How to Make Fruit Vodkas at Home {Naptime Simple Tips}

Last month we did some mega strawberry picking and one of things I made was strawberry infused vodka. It is not that we are big vodka drinkers, it is just that the store-bought strawberry vodka is so gross and it is nice to have one or two mason jars of the real stuff around during the year. It will take us quite a while to work through the two jars I made. The funny thing was, the technique I used to make the strawberry vodka was so easy and delicious I decided to apply it to other fruits. I mean, why limit it to strawberries only? As you can see above, I ended up making two jars of strawberry vodka, one jar of peach vodka and one jar of citrus vodka. All so simple, and so delicious!

During naptime I cleaned the strawberries and packed two mason jars full of them. Then, I filled each jar to the rim with good quality vodka and a tablespoon of sugar. The jars were stored in a dark corner on our kitchen counter and over the course of the few days, during naptime, I swirled the jars a bit to circulate the sugar and alcohol. The sugar extracted all of the juice from the berries until they were almost completely white. (I left them in my picture to show you how they looked!) Then, after about 4 to 5 days of swirling I strained the vodka through cheesecloth into fresh jars and removed the berries and all the seeds. I used this exact same method for the rest of the fruits!

The resulting DIY vodka was absolutely stunning. Full of fresh berry flavor without any awful chemical aftertaste, it was totally the real deal. In fact, we loved it so much we immediately celebrated with a beverage, these sweet and tart Strawberry-Vodka Lime Coolers! The peach vodkas and citrus vodkas worked just as well, I am pleased to say. We plan to try our hand at blueberry and raspberry vodka next.

 Homemade Strawberry Vodka

Fresh strawberries, washed, hulled and gently patted dry

Good quality vodka

1 tablespoon granulated sugar per mason jar

For Peach Vodka use peeled, sliced peaches

For Citrus vodka use one medium lemon and one small orange, sliced into rounds and stacked in the mason jars

Pack the strawberries into each mason jar until the jar is filled to the rim. Pour in one tablespoon of sugar and fill the jar to the top with vodka. Screw the lid onto the jar tightly and gently shake the jar to agitate the berries and the sugar. Store the jars in a cool, dry place and agitate them every day for about three to four days. Strain the liquid through a few layers of cheesecloth to remove the berries and seeds. Serve.

 

Mixed drinks galore!

 

Several days, about 10 minutes of which is active cooking time.

 

These were a hit with our friends! They would also make excellent housewarming gifts or holiday gifts. Next year I might make a lot more and give it away at Christmas!

 

• Homemade Gifts & Bake Sales
• lemons, Oranges, Peaches, Strawberries

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