A bit of a different recipe this week, not only that it’s a brew rather than a bake, but also in how open it is. This is a guide you can follow mine and end up with delicious Damson Gin, or you can pick a different fruit, herb or spice (see end of recipe for details) But at the end you will have one of the nicest flavoured gins you’ve ever had! And is perfect for homemade gifts this Christmas! 

Ingredients 

1 ltr good quality gin

300 g damsons (or plums, or other ingredients, see end of recipe)

150 g caster sugar (if not, granulated sugar also works)

Equipment 

Large air tight glass jar/container - Kilner Jars work great! 

Method 

1 - 

Start by thoroughly washing your container in hot soapy water and dry completely. Then, rinse off and dry your fruit. Be sure to discard any bruised or poor quality fruit.

2 - 

Using a fork or a knife, poke several holes in your fruit and place in your container. Once done, add your sugar and gin, leaving 2 to 3 cm gap at the top to allow for any expansion and to stop spillage when opening and closing the container. 

3 - 

Shake well and store in a cool dark place for 3 months. Shake the container daily for the first week to ensure sugar dissolves. After that, shake once a week. Once fully aged (i.e. at 3 months after starting), remove and discard the fruit, strain/filter through a cloth or filter paper for a clearer result, and decant into an air tight container and store in a cool dark place. Serve with ice as is or, if you prefer, with tonic and a slice of cucumber.

Get creative! 

This is a good base recipe for many different infused gins/vodkas. Here are a few tips for other infusions. 

Fruits - 

Fruits can be infused with or without sugar depending on taste. It is best infused for 3 months for full flavour/colour. Hard fruits such as apples are best sliced or pierced with a knife to allow for better infusion. Berries and softer fruits are ok left whole. 

Citrus - 

To infuse citrus, it is best using just the zest/peel as the flesh can cloud the liquid and does not impart as much flavour. Use a vegetable peeler to peel large strips of zest for infusion. This is also best infused for up to 3 months. 

Spices - 

Whole spices work well in spirits like gin or rum. Cardamom or cinnamon works well in many applications too. These can infuse for somewhere between 1 week and 3 months depending on desired taste. You may need to filter for a clearer end result. If doing blends of fruit and spices, you can fish out the spices early to balance flavours. You can use a cloth bag for easy removal. Ground spices are best avoided as this can cloud the liquid and lead to a gritty texture. 

Herbs - 

Fresh soft herbs such as basil are best infused for 1 week for freshest flavour but can go longer depending on taste. One method for a stronger infusion is remove and replace with fresh herbs weekly until the desired result is achieved. 

Hardier herbs such as rosemary can infuse for the full 3 months but be sure to check for signs of mould or discolouration and remove/replace as needed.