Topic: Drunken Fruit

[Paulines7]

I have just strained my apple and blueberry vodka and am left with the fruit and don't know what to do with it.  It is very, very alcoholic and quite strong in taste, so I thought a little of it could be used in trifles or fruit jellies. 

The blueberries are whole and the apple is cut into ½ inch chunks.  I wouldn't need much of it each time so was thinking of putting it into small bags and storing it in the freezer.  Would it freeze though? 

I have been searching the internet for the past hour or so and found out that it is called "drunken fruit" and can be used in trifles, jellies and cakes, but nowhere does it mention if it will freeze.  I did find something that said it would only last up to 5 days in a fridge. 

I know that many of you have made fruit gins and vodkas so wondered what you did to preserve the fruit after you had extracted the liquid. 

[pumkinlover]

A friend brought cherries from cherry brandy. We kept them in the fridge for several weeks. But some how I don't think that the fruit you mentioned would do the same due to having higher moisture content.

[gazza1960]

hhhmmmm  I guess I must be on my own here but weve never strained the fruit from the Liquors  weve made until the last moment.

The Plums from our trees are still in the Brandy after 3 years
The Raspberries are still in the Gin after 4 years
The Sloes are still in the Gin after 5 years
my new one will be Seville orange Gin as I have a few left over.

I guess the cloudy remnants only get used when were hitting the bottle and the fruit remains get used in puddings,
be it,with ice cream or custard.

I spose if you have a large volume of fruit Pauline you could liquidise the fruit and place it into ice cubes to drink with each respective
liquor in the summer making a long drink from them.

[Paulines7]

Thank you for your replies.

If you keep the fruit in the alcohol Gazza, how do you get the liquor to clear? 

I did think that perhaps that what I should have done is to gradually take out the fruit for trifles etc and then once the fruit has gone, filter the remaining vodka and bottle it.  I suppose I could always pour some fresh gin or vodka over the fruit.  It wouldn't be as strong as the liquor I just bottled but could still have a lovely flavour.

If I liquidised the fruit and placed it in ice cubes as you suggest, Gazza, it would make the drink cloudy when it dissolved. 

[Silverleaf]

I think for some fruits there's a recommended amount of time they're supposed to be in the alcohol. Leaving them in too long might negatively impact the flavour, like letting your tea get "stewed". Depends on the fruit, but I wouldn't want to risk mine not tasting as good.

[ACE]

We made thin sponge slices into sandwiches spead with the fruit from my rumtopf, then they lined the dish and the rest of the bowl was filled with  a trifle. Any whole fruit like cherries were set in the jelly. Once for a party we made alcoholic smoothies with the remains. Loads of fresh pineapple, and canned coconut milk, then the mush from the rumtopf.

[Silverleaf]

Ooh, alcoholic smoothies sound delicious.

[gazza1960]

Why stick to tradition Pauline,....who said the booze had to be clear....when we pore a glass of Fruit liquor to drink its a tasty surprize to have a piece of the boozy fruit sitting in the bottom as your last mouthful....just mind the sloe pips.....

errrr that's the idea Pauline....pore a large measure of clear Gin and pop in a few blitzed boozy ice cubes of the Sloe Gin.....nice.

 

[Melbourne12]

Residue from fruit brandies (or gins or vodkas) goes very nicely into home-made ice-creams, too.

[Yorkshire Lass]

I don't see any reason why it shouldn't freeze,  Pauline. If frozen in small amounts it could be used in trifles,jellies, etc