Homemade Apricot Liqueur: the recipe for the fragrant digestif

Homemade apricot liqueur is a tasty idea to finish your summer dinners. Served at the end of a meal, this homemade liqueur has a digestive and refreshing action and a delicious scent. Like apricot grappa, this liqueur based on alcohol and sometimes white wine is part of the fruit-based distillates, ideal for the summer. A sprinkling of cinnamon and cloves give some contrast to this original liqueur.

You have another advantage too. By preparing this liqueur you can preserve the apricots for a long time, so they don’t rot. It is an alternative way to bring their sugary taste until winter, if you do not want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen preparing jams, or are looking for a more original idea than the classic apricots in syrup.

The apricot liqueur is very quick and easy to make, even if you will have to wait a few months before tasting it, because the apricots must remain for a long time infused in alcohol. Once ready, you can bottle the liqueur and give it away for any occasion. Always choose well-ripened, juicier and tastier apricots. Enjoy the liqueur as a digestif, or as a syrup to flavor sponge cake, biscuits and cream puffs. Pour it on ice cream, or on a fresh fruit salad. So let's find out how to prepare a tasty apricot liqueur.

How to make Homemade Apricot Liqueur

Wash the apricots under cold running water, remove the spoiled ones and dry the remaining ones. Cut them in half, then in four. Eliminate the stones, but set aside four or five; pound them with a meat mallet to open them.

Pour the stones and apricots into an airtight glass jar, add the cinnamon and the clove, then cover everything with alcohol. Close the jar and leave it to rest for about a month in the dark, on the shelf of a pantry, shaking it from time to time.

After the necessary time, prepare the sugar syrup. Put a saucepan of water with sugar on the stove, over low heat. Bring it almost to boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Let it cool completely.

Filter the liqueur with a fine mesh sieve, or with a layer of gauze to hold pieces of fruit, cinnamon stones and cloves.

Then add the sugar syrup and mix. Divide the liqueur into tightly closed bottles and store it for another six months before enjoying it.

Tips

– During the maceration period, some residues may deposit on the bottle walls, indicating the freshness of the fruit. You can eliminate them by pouring the liquor from one bottle to another.

– We suggest you to always label the bottles, to remind you of the preparation date.

– An alternative method of making apricot liqueur is to use 500ml of white wine and 500ml of brandy. Cook the apricots for a few minutes in a pot with the white wine. Then add the sugar and the brandy and cook for about another 20 minutes.

– If you are a lover of particular liqueurs, also try the apricot stone liqueur. Stones contain hydrogen cyanide, considered by many to be a harmful substance, with a taste very similar to that of bitter almonds. However, when consumed in small doses, it has its benefits. The liqueur made in this way has a delicate taste, very similar to amaretto.

How to store Homemade Apricot Liqueur

You can store the bottles of liqueur unopened for several months, in a cool, dry and dark place. If, on the other hand, you have already opened the bottle, we recommend that you store it in the refrigerator and enjoy it within a few weeks.