Uncle Goldie's Fruit Liqueur

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foamheart

Gone but not forgotten. RIP
Original poster
OTBS Member
Long ago back in the olden days people made their own. If they had an overabundance of fruit and some freshly squeeze corn, they used fruits to improve the tastes of the corn. Its not really a liqueur because it is not distilled again. Anyway a while back I had an abundance of strawberries even after the freezer was full so it was play time. What I’ll show is apricot, but you can use nearly any fruit, citrus you use the peel, and so far I have not figured cherries and lemons out. Other than that what I’ll show has worked for me for any fruit

Here is how I do things. I make 2 quart jars for maceration (sucking out the flavor of the fruit). Two quart jars equals one jar going into the smoothing process.  


 

Wash, pit, and slice the fruit. I leave the skins on, it makes it easier to strain 'em out later sometimes.

 


 

In a clean quart jar, any size works but I am using quarts here for easy of illustration, put in 1 1/2 cups of booze. I use either Vodka or Rum, I have used both 80 proof and higher. I suggest you start out low and slow with 80. BTW I suggest a good booze you'd drink, but you need not buy the super delux imported flavored varieties.

 


 

I try to wait to add the simple syrup. It helps keep it from clouding so bad while macerating. Once its in the booze, put the lid on and let it make happy happy. I set mine on the counter next to the sink. That way I remember to turn them over or gently shake them twice daily. Want to keep the booze in circulation. As this is going on, you'll notice a change in the fruits color where the booze is sucking those flavors out. It will also cloud as the small particles shake free in the solution. You should do this anywhere from 1 to 4 weeks, let fruit density be your guide. You'll notice that the usual fast evaporating alcohol bubbles will start hanging around longer.

 


 

Now its sat around for a couple of weeks its time to strain and filter. I thought this fruit was going to be excellent in bread pudding and on ice cream, etc. If you left it there long enough throw it away, its done all it came to do. Staining is not unusual, I tried filtering in cheese cloth and coffee filter and not only is it messy but terrible inefficient. Every particle you miss while filtering will cloud while the drink smooths and cause sediment. You will get sediment, the trick is to get as little as possible. Then its off to smooth with the other quart jars. Usually they all know each other and its a small dance in honor of the new guy.

AT this point I add the simple syrup. For ever 2 C's of fruit juice I normally add approx. 1/4 cup of simple syrup. I tried using honey once. I ruined a gallon of cleaned strawberry juice, honey tastes good but does not clear. Also remember, this is going to smooth, don't over sweeten it. Its like a good smoke, patience.

 

 


 

 

 

After three months, re-filter to clear what you can again of the sediment. That's the makers portion. The bottles you can't see below are beautifully clear. The colors are really unbelievable. For some reason all the neighbors seem to want to come visit more these days.

 

 


 

That's it, its simple, its easy except for the patience. Three months is a long time to wait to see if you like it or not. I have also taken small amounts, before adding the syrup, it is basically extract just like you buy at the store. Strawberry extract only real and better tasting!

 

So far, I have made Strawberry rum/vodka, Peach rum/vodka, Apricot rum/vodka, Pineapple rum/vodka, Pear rum/vodka, I tried Limencello not so good, I tried fresh ripe cherries not so good either, I did do Praline Butter Pecan it was way to sweet but a great extract for making pralines!

 

Pop said his grandmother made what she called Dewberry wine this way. I will try it if I ever get any dewberries away from the dang birds!

 

It doesn't require any special handling, I understand if not tightly capped it loses proof. Alcohol evaporation. I have not used a hydrometer but guessing finished it is 20 to 30 proof. I am not a chemist. I really like it, the neighbors seem to also. Even the church ladies will honest to goodness ask for a taste as long as they are not all grouped up...LOL

 

Thanks for reading, wish I could pour you one to try.

Simple Syrup

1 part creek water

2 parts sugar

Boil/Cool

Its like super charged sugar, used in bars and in the south if you have a yankee to supper who doesn't drink sweet tea.

 
 
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I'll bet that is good stuff.
Its great, its like fresh strawberry juice but makes ya smile. In the south Iced Tea has many flavors, and a shot of peach in a tall cold glass of sweet tea it total awesome. The strawberry also seems to get used alot on short cakes or in pies........ they all sip real nice in the winter when no fruit and its cool.
 
