Plum gin is a great recipe that works very well when the winter months announce their arrival. It won’t be wrong to say that plum gin is a source of warmth and the recipe is best enjoyed with friends and family.
The best part about this tasty and popular dish is that it can be made easily at home. So, how to make plum gin? Let us find out!
Recipe 1: Keep It Simple, Silly
If you are a novice cook and want to try making plum gin for fun but at the same time don’t want to go into an elaborate process, this is the ideal recipe for you.
Ingredients You Will Need
- Plums (6-8)
- Blackberries (8-12)
- Juniper berries (½ cup)
- Cloves (2)
- Lime zest
- Gin (10 ounces)
- Water (10 ounces)
- Simple syrup (3 ounces)
Next Steps
- Start by preparing the zest because it adds a tangy flavor to the plum gin. For this, grate lemons and keep them aside.
- Now take the juniper berries, cloves and the lemon zest in a bowl and muzzle them with a pestle and mortar. Keep the crushed mix in a jar.
- Slice the plums thinly and add gin, plum and blackberries to the mixture.
- Give the mix a thorough shake and let it sit for 24 hours.
- Take a mesh strainer and strain all the solids out.
- Now dilute the mix by adding water and simple syrup.
- At the time of serving, take a glass and add some ice cubes to it and pour the diluted infusion.
- Sit back and enjoy. Serve to friends and family!
Recipe 2: Fragrant like Cardamom
The best part about plum gin is that you can make it with many variants and just by adding or replacing one ingredient, the taste changes completely. Isn’t that amazing? Try this variant if you like drinks that smell heavenly!
Ingredients You Will Need
- Gin (10 ounces)
- Caster sugar (½ cup)
- Plums (8-10)
- Juniper berries (½ cup)
- Cardamom pods (1 teaspoon)
Next Steps
- Sterilize the jar properly and wash the plums properly. Avoid any plum that is too ropey because that would not be flavorful.
- Take a fork and stab the plums all over to release the flavor into the gin.
- Shake the gin and plums thoroughly and keep them in the jar. Place the jar in a cool place and let it be for one week. Add cardamom pods to it. Shake every day to mix the contents well.
- Give it three months’ time and see the color change. The result will be a mind-blowing and flavorful plum gin.
- You would need to filter the big sediments out by sieving them through a muslin cloth.
- The residual liquid can be stored in sterilized bottles for consumption.
The thing you need to take utmost care of is that the bottle you store the plum gin in must be sterilized properly and should be extra clean.
What Other Variations of Plum Gin Can You Try?
Plum gin is a versatile recipe that can be made with several variations. Some of these include:
- Star Anise: Use star anise pods along with plums for a unique flavor.
- Vanilla: This is quite common and vanilla pods work very well with gin and plums.
- Cinnamon: This is a spice that is very commonly used in drinks because of its unique flavor and it goes exceedingly well with plum gin.
- Ginger: For those who like more earthy flavors, mixing ginger and gin with plums is going to do the trick.
Other Things That You Need to Know
A good plum gin can be made easily at home if you ensure that the basics are met. Here is what you need to take care of:
Gin
The quality of the gin you take will make a big difference to your plum gin. Make sure you at least go for a medium-standard gin, if not the best one. If you go for a low-quality gin, it would end up tasting like a cheap fluid.
If you don’t have gin with you that is high quality, it is better to substitute gin with vodka. The idea is to take alcohol that absorbs the flavor of the plum properly.
Plums
The best thing about this recipe is that you can make it with any type of plums. There is no specific type of plum that you need to go after.
A trip to any supermarket should just suffice. Some people even use plums that they grow by themselves. So, it really is this easy.
Time Period
Though people let the mixture sit for as long as four months, sometimes depending on personal preference, you ought to give at least three weeks for the alcohol to absorb the flavor of the plum. The more time you let the liquid stay, the more intense its flavor will be.
You can store the plum gin for a year after removing the sediments provided your jar is super clean and sterilized.
How to Sterilize the Jar in Which You Will Store Your Plum Gin?
Sterilizing your jar is very important because it would help keep your plum gin fresh and not let bacteria stick to it. Begin by washing the jar and lid with hot soapy water and
keep them upside down while they are still wet. There is no need to dry the jars.
Now pop the jar and the lid into a pre-heated oven for at least 15 minutes. This will ensure there are no bacteria in the jar.
The Final Word
Making plum gin is a great way to unwind and spend some me time in the kitchen if you are into that kind of thing. There are a number of variants that you can try and this also adds to the fun of making the recipe.
If you make it and store it well, it will last you for a year. So, there’s plenty of time to share it with friends and family!