Cranberry Cordial
What started as a riff on my homemade Limoncello had become a wintertime holiday tradition.
2, 12 oz bags of fresh or frozen cranberries
2, 750 ml bottles of vodka, sipping quality
4 cups sugar
5 cups water
Rinse the cranberries and drain well. Place the berries into a blender, and cover with vodka. Pulse the berries and vodka until the berries are broken up but not pureed. This may need to be done in batches.
Place the cranberry and vodka mixture in a glass container large enough to hold the two bottles of vodka and the berries. Add any vodka not used in the blender to the jar as well. I like to use hermetically sealed glass jars with the hinged clamp lid, commonly known as French canning or storage jars, but any non-reactive container that can be tightly sealed will work. Pour in the vodka and cranberries, seal tightly and give the whole thing a good shake or two, then set it on the counter or cupboard. You will start to see the vodka take on the cranberry color in a matter of minutes.
Once a week or so, give the bottle a good shake to redistribute the cranberry mash for the best infusion. Allow the vodka and cranberries to infuse for a month. Some people say it is good enough after two weeks, but I prefer to give it a month.
After a month, carefully drain the vodka into a large bowl through a fine meshed sieve or colander lined with 6 to 8 layers of moistened cheesecloth. Carefully gather up the cheesecloth into a bundle and squeeze the mash to remove as much liquid as possible. Reserve the cranberry mash for the simple syrup infusion. Rinse out the infusion jar and set aside.
For a crystal-clear cordial, strain the infused vodka again through a fine meshed sieve lined with a disposable coffee filter into the rinsed jar. This must be done in small batches as the filter will clog with the tiny seeds and pulp from the berries. Replace the coffee filter with a fresh one when needed. (I often skip this step.)
In a deep saucepan, place the reserved cranberry mash, sugar and water. Place the pan over high heat and bring to a boil, stirring as you do so to dissolve the sugar. Once it reaches boiling, reduce the heat to maintain a low simmer for 15 minutes to reduce the mixture slightly to a simple syrup. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely.
Strain the simple syrup through a sieve or colander to remove the cranberry mash and mix into the cranberry-infused vodka to taste.* Excess cranberry simple syrup can be used in cocktails or tea as a sweetener.
Store the cordial in tightly sealed bottles or jars in the freezer or refrigerator. It is best served ice-cold, but is also delicious when used in mixed cocktails.
* Note: Add about 1/2 to 2/3 of the simple syrup to start and taste. If you prefer a sweeter cordial, add some or all of the remainder.
Unlike commercially produced cordials, homemade cordials need to be refrigerated for storage to prevent spoilage. It's not a problem to infuse the vodka on the countertop, but once the simple syrup is introduced, the mixture is no longer anaerobic and bacteria can form.
2, 12 oz bags of fresh or frozen cranberries
2, 750 ml bottles of vodka, sipping quality
4 cups sugar
5 cups water
Rinse the cranberries and drain well. Place the berries into a blender, and cover with vodka. Pulse the berries and vodka until the berries are broken up but not pureed. This may need to be done in batches.
Place the cranberry and vodka mixture in a glass container large enough to hold the two bottles of vodka and the berries. Add any vodka not used in the blender to the jar as well. I like to use hermetically sealed glass jars with the hinged clamp lid, commonly known as French canning or storage jars, but any non-reactive container that can be tightly sealed will work. Pour in the vodka and cranberries, seal tightly and give the whole thing a good shake or two, then set it on the counter or cupboard. You will start to see the vodka take on the cranberry color in a matter of minutes.
Once a week or so, give the bottle a good shake to redistribute the cranberry mash for the best infusion. Allow the vodka and cranberries to infuse for a month. Some people say it is good enough after two weeks, but I prefer to give it a month.
After a month, carefully drain the vodka into a large bowl through a fine meshed sieve or colander lined with 6 to 8 layers of moistened cheesecloth. Carefully gather up the cheesecloth into a bundle and squeeze the mash to remove as much liquid as possible. Reserve the cranberry mash for the simple syrup infusion. Rinse out the infusion jar and set aside.
For a crystal-clear cordial, strain the infused vodka again through a fine meshed sieve lined with a disposable coffee filter into the rinsed jar. This must be done in small batches as the filter will clog with the tiny seeds and pulp from the berries. Replace the coffee filter with a fresh one when needed. (I often skip this step.)
In a deep saucepan, place the reserved cranberry mash, sugar and water. Place the pan over high heat and bring to a boil, stirring as you do so to dissolve the sugar. Once it reaches boiling, reduce the heat to maintain a low simmer for 15 minutes to reduce the mixture slightly to a simple syrup. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely.
Strain the simple syrup through a sieve or colander to remove the cranberry mash and mix into the cranberry-infused vodka to taste.* Excess cranberry simple syrup can be used in cocktails or tea as a sweetener.
Store the cordial in tightly sealed bottles or jars in the freezer or refrigerator. It is best served ice-cold, but is also delicious when used in mixed cocktails.
* Note: Add about 1/2 to 2/3 of the simple syrup to start and taste. If you prefer a sweeter cordial, add some or all of the remainder.
Unlike commercially produced cordials, homemade cordials need to be refrigerated for storage to prevent spoilage. It's not a problem to infuse the vodka on the countertop, but once the simple syrup is introduced, the mixture is no longer anaerobic and bacteria can form.
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