Share this page:

Saturday 8 September 2018

How To Make Homemade Sunshine Vodka

That's it, ladies and gents: summer is over, the kids are back to school and the shops are already filled with pumpkins. Autumn is here. But it's not too late to fake it. Bring back that summer feeling with this delicious Sunshine Vodka liqueur. This is an easy-peasy, lemon-squeezy recipe that you can even tailor to your own choice of tropical summer fruit.


Sunshine Vodka with a splash of lemonade


Ingredients:

600g frozen smoothie mix (mango, papaya, pineapple) or use your own choice of fresh tropical fruit
220g sugar
2 whole limes chopped into halves
500ml vodka
150ml water


Equipment:

1 Litre jar/flask with tight-fitting lid
Long handled spoon for stirring
Plastic sieve/muslin, pegs and bowl/jelly bag kit for straining
A funnel will also be useful

How To Make It


1. Put all the ingredients in a big jar or flask with a tight fitting lid. I use the 1 litre preserving jar from Kilner but any large jar with a wide neck will do.





Give the mixture as much of a stir as you can with a spoon. Then seal your jar tightly and store in a dry, dark place for 6 weeks. I pop mine under the stairs but an airing cupboard or kitchen cupboard would do just as nicely.


Every so often, when you remember, check your jar and give it a shake to encourage the sugar to dissolve.


2. After the 6 weeks, all of the sugar should have dissolved and the lime and the fruit will probably have lost their colour. Don't worry about this as it just means their flavour has been drawn out into the surrounding liquid (which is where we want it!).





3. Now take the jar and strain the contents. I strain out the larger bits through a plastic sieve first. Then you can either peg your muslin over a large bowl and gently press the mixture through it or you could invest in a special stand or jelly bag set. Jelly bags are finer than muslins and, as the name suggests, are usually used for straining jams and jellies. 

When straining through a muslin, do it little by little as this reduces the chance of everything collapsing into the bowl and you having to start again!




To produce an absolutely crystal clear liqueur, you can also strain it a third time through a coffee filter but this is time-consuming and a matter of preference as to whether you have the time to spare or are content to give your bottle a little shake before you pour.

4. When you've finished straining, pour your finished liqueur into a bottle through a funnel, label and store until you're thirsty.

This summery liqueur is delicious served over ice with a splash of lemonade, or even on it's own. Enjoy!




4 comments:

  1. Wow this looks like some serious grown up juice!

    ReplyDelete
  2. This will make a great alternative to my usual vodka and orange #satsesh@_karendennis

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wow - love this! And all that fruit must make it healthy too right?! Lovely to have you linking up with us on #theatsesh xx

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wow that Sounds lovely esp as winter draws closer

    ReplyDelete