regardless of what raw materials it was made from, can be stored for at least 1.5 - 2 years if it is poured into a clean, dry glass container and tightly closed with a lid. Storage temperature should be no higher than 23 – 20 °C. Containers with drinks are stored for the longest time in a dark room in the absence of direct sunlight.

Conclusion

Red currant liqueur is characterized not only by a pleasant soft taste, but also retains all the beneficial properties of the berries. This quality of the drink will help support the body in the autumn-winter period, when the human immune system is especially vulnerable, and its bright color and rich aroma will remind you of sunny summer days.

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