Whip up a batch of homemade mint or creme de menthe liqueur for yourself and for gifts. Plan ahead because the mixture will need to steep and age almost a month before it is ready.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
- 12 to 14 Tablespoons fresh or 6 teaspoons dried, well crumpled mint, peppermint, or spearmint leaves OR 2 to 3 teaspoons
- 3 cups vodka
- 1 teaspoon glycerine (optional) but nice for sipping
- 1 cup sugar syrup -- recipe below (for creme de menthe add 2 cups)
- 3 cups vodka
- 1 teaspoon glycerine (optional) but nice for sipping
- 1 cup sugar syrup -- recipe below (for creme de menthe add 2 cups)
Preparation:
With fresh or dried leaves: steep the leaves in vodka for 10 days and shake the bottle occasionally. Strain and filter. Be sure to press all the juices from the leaves with a spoon against the strainer. Mature for 2 weeks.With the extract: combine all ingredients. Shake well. Mature 24 hours minimum. A week or 2 will enhance the flavoring.
If any of these recipes results in too weak a mint flavor, add more of the extract or leaves and repeat the steeping, straining, and maturing procedures. Should any globules of oil form on the surface of the liqueur, remove with a bit of blotting paper or paper toweling, dabbing them gently. Seal in a decorative decanter.
Sugar Syrup:
A sugar syrup is made of two parts sugar and one part water, boiled together for about five minutes until the sugar dissolves. It is then cooled and added to the flavored alcohol.
Yield: about 4 cups mint liqueur
Recipe Source: Homemade Liqueurs by Dona and Mel Meilach (Contemporary Books)
Reprinted with permission.