Just a follow-up, we broke open that jar canned in the above thread last night. I believe that was the most tastee stuff to ever cross my lips. Pop only drinks beer, wine or booze only to be polite, he was impressed. That is 4 months smoooooooth......... I was planning to use this to flavor the Turkey this year. NOT gonna happen! I never did Apricot before, and I assure you it will be on my list in the future.

BTW I am doing a Honey Crisp & Capt's right now..... That might be a good combo too!

Just keeping ya updated.

Mmmmmmmm.... Guuuuud! (did I sound like Andy Griffith there?)

PS:: Eyes are watering alot this morning, calling it allergies cause head feels fine.
 
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Thx for the update Foam.....always nice to review an older post such as this revolving around a fav topic...booze. hey, honey crisps are the GF's newest passion, after me of course, so I'm tempted to use some as you described above. Spendy little devils though....yowzer. Now, the Capt's you mentioned ....is that the spiced rum? Also, pears will be a big crop up here soon...another possibility......Willie
 
Chef, I just took these for your approval.


Above is 2 quarts I started I think Last weekend, that is 1 1/2 crisps per jar, for a total of only three apples, and of course there is the good ol'Capt again. I am starting to learn though, that using vodka is less expensive and you get twice the fruit flavor. Note the open area now in the jars of crisps, thats because the fruit shrinks as it mascerates. BTW make sure and leave the outter skins attached.


This is some 5 month old bartlet above, I wish you could see how clear it has become. The fog in the bottom is the scum you clean out.

I love to use these in my smoking. Think about injecting say, apricots in a smoked turkey for thanksgiving? Oh My Word its good!

Chef, you live in fruit country, here its mostly citrus. Warning, I for some reason can NOT get cherries to work. Wasted a bunch of good booze trying.
 
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Chef, I just took these for your approval.


Above is 2 quarts I started I think Last weekend, that is 1 1/2 crisps per jar, for a total of only three apples, and of course there is the good ol'Capt again. I am starting to learn though, that using vodka is less expensive and you get twice the fruit flavor. Note the open area now in the jars of crisps, thats because the fruit shrinks as it mascerates. BTW make sure and leave the outter skins attached.


This is some 5 month old bartlet above, I wish you could see how clear it has become. The fog in the bottom is the scum you clean out.

I love to use these in my smoking. Think about injecting say, apricots in a smoked turkey for thanksgiving? Oh My Word its good!

Chef, you live in fruit country, here its mostly citrus. Warning, I for some reason can NOT get cherries to work. Wasted a bunch of good booze trying.
OK...for sure I can do pears soon....BUT, you say the Cherry Bounce was a bust??...say it ain't so? I had intended to leave skins on anything/everything unless bruised. I'm off to Costco in a bit for some things and will see what they have for available fruit. For some reason, they seem to have top quality produce. My sister in Calif is raving about plums they have right now so that's a possibility as well. And, I'm hearing you recommend just some good old vodka.....one of my fav's anyway, not much of a rum fan. And to follow your thought process....an apple booze injected turkey smoked over apple chunks....sounds total delish. And please, call me Willie....my chefing days are just about over <grin>. Were those pear slices removed? & that's what left or is that the actual pears that were used, reduced to nothing?
 
I call you Chef out of respect, I figure you've earned it. Was brought to always say Sir and Ma'am till that person instructs me different. So thank you Willie, But I guess Chef will still be used alot, just comes natural now.

Wasn't the cherry bounce that failed. It was the macerated cherry's like the pears and apricots, apples, plum, pineapple, etc etc.... Cherries just don't co-operate. 'Course it might have just been that season's cherries.

Any alcohol works, vodka is near tasteless so its great, I can sit and just drink the Capt out the bottle so that spicy also adds to the tastes. You really loss the booze in the liquid, its like drinking pear nectar etc. I added some Everclear to a few of them after the cleaning and I have yet to find 'em, or its mellowed past recognition. That's scary!

They are all done the same. just wash the fruit, slice it, the thinner the faster its macerates. Don't worry about the stems or seeds you'll get them with the first railing. I do one thru a strainer then once thru cheese cloth. When it gets like the pint of pear above, I will pour off the clear and run the sediment thru the cheese cloth. Leaving the skin on, helps to hold the fruit together. The more it falls apart the harder it is to clean it out.
 
Foam, when you go to filter out the muck are you pouring it out of the jars, or are you siphoning it out? I use an auto siphon when I am racking ciders and other concoctions. Leaves you with a far superior product


This little mini auto siphon works great for the 1 gallon batches of cider I like to make!
 
