This is the second recipe that I’ve ever tried from the great magazine, La Cucina Italiana. It came in the August 2011 edition as part of a round-up of apricot recipes. I love fruit-infused after-dinner liquors but have never tried to make my own. This one, at least, was really pretty straightforward. Unlike their limoncello recipe in an earlier section of the same volume, where you have to carefully remove the lemon rind while leaving as much of the pith behind (difficult!) as possible, here all that’s required is that you rinse and pit the fruit.
I doubled the recipe and have been giving small jars of this luscious drink to friends at work. The vanilla bean gives the apricots a powerfully rich flavor. I’m almost fooled into thinking that the drink was aged in new French oak barrels, like wine. This is strong, probably about 40 proof, so a little goes a long way.
apricot liquor
4½ cups 80-proof vodka
2 lbs fresh ripe apricots, pits removed and roughly chopped
1 vanilla bean
2 cups sugar
1 cups water
Pour vodka into a large bowl. Add vanilla bean and apricots. Cover and let sit at room temperature for up to three days. Strain through cheesecloth. Rinse vanilla bean and let dry, for reuse.
In a medium saucepan, heat sugar and water together until completely dissolved into a simple syrup. Remove from heat and let cool. Once at room temperature, mix with infused vodka. Pour liquor into glass jars or bottles. I used the original vodka bottle and for the extra, some small jars for canning. Let rest in the refrigerator for about two weeks. Serve chilled. Enjoy!
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Do you just drink it straight? Or do you have any mixer recommendations?
How lovely! And it’s made even better by not being too hard to make. Yum!
Sounds terrific! I haven’t yet tried to make any infused alcohols at home- I tend to be impatient and the two weeks waiting period would kill me. Too bad I don’t work with you- you must be pretty popular around the office if you’re giving out samples!
I may have to wait until next season for apricots, or I could save up my drachmas and splurge on the imported varieties. Well it is a libation aimed at both my heart and my taste buds, so off I go to find some ‘cots!
This would be so perfect as holiday gifts. I must make these this year end 🙂
Thanks! I would love some chilled right now 🙂
chow! Devaki @ weavethousandflavors
Oh, this does sound fantastic. I’ve made several Italian liqueurs but not an apricot one, and I am seriously feeling like I missed out now.