Carol wrote:

> "Judith Umbria" > wrote in message >...
>
>
>>This sounds more like Rumtopf to me.
>
>
> Judith, You provided a very helpful response. It was exactly what I
> needed to know, and I pasted it into Word to save for the next
> attempt. I was doing some research after I posted and thought it
> sounded a lot like Rumtopf myself. Wells acknowledged she got the
> recipe from someone else; it looks as if the directions were
> inaccurate or incomplete. I wish cookbook authors would actually
> prepare everything they put into their books. Doing a search in the
> archives for this group I found some helpful instructions about
> tastings and creating batches which can then be blended to appropriate
> strength and sweetness; I also liked your comment that I can add water
> to control sweetness. I'm aiming for something smooth but not sickly.
> I feel ready for another attempt. Thanks, Carol


I'm making some blueberry liqueur right now, and I wish I had kept
better notes because I don't really remember the proportions. IIRC I
put 2 cups of blueberries and 3 cups of gin in a quart jar (yes, it all
fit) and put on a plastic lid, and let it sit at room temperature for a
couple of days. Then I mashed the blueberries a little and added 1/2
cup of water. A week later, I mashed all the berries through a sieve
with the back of a spoon and dumped it all back in the jar. The next
day, I strained it through a piece of muslin (squeezing it pretty good)
and discarded the skins and seeds). I added 1/2 cup of sugar (I
remember the original recipe called for 1 cup of sugar) and shook it up,
and now it's sitting until it clears.

If I made it again, I would simplify the procedure quite a bit: grind
up the blueberries in the gin with a blender right from the start, let
it steep for a week or two, strain, and add sugar without any water.

I have no idea how long it will take to clear.

There's a Canadian whiskey liqueur called "Yukon Jack" that is 100 proof
and not very expensive. I think it would be a good base for making some
kind of fruit liqueur, but I'm not sure what fruit would go best with
whiskey. (apricots? crabapples?)

Best regards,
Bob