Infuse Vodka With Cherry
Whether as a festive holiday or summer barbecue treat or simply to liven-up an evening, this recipe is really very simple to create in just a week. The best cherry-infused vodka is made with real, in-season cherries. In the United States, cherry picking season lasts from May until August, but they are at their peak in June. Some of the best cherries to make infused vodka with are Rainier, Bing and Royal Ann’s (yellow-red). If you can't buy cherries fresh from a local farm, frozen will work just as well.
Ingredients
- 750ml /25 fl oz bottle of vodka
- 4 pints /{{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} of cherries with stems and pits removed
Steps
- Find a re-seal-able, wide-mouthed container, such as a mason jar used for canning fruit (or clean and recycle a mayonnaise jar). Whichever container you choose, be certain that it is clean and has enough room to stir the mixture thoroughly.
- Pour the bottle of vodka into your selected container.
- Add the cleaned cherries into the container with the vodka and mix the ingredients together with a long-handled spoon.
- Place a piece of wax paper over the rim of the container.
- Tighten the lid of the container and check to ensure that the jar is tightly sealed.
- Allow the mixture to sit in a warm, dry place for 2 days.
- Stir or give the jar a light shake, three times a day.
- Taste the vodka infusion after 2 days. While you may decide to let it sit 2 or 3 days longer for more cherry flavor, it’s unlikely that more flavor will be extracted after a period of 7 days.
- Pour the mixture through a mesh strainer to remove the cherries
- Serve in a decanter.
Tips
- If the leftover cherries used to infuse the vodka are still tasty when you've strained the vodka, save them and use as drink garnishes.
- Higher-proof spirits will extract more flavor from the fruit.
- To add some bitterness to the flavor, partially crush the pits and include them in the jar with the cherries.
Warnings
- If you use a larger bottle, be sure to add more cherries during the infusion process.
- Don't let air into your cherry vodka infusion (except when tasting it). Extra air will hamper the infusion process.
Things You'll Need
- Wide-mouthed re-seal-able glass container
- Long handled spoon
- Wax paper
- Mesh strainer
- Decanter
- Don't throw away the cherries as infusion makes them cherry poppers
Sources and Citations
- http://www.skyyinfusions.com/ – research source
