Cranberry Liqueur

echo echo's Note:

I always associate autumn with cranberries. Here is an elegant liqueur that's really easy to make (and a treat to receive as a Christmas or hostess gift). If giving as a gift, be sure to allow enough time (in days) for the fruit to fully infuse the liquor. Cooking time is actually infusion time. UPDATE: After the liqueur is made, try using it to make Rita L's cocktail A Jolly Christmas Special Cosmo or Red Hot Lovers Cosmo (A Jolly Christmas Special Cosmo or Red Hot Lovers Cosmo), or if you give the liqueur as a gift, you might want to give the recipient a copy of Rita's recipe to go with it!)

• Total Time: 288 hrs 20 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 288 hrs

Ingredients:

Yield: 1 quart

• 1 lb cranberries
• 4 cups superfine sugar, divided
• 1 cup water
• 3 cups 80 proof vodka

Directions:

1. Combine cranberries with 2 cups sugar.
2. Add water and boil 4-5 minutes until skins start to pop.
3. Remove from heat and cool.
4. Put in a mixing jar, add vodka and shake vigorously.
5. Cover and leave to infuse at least 7 days, shaking or stirring occasionally.
6. Pour thru a coarse strainer and discard berries.
7. Let rest 3-4 days.
8. Without shaking the jar, decant only the clear liquor into another jar, leaving white residue in the original jar.
9. The white residue can be put thru a paper strainer (I use an unbleached coffee filter) until liquid is clear; add the strained liquor to the already decanted liqueur.
10. Combine liqueur with 2 more cups of sugar and shake vigorously until sugar is absorbed.
11. Let clear overnight and bottle.

Reviews

[Chef #1056811]

I made a batch of this delecious drink, and it's wonderfully simple and sooooo good. I used 4 layers of cheesecloth for straining the berries from the liquid, and found there was ablsolutely no residue, so I could skip No's 8 and 9 in the recipe. I tied up the cheesecloth and hung it from a hook to drip overnight. I got 2 1/2 liqueur bottles from it. I did make cranberry liqueur for about 4 years now, (using 4 different recipes,) and this is the simplest by far. I found other years that letting it set for about a month in a cold room or refrigerator improves it's taste. Yum!!!

[momaphet]

I made this so I could try Rita's A Jolly Christmas Special Cosmo so I cut the recipe down to 1/4 as I wanted to try a smaller portion before committing that much vodka.. For us, the final liqueur is a bit cough syrupy, but I would make it again stopping at step 8 as we loved the cranberry infused vodka. At steps 8/9 I didn't have any white residue so I just strained it again through a very fine mesh sieve.

[Rita~]

This is not my final review. I`m up to #4. Have to wait a week to taste and finish the directions. I just wanted to post the picture up to this point. I posted Dec 2, 2004 Sorry I took so long! The Holidays has me spinning! OK maybe it`s this delish drink! Sweet but very good. Great to make cosmos with. It`s a vibrant red. Wonderful for Christmas. Hope you enjoyed the pictures. I added one of my cake because I just couldn`t discard the cranberries so I made my Cranberry Ripple Cake with them. Posted Dec 23, 2004.