 
Foam, when you go to filter out the muck are you pouring it out of the jars, or are you siphoning it out? I use an auto siphon when I am racking ciders and other concoctions. Leaves you with a far superior product


This little mini auto siphon works great for the 1 gallon batches of cider I like to make!
Well, I use a tube siphon but that looks pretty slick....details? price, where from etc
 
 
Well, I use a tube siphon but that looks pretty slick....details? price, where from etc
The auto siphons are great.  I have two, a large one for 5 gallon and the small. I bought both of mine locally Willie. I know that there must be a home brew supply or two in your neck of Oregon. They can be found online also. I think that I paid less than $30 for the big one and under $20 for the small one.
 
Hi there, just a note on the LemonCello. I use the recipe below which is a variant of what is used in Sorento Italy. Old school. The trick is that you absolutely use only the outer surface of the lemon rind. This requires a micro grater. The lemons should still have some yellow rind on them when you throw them out, or make juice, or cleaner if you like. The pith (white part) of the citrus makes any LemonCello horribly bitter.


8-10 lemons. No worries on exact quantities here.
1.75 liter high proof Vodka
Sugar water

If you buy the lemons, be sure to scrub them in hot water vigorously. Store lemons are waxed and that will be hard to strain, clog filters, and not taste good. I use a kitchen scrubbie.
Take the rind off using a micro-grinder do NOT take any white - it will ruin it.
I used a carbon water filter, like Britta, to filter the vodka and remove any vodka flavors or impurities.
Add the zest and vodka to a glass jar. Make sure the cap seals tightly.
Let the Lemon steep in the alcohol for anywhere from 2 weeks to whatever. I have had it sit over 6 months and it was fine. Longer extracts more flavor.

When you are ready to smooth, filter the mixture through a paper coffee filter, cheesecloth, or whatever to remove the rind. It should be a perfectly clear yellow.

I use 2 cups of the vodka with the lemon, and cut that with  1.5 cups of the 50-50 sugar- water mix. Always make sure the vodka and the sugar water are both at room temperature to avoid cloudiness when mixing. I use Everclear 175proof so I figure the end product is about 110 proof. I'm not that good at math.

In Italy LemonCello is an after dinner drink to help digestion. It is meant to be "robust" like a Grappa, high alchohol content.

One shot or two shots is all that is normally consumed. I do have a friend who loves it as a martini. She gets quite a buzz on that. :devil:

I keep it in the freezer and it is requested at EVERY dinner party.

Doing my first batch of OrangeCello now. Thumbs Up
 
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Thats pretty cool, I'll look around online. I wish I needed the big one but so far its just a fun game. Baby Sis took home some strawberry, she said she was puting it on the lady fingers around her cheese cake, but I noticed the other day she just poured some of mine and then added ginger ale, just like shes done it before. She's a church lady, not at all like me........LOL
 
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Up Date!

I have a quart of Limón cello I made, its made with very clean lemon zest and Ever-Clear (190 proof). I put it up over 6 months ago, it is the last bottle of first try at these things. It should have been throw out long ago, but its a quart of ever-clear, throwing out booze even Ever Clear is obviously a sin. Well I checked it again yesterday and it is smoothed..... Oh don't get me wrong, it will still take the grease off a bulldozer but its smooooooth...... ROFLMAO I would drink some more except I am still not sure if it would make me blind...

Maybe by Christmas? Christmas next year? LOL

My new favorite so far is the bottle of Apricot in the above Q, that made some good stuff Maynard! Can't wait to try the new apple/cinnamon Capt's I put up a couple a weeks back though, I know it is going to be killer!

Neighbor has a big Kumquat tree that was just loaded this year, I am thinking maybe next year Kumquats might make a passible faux Grande Mariner/Cointreau. That works real good with some 1800 yellow, fresh lime juice and a splash of simple syrup....
 
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My gramma made bounce as well. I remember cherry and strawberry being the two most prominent batches. Biggest difference I can recall is she made hers with cheap whiskey......Old Grandad, Kesslers, Canadian Club and such. She'd make them in jars then set them in her closet to age. I have reproduced a couple batches that turned out pretty well. I don't recall how she got hers to clarify, but i run mine through those fridge pitchers they sell for drinking water. They have charcoal filters in them and clear the hooch crystal clear.
 
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