If you want to make your own plum liqueur, here are the instructions, including ingredients and accessories for making your own plum liqueur.
A cool beer or a good glass of wine tastes particularly good when you're in a group of friends. But now and then, it can also be something high-percentage. If you want to surprise yourself or your guests with something special and have already had a lavish plum harvest, you should definitely try the homemade plum schnapps.
Make plum liqueur yourself - why?
Probably the greatest advantage of making your own schnapps is basically obvious: You can not only conjure up something of your own and, so to speak, produce something unique, but also experiment with flavors, alcohol content and mixtures as you wish. A successful range would be ready for social evenings and special occasions, for example, so that one does not have to spend a fortune on commercial alcohol.
The fact that it is quite easy to make and makes a good gift also speaks in favor of the homemade plum brandy. However, this does not mean the distillation of plum brandy. Strictly speaking, this is forbidden in Germany. You can still try the method legally with the help of a small still with a capacity of 0.5 liters. Because this is also permitted and usable for private individuals (more on this here). In the following, we describe how to stay on the safe side and quickly and easily make delicious schnapps from plums yourself.
Make plum liqueur yourself - ingredients & accessories
If you want to make your own schnapps from plums, you should of course have one or two ingredients ready beforehand. These things are absolutely necessary for homemade plum liqueur:
Plums:
You will need about 300 to 500 grams of plums, the exact amount depends on how sweet and flavorful you want the schnapps to be. It can be the plums from your own garden that can no longer be used elsewhere. As a rule, you should use more fruit for a homemade schnapps, the smaller the fruit is.
Sugar:
Here tooit depends on how sweet you want the schnapps to be - about 150 to 300 grams of sugar is recommended.
¾ liters of neutral alcohol:
You will need a tasteless alcohol like vodka or schnapps to bind the flavors of the plums. The alcohol also makes the whole thing durable, so that the liqueur can still be consumed without any problems in a year.In addition to these three basic ingredients, you can use a lot of other things to make something very special out of the plum brandy that you have made yourself. Many ingredients can help to vary and deepen the taste and make it more exciting. Possible things that you should therefore also have ready are:
Glass Bottle with Lid:
You need a suitable container to fill the homemade plum schnapps - a chic glass bottle has a decorative effect and can be provided with your own label and other decorative elements if you wish. For this reason, it is also the ideal gift for schnapps gourmets.
Candy or cane sugar:
Special types of sugar are also good for giving the schnapps a special taste and varying it a bit.
Spices:
The liqueur can also gain aroma and specialness through spices in order to develop a unique taste and make an impression. Cinnamon sticks, for example, which can be placed whole in the container and thus also look good, as well as vanilla beans are well suited.
sour fruits:
The trick for those who don't like it too sweet is to add a few lime or orange peels and slices to the container and top up with the homemade plum brandy. The alcohol prevents these from going to waste and at the same time binds some fruity acidity, making it appear fresher. This procedure is ideal for schnapps that is to be consumed or given away in the summer.
Peppermint:
The hit with many schnapps lovers is to put some peppermint leaves in the bottle to give the taste an even fresher touch.
Large capacity screw-top jar:
In order to make the schnapps, you need a vessel in which the process can take place. Screw-on jars have proven themselves in this case.
Make plum brandy yourself - step by step
In order to make your own plum brandy a success on the first try, there are several steps that have to be followed andshould not be forgotten. Once you get the hang of the steps, experimenting with other fruits and spices becomes even more fun.
Step 1: Pick the fruit
Only ripe, intact and not overripe fruit should be used, which is why selection in advance is of great importance. Leaves and possibly stem residues are removed. It is also worth washing the fruit thoroughly beforehand. By the way, it is also important to remove the cores.
Step 2: Layer the plums and sugar alternately
Now put a layer of fruit in the designated container or screw-top jar. On top of this layer comes a layer of sugar, followed by another layer of fruit. This is repeated until the two ingredients are used up.
Step 3: Fill up with alcohol
Now the vessel is filled with the selected alcohol - all ingredients must be sufficiently covered. Close the jar tightly and store in a cool, dark place.
Step 4: Maturing Schnaps
The schnapps should now be allowed to mature for up to six weeks. Shake the jar from time to time to distribute the alcohol better.
Step 5: Strain the liquor
Once the schnapps has finished maturing, you can strain it: A conventional kitchen sieve or a large coffee filter is sufficient to separate the remaining ingredients from the alcohol.
Step 6: Bottle schnapps
The pure plum brandy can now be filled with the help of a funnel. Done!