The answer to the question ‘what do you get for somebody who has everything, including a taste for vodka?’
My Auntie is quite a go-getting woman… and as I can’t afford to fund her seemingly ongoing house improvements, I thought this was a good idea. Hopefully she does too.
Having dabbled in preserving this year and discovering that it is possibly one of my favourite things to do in the kitchen, I invested in Diana Henry’s ‘Salt Sugar Smoke’, which is a wonderful book. There are so many unusual flavour combinations that sound so convincing, and recipes from all over the world and from different ages.
Anyway, this recipe was inspired by her writings on flavoured vodka. While she writes that most flavoured vodkas are savoury, I believe my Auntie has a sweet tooth, and I also wanted to make something Christmassy 🙂
Of course, using cranberries, this is sharp too, so it isn’t too cloying for those who dislike sugar on sugar.
For the sake of ease, I will give a recipe to make 1 litre. I dealt with quantities just short of this, so the results didn’t fill the 1 litre bottle I’d bought especially. I had to improvise with 2 x 500ml bottles… but that way I got to keep some for myself! Woo!
Makes 1 litre
- 1l bottle vodka, cheap as you like*
- 175g caster sugar
- 250g fresh or frozen cranberries
- Sterilise a kilner jar so you are ready to proceed (see bottom of page). While it is in the oven you can set to pricking each cranberry once or twice.
- When the kilner jar has cooled, tip the cranberries into it with the sugar, and pour over the vodka. Seal the jar and leave for 2 weeks, giving it a shake as and when you remember.
- After this time, strain the mixture and pour it into a bottle of your choice.
*This recipe really doesn’t require expensive vodka; the flavourings are sufficient to make the drink delicious.
Sterilising Jars
Preheat the oven to 180°c. Wash the jars in hot, soapy water and rinse in clean warm water. Place the jars upside down on a rack in the oven and allow to drip-dry. Leave for at least 20 minutes.
Sterilising jars and equipment is essential to the success and longevity of any preserves you make.
Do not add anything cold to hot jars, or anything hot to cold jars or the jars will shatter.
welcomebackbelly 