A liqueur made from blackthorn is the perfect treat on icy cold winter evenings. It usually tastes wonderfully bittersweet and can be made into the ideal holiday drink with Christmas spices. The production is relatively easy. Essentially you need ripe sloe fruits and lots of rum or schnapps. Of course, a good portion of sugar shouldn't be missing either.
Basics
Making a liqueur from sloes has a very long tradition in Europe. This is due, among other things, to the fact that the fruits of the blackthorn can only be used to a very limited extent in the kitchen. One reason for this is certainly that they taste relatively bitter even when ripe. However, this natural bitterness is significantly reduced if the fruits are harvested after the first frost. The frost causes some of the tannins in the fruit to break down. However, they must not disappear completely because they contribute significantly to the special taste of the sloes. Blackthorn usually grows in field hedges in the wild, but can also be cultivated in the garden. The best harvest time is late autumn.
Tip:
If the fruits have not been exposed to frost before harvesting, you can put them in a bag in the freezer for a day. This has the same effect.
Make liqueur
A blackthorn liqueur is generally prepared. This means that the sloe fruits are first mixed with schnapps or rum, sugar and other ingredients. This mixture then has to steep in a tightly sealable container, such as a large bottle with a screw cap, for up to two months. The alcohol and sugar draw the juice out of the fruit. Although it would also be possible to squeeze the fruit and obtain juice in this way, this would be extremely time-consuming. In addition, very large quantities of fruit are necessary because the juice content per fruit is very low. After the steeping time, the whole thing is simply filtered and decanted. The liqueur can now be drunk. This very simple manufacturing principle forms the basis for many recipes.
Note:
The term sloe fire is often used as a synonym for a liqueur made from sloes. Strictly speaking, it is a product name for a liqueur that has been produced by Jägermeister since 1960 until today.
Recipe 1: Basic
How easy it is to make your own liqueur from sloes is particularly evident in this basic recipe.
Ingredients
- 0, 75 l brown rum (30 percent)
- ripe blackthorn fruits
- 300 g sugar
Preparation
First pour the rum into an empty, well-rinsed and sealable 1 liter bottle. Then add the sugar and the previously washed sloe fruits until the bottle is completely full. The bottle is then tightly closed and placed in a warm place for two months. The room temperature should be at least 20 degrees Celsius. Instead of brown rum, you can of course use white rum or a schnapps such as vodka or Doppelkorn. However, experience has shown that brown rum gives the finished liqueur a finer taste.
Recipe 2: Christmas liqueur
Blackthorn fire is a typical drink for the cold season. Add a few spices and you can quickly turn it into a fiery treat for Advent and Christmas.
Ingredients
- 700 grams of ripe sloe fruits
- 1 bottle of Doppelkorn or vodka
- 300 grams of fine brown rock sugar
- Juice of a whole lemon
- Juice of a whole orange
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/2 vanilla stick
- 1 pinch of ground cloves
- 1 pinch of ground nutmeg
Preparation
First wash the sloe fruits well and then put them in a bottle together with the sugar and lemon or orange juice. Add spices and then pour in the chosen schnapps. Close the bottle tightly and let the mixture steep in a warm room for about two months.
Tip:
If you add a few whole coffee beans to the mixture, the liqueur gets a very special flavor accent just in time for Christmas.
Recipe 3: Honey
The following recipe also has a Christmas touch. Since the liqueur is refined with honey, it is also a relatively timeless pleasure that still tastes extremely delicious even after the holidays.
Ingredients
- 250 g sloe fruits
- 700 ml white rum
- 200 g blossom honey
- 1 vanilla bean
- 1 star anise
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 2 pinches of grated orange peel
Preparation
Wash the sloes and drain well. Then lightly score each individual fruit with a sharp knife. Then all the ingredients are put into a large bottle and filled with the rum. Close the bottle tightly and let the mixture steep in a warm place for 1.5 to two months.
Recipe 4: With red wine
This recipe is something special in that it contains not only vodka, but also red wine. This gives it a very fine, almost noble touch.
Ingredients
- 500 g fully ripe sloes
- 1 l dry, fruity red wine
- 1 l vodka
- 300 g sugar
- 1 pack of vanilla sugar
- 3 cloves
- 2 star anise
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 5 tbsp brown rum
Preparation
Wash the sloe fruits well and put them in a large bottle with the other ingredients. Then top up with the red wine and vodka. Close the bottle tightly and then shake vigorously several times so that the vodka and wine can mix well. Leave to infuse in a warm place for around two months.
Recipe 5: Grandma's sloe liqueur
This recipe is certainly one of the most complex ever. You have to expect a preparation time of around two to three hours. But it also tastes incredibly intense – just like it did in grandma’s time.
Ingredients
- 1, 5 kg sloe fruits
- 1, 5 l brown rum
- 2 l water
- 1kg fine brown rock sugar
- 1 vanilla bean
Preparation
After washing and draining the sloes, each individual fruit is pierced with a needle. Bring two liters of water to the boil in a large pot and then pour it over the fruit in a bowl. Cover the bowl with a cloth and let stand for 24 hours. Then pour the broth through a fine sieve and pour it into a bottle. Add the remaining ingredients including the rum, close the bottle tightly and let it steep for about two weeks.
