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Brambleberry Cordial
Can be made with blackberries, raspberries, etc. Based on one of Billy Joe Tatum's recipes, but with several adaptations of my own.
- 2 quarts fresh or frozen brambleberries
- 2 cups boiling water
- 2 cups sugar
If using frozen berries, let thaw before proceeding. Crush the berries with a potato masher or the bottom of a wine bottle. Add boiling water. Stir. Cover with clean cloth (I use a dish towel) and let sit in a warm place for 24 hours.
Push through a sieve or through the small-holed blade of a food mill to remove most of the seeds. Stir in the sugar. Cover with cloth. Stir again every 15 minutes for one hour (five times total). Strain through a damp jelly bag or several layers of damp cheesecloth. Pour into clean glass bottles. Cover with coffee paper filters or cloth secured with rubber bands. Leave in a cool dark place.
Check in after a month and see if there is still a foam on top (a sign that fermentation is still in process). When fermentation ceases (may take up to two months with this recipe - and yes, I blew up a few bottles before I figured this out!), remove rubber band and paper or cloth and cap with cork or better yet a screw on top. Wait a total of four months from the date you first strained and bottled the cordial. Decant before serving (I pour it into glass pyrex measuring cups and wait until the bubbles stop rising, then repour it back into the bottles and cap). Deep red or purple in color and indescribably delicious, this cordial makes a wonderful gift (if you can bear to part with it!).
Leda Meredith