Peach Liqueur
I like to think of making fruit liqueurs as just one more type of food preservation. I make jams and jelly with seasonal fruit, so why not preserve some of summer’s bounty in alcohol?
Peach liqueur is one of my favorites. Pretty simple, really. Just combine peaches with vodka (or brandy) and allow the mixture to steep. After a week or two, strain it. After straining out the fruit, I also filter the liqueur through either coffee filters or cheesecloth to get it nice and clear.
Sweetening is optional. Unsweetened, it is called a Peach Eau de vie, which translates into water of life. Got to love the French!!! Sweetened, it is a liqueur.
Poured into pretty bottles, these liqueurs can make fun gifts, too.
Peach Liqueur
10 medium sized, ripe peaches
3 c. vodka or brandy
1 c. sugar syrup – optional – recipe follows*
Peel and pit peaches reserving only the fruit. You can leave the skins on, if you prefer. Place in jar with the alcohol and steep at least a week, shaking several times. You can leave the fruit in for up to two weeks. Strain, squeezing out as much juice from the fruit as possible. Filter through cheesecloth, fine mesh strainer or coffee filters for a clearer product. Add sugar syrup, if desired, and mature 4-6 weeks. Makes 4 cups.
*Sweetening– Simple syrup is made from 1 cup of sugar and ½ cup of water. Bring to a boil, then cool. You will have 1 cup of syrup. Some recipes call for plain sugar and others for honey. Watch when you substitute honey for sugar, as it is sweeter and stronger flavored.
Peach Liqueur
I like to think of making fruit liqueurs as just one more type of food preservation. I make jams and jelly with seasonal fruit, so why not preserve some of summer’s bounty in alcohol?
Peach liqueur is one of my favorites. Pretty simple, really. Just combine peaches with vodka (or brandy) and allow the mixture to steep. After a week or two, strain it. After straining out the fruit, I also filter the liqueur through either coffee filters or cheesecloth to get it nice and clear.
Sweetening is optional. Unsweetened, it is called a Peach Eau de vie, which translates into water of life. Got to love the French!!! Sweetened, it is a liqueur.
Poured into pretty bottles, these liqueurs can make fun gifts, too.
Peach Liqueur
10 medium sized, ripe peaches
3 c. vodka or brandy
1 c. sugar syrup – optional – recipe follows*
Peel and pit peaches reserving only the fruit. You can leave the skins on, if you prefer. Place in jar with the alcohol and steep at least a week, shaking several times. You can leave the fruit in for up to two weeks. Strain, squeezing out as much juice from the fruit as possible. Filter through cheesecloth, fine mesh strainer or coffee filters for a clearer product. Add sugar syrup, if desired, and mature 4-6 weeks. Makes 4 cups.
*Sweetening– Simple syrup is made from 1 cup of sugar and ½ cup of water. Bring to a boil, then cool. You will have 1 cup of syrup. Some recipes call for plain sugar and others for honey. Watch when you substitute honey for sugar, as it is sweeter and stronger flavored.
Homemade Peach Liqueur
I like to think of making fruit liqueurs as just one more type of food preservation. I make jams and jelly with seasonal fruit, so why not preserve some of summer’s bounty in alcohol?
Peach liqueur is one of my favorites. Pretty simple, really. Just combine peaches with vodka (or brandy) and allow the mixture to steep. After a week or two, strain it. After straining out the fruit, I also filter the liqueur through either coffee filters or cheesecloth to get it nice and clear.
Sweetening is optional. Unsweetened, it is called a Peach Eau de vie, which translates into water of life. Got to love the French!!! Sweetened, it is a liqueur.
Poured into pretty bottles, these liqueurs can make fun gifts, too.
Peach Liqueur
10 medium sized, ripe peaches
3 c. vodka or brandy
1 c. sugar syrup – optional – recipe follows*
Peel and pit peaches reserving only the fruit. You can leave the skins on, if you prefer. Place in jar with the alcohol and steep at least a week, shaking several times. You can leave the fruit in for up to two weeks. Strain, squeezing out as much juice from the fruit as possible. Filter through cheesecloth, fine mesh strainer or coffee filters for a clearer product. Add sugar syrup, if desired, and mature 4-6 weeks. Makes 4 cups.
*Sweetening– Simple syrup is made from 1 cup of sugar and ½ cup of water. Bring to a boil, then cool. You will have 1 cup of syrup. Some recipes call for plain sugar and others for honey. Watch when you substitute honey for sugar, as it is sweeter and stronger flavored.
Peach Skin Vodka
This is really a story about how I was raised. My mother and father both grew up in a time when people didn’t waste things. Both of them knew hard times growing up. I try to be like them in that way. I hate throwing out something that might serve some purpose.
While making a peach pie the other day, I was left with a pile of peach skins. I could toss them in the compost pile, but I knew they had a lot of flavor in them. I decided to make peach liqueur with them instead.
I just put the peach skins in a Mason jar- I had about 2 cups – and covered them with 3 cups of vodka. I put the lid on the jar and set it in a cabinet. In a few weeks, I’ll strain it out, then pour the mixture through coffee filters to get out anything that will make it cloudy. Could not be easier. I’ll have lovely peach flavored vodka that I can leave as is, or sweeten if I prefer. I could also have used brandy. You can add a cinnamon stick or vanilla bean to the jar for additional flavor.
Thinking this will make a great ingredient for a cocktail in the near future.
So the lesson here is just to think twice before tossing. Sometimes, what might seem like something of little or no value, could have another purpose.
