Two Ways to Make Fruit-Flavored Moonshine – While rotten fruit does not sound appetizing, fruit-flavored moonshine certainly is. There are two different ways to get the sweet flavor of ripe fruit into your homemade spirits. The easiest way is to make moonshine and then infuse it with fruit.
- This is usually done by placing fruit into a jar with moonshine for a number of days or weeks and then straining out the solids before serving.
- The second way is arguably much harder, yet yields wonderful results.
- This method uses fruit as the base of your mash.
- Instead of adding flavors after your moonshine is made, you are creating your moonshine out of your fruit.
This can also be done by creating moonshine out of fruit juice or cider, in the case of Applejack.
Contents
Can you cut moonshine with fruit juice?
Fruity Moonshine: Add Unique Flavors And Reduce Alcohol Content – The addition of fruit to moonshine can help to reduce the alcohol content while also adding a unique flavor. Depending on the fruit, it may take 2-4 days for it to infuse, but some combinations may work better over time.
Can you eat the fruit in moonshine?
THE MANUAL -Midnight Moon is so good it used to be illegal By Even though Johnson family hooch isn’t made in copper stills out in the woods any more, the recipe lives on in the (now legally distributed) Midnight Moon. The family took a huge risk bootlegging corn alcohol before, during, and after prohibition, and the decades of hard work and fast driving paid off in the form of one of the most recognizable moonshine brands in the country.
Junior Johnson’s legacy extends far beyond crafting some of the finest corn whiskey around, though. A big part of distilling moonshine is transporting and selling it, or bootlegging, a role that Junior took over for his family when he was 14. Junior was never caught while driving, and only spent 11 months of a two-year sentence in prison when he was caught lighting a still the police had staked out in May of 1956.
Bootleg drivers in the ’40s became the pioneers of professional racing, and Junior Johnson was well known in the early NASCAR movement. A creative and daring racer, Junior is also credited with creating the bootleg turn, a sharp 180-degree turn designed to lose police in a chase.
- Despite his car driving 22 miles per hour slower than the fastest cars in the race, Junior won the 1960 Daytona 500, one of the first documented uses of drafting in racing.
- Despite multiple distilleries making offers on the Johnson family recipe, Junior partnered with Piedmont Distillers in 2007 to bring his historic moonshine to life once again — this time legally.
Midnight Moon is now produced in small batches in North Carolina, where Junior Johnson can still get involved from time to time. Midnight Moon is available in its classic clear form, or in infused flavors: blackberry, blueberry, cherry, and strawberry, all of which are made with the real fruit included in the jar.
The apple pie flavor, for instance, is made with real apple juice and includes a stick of cinnamon inside for an added kick. The infused flavors are hand-packed with real fruit to impart flavor and color, without making the moonshine overly sweet. The fruit is preserved in the alcohol, making it safe to eat even for years after the jar has been opened, even if Midnight Moon recommends against it.
Since the fruit absorbs the alcohol as well as imparting its flavors into the jar, it’s important to remember to “respect the fruit” and think carefully before you start snacking on those blueberries, as tasty as they are. The strawberry infused Midnight Moon has a quiet sweetness to it, but it doesn’t distract from the huge taste of real fruit.
The vibrant red and pink spirit goes down deceptively smooth, considering that the infused varieties are bottled at 100 proof. Serving it chilled brings out the fruit flavors and corn sweetness even more, but it’s great in a glass of lemonade, too. By the time the jar hits the shelves, the blueberry infused Midnight Moon has turned the clear liquid a deep, opaque purple.
The mass of blueberries at the bottom of the jar can only be seen by tilting the glass so their dark lines can be seen moving around. The result is a drink that’s smooth and just a little tart, with the corn alcohol coming a bit more to the front than in the strawberry and apple pie infusions.
- The apple pie flavor is a bit different than the other infused flavors.
- Rather than dropping a pile of fruit into the bottom, the classic Midnight Moon is mixed with real apple juice and cinnamon.
- The result is a cocktail in a jar, and while Midnight Moon offers up a number of simple to go along with each flavor, the apple pie is sweet, warm, and tastes great on the rocks or with a splash of ginger ale.
Link to article: The Midnight Moon website has for all of their infused moonshines, as well as a handy tool so you can taste it for yourself. : THE MANUAL -Midnight Moon is so good it used to be illegal
Does fruit go bad in alcohol?
When we discuss food preservation, we are usually talking about canning, dehydrating, freezing or fermenting. But did you know that you can also preserve fruit in alcohol, such as brandy or vodka? It is a way of preserving the flavor or essence of the fruit for later use. Homemade Raspberry Liqueur: This little gem is versatile in the kitchen and so easy to make. Better than store bought and packed with flavor, these little liqueur gems are versatile in the kitchen and very easy to make. What’s more, they make terrific gifts at holiday time.
What could be better than that? And guess what? You can even make cocktails from jam ! But that is another topic Fruit: You can make liqueur from just about any fruit: apples, apricots, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, citrus, cranberries, peaches, pineapple, raspberries or even a mixture of fruit.
My favorites are lemon, raspberry and cranberry, but they are all good. Fresh fruit is always best, but frozen unsweetened fruit also works in a pinch. In fact, if you want to make some liqueurs as holiday gifts this year, start now with frozen fruit or fresh cranberries and in a month’s time you will have many bottles to give away.
Alcohol: I prefer to use vodka for most liqueurs because it allows the flavors and the colors of the fruit to really shine. But brandy will also make a nice liqueur with peaches, cherries or any heavily spiced mixtures