Raspberry vodka recipe
Posted by Fiona Nevile in Liqueurs | 149 comments
Home grown raspberries from our garden waiting to be made into delicious raspberry vodka
Note: Raspberry Vodka is probably the best and easiest of all homemade fruit liqueurs. It and raspberry gin are our all time favourite.
“One for me,” Gilbert popped a raspberry into his mouth, “and one for the bottle.” He pressed a juicy raspberry through the top of an empty vodka bottle.
“What on earth are you doing?”
Marjorie had sent me into the garden to join Gilbert. He was sitting on the terrace beside a large bowl of raspberries. Several bottles of vodka and a funnel beside him.
“Marjorie won’t let me into the kitchen, thinks that I’ll pour sugar into the cabbage.”
It took us just twenty minutes to make four bottles of raspberry vodka.
Always looking for new raspberry liqueur recipes, I asked Gilbert if it was a patent recipe. He nodded sagely and started to write the labels with a large, even hand.
“You better get the name right, before you note down the ingredients.”
Intrigued I got up and stood behind him, pen poised. The labels read, “Fiona’s patent Raspberry Vodka.”
“Is that me?”
He roared with laughter, “Of course it is, you goose.”
Tips and tricks for making the best raspberry vodka – printable recipe below:
- If you grow raspberries or have access to a “Pick your own”, you will make a liqueur that has a far fuller, fresher flavour than the supermarket raspberries that have been rattled around for miles (air and/or road). But even if you can’t find the freshest and best raspberries you will still make a fantastic liqueur (discard all bad ones). Our raspberry liqueurs (gin and vodka) are the two that people remember and natter about. And until a year ago, when our raspberry patch was finally established, we often bought the raspberries for this superb grog.
- Make notes on a label of your fruit/vodka/sugar ratio and stick it onto the bottle(s) so that you have a record When you make a particularly good batch you will need this info. The best production labels are made from decorator’s masking tape as these can be peeled off and passed from bottle to bottle. We also note our responses at the grog matures. It won’t be long before you will get a feel of what works well for your taste (and the notes will come into their own). In an ideal world it would be wise to make more than you need in the first year, so you can compare different vintages. This liqueur does improve over time. This can be difficult, even Gilbert has never managed to keep a vintage beyond three years.
- Keep your fruit vodka away from the light, unless the bottles are dark green or brown, as this will maintain the colour. If you are stuck with clear bottles, wrap them in brown paper to keep out the light or store them in a cool dark place that is dry and airy.
- Every couple of months take a tiny sip. At this time add sugar if it tastes too sharp. If it is too sweet it is difficult to go back.
- See how you can make your own labels
| Raspberry vodka recipe |
- 300g of raspberries
- 350g of white granulated sugar
- 1.5 litres (or more) of medium quality vodka (don’t be tempted to go for the cheapest or thr best)
- Sterilised 2 litre Le Parfait jar or 2-3 (70 cl) washed and sterilised vodka bottles
- Extra vodka bottles. We save a few empty bottles throughout the year as the raspberries and sugar fill about one third of each bottle
- Wash raspberries and discard any bruised/bad fruit. Place raspberries in either a large 2 litre Kilner/Le Parfait jar or divide the raspberries between 2 or 3 (70 cl) saved vodka bottles. If you have to squeeze fat raspberries through the neck it is fine.
- Using a funnel, add the sugar (divide the amounts if using several bottles) and top up with vodka to 2-3cm from the top.
- Shake every day until the sugar is dissolved and then store in a cool, dark place until you can resist it no longer (leave for at least three months, we usually let it mature for a year).
Leave a reply
I know this is a raspberry vodka discussion but have just tried my apple vodka…..needs more sugar than suggested – for my taste – so that it turns a bit syrupy but yum!
Hi all, just strained and bottled my raspberry vodka-sadly I have not made enough-it is delicious and may not last u til christmas. Also bottled some pomegranate vodka-much drier but very nice according to hubby. So one each then 🙂
Hi there,
We removed the fruit and strained the vodka at the weekend. My boyfriend thinks it smells mouldy, but I’m not sure; you mentioned it could get woody if left too long so it may be this. We did not shake it on a regularly. Is there a possibility it could be mouldy?
Katy
Thanks Kim – looks delish! I’m new here too and feeling very inspired by the whole site. Two months seems a long time to wait but as you say……close enough to Christmas.:)
SorryKaz-I cut the recipe off half way through, here is the rest of it
The reason for adding sugar to the mixture is to bring out the flavour of the apples.
Slice your apple into small pieces. These should slip easily into your bottle but bear in mind that when you have finished drinking your schnapps you will also want to be able to get them out so that you can re-use the bottle.
Peeling the apples isn™t necessary, and red ones look great through the glass.
Once you have loaded up your bottles with the chopped apple, fill to the neck with a regular, unflavoured vodka.Cap it up and give it a good shake, then put it on a shelf in a cool dark cupboard for a good two to three months (making it now will be perfect for Christmas).
agitate it every couple of days by picking it up and giving it another shake to mix the contents.recipe found on “the adventure in self sufficiency blagger” forum
regards Kim
Hi kaz, I am new to this forum and I came across this recipe whilst looking for apple schnapps- I havn’t tried it myself as I’m shaking raspberry vodka daily at present.
Hope it’s what you are looking for
Kim
Ingredients
One large, or two small apples
A heaped teaspoon of sugar
A little hot water
A bottle of vodka
Equipment needed
Airtight bottle
Small bowl
Knife
Teaspoon
Method
Sterilise your bottles and dry them thoroughly, then measure out your sugar into a small bowl. Pour boiling water onto the sugar and stir using a teaspoon until it has fully dissolved. Once you can no longer see the sugar granules, pour the syrup into the bottle.
Hello Kim
Delighted that you had the answer. Will definitely try this myself 🙂
Have been so busy this year that I come to this too late – however – will be planning now ahead for next winter and would like to put some brews on. Soft fruit all eaten and put in pies but I have tons of apples – has anyone made apple vodka and can offer a recipe.
Hi there,
Picked some blackberries today so was thinking of doing them with vodka, but may try the whisky recipe. I do not have a kilner jar though and they do not sell them in my local supermarket. Can you suggest anything else instead?
Thanks
Katy
Hi KTB
I often use the glass bottle that the vodka/gin/whisky came in. We have a store in the barn for just that.
Avoid plastic bottles as this can affect the taste.
BTW when using blackberries – seep them for just three months and then remove them as they will begin to taste woody after that.
Hi all
Raspberry gin and vodka made here last year ( thanks for introducing us to it!) Famiily and friends thought they’d died and gone to heaven with t heir Christmas pressies and everyone enjoyed it – .We tried blackberry whisky this year – only managed to get one shot fo that as someone who shall remain nameless ( you know who you are , Dearest!) drank the rest – now we have raspberry gin and vodka and blueberry vodka down for this winter. Think if I wanted to keep it for a long time I would strainthe fruit out after 6 months – but this is just my opinion.
hi,
how long can you keep rasberry vodka for before it goes off?
thanks, tom
Hi Tom
It will keep for years but you have to strain off the raspberries.