It’s almost that time of the year again, and everyone likes a taste of citrus at Christmas. Some people like satsumas, whereas some like clementines. We like them all, but in a citrus gin or vodka.
However, here in the south of Italy we are lucky enough to have some well established and plentiful citrus trees. So, we have our choice of fresh grapefruit, oranges, clementines and lemons all year round!
So, how do you turn these fruits into a wonderful Christmas tipple?
The recipe for citrus gin or vodka is quite easy if you fancy having a try.
Ingredients
4 pink or red grapefruits
1 clementine
1 orange
2 pieces of candied ginger
50g caster sugar
700 ml gin
Method
If you’re not as lucky as us to have a supply of citrus in your garden. make sure you wash and scrub the fruits under hot water to help remove any dirt and wax.
Take the zest off the fruits with a peeler. Be sure to remove any white pith from the zest as this will give a sour taste to your finished product.
Half the fruits and juice them.
Put the strips of peel, juice, ginger and sugar in a large kilner jar or sealable container. Then, pour over the gin or vodka.
Store in a cool dark place for at least a week, or up to two weeks, gently swirling the jar every couple of days to help dissolve the sugar.
Strain the mixture into a jug, through a sieve lined with muslin. Pour the strained gin or vodka into a bottle (you can use a funnel to help).
The gin will keep up to one month. Ours never does! The last of the four pictures above is some homemade plum and bergamot gin we made earlier in the year. More about the lovely bergamot in another post!
As you can see it’s very easy. If you start now you can give some as homemade Christmas gifts. Guaranteed there’ll be some left over for you too!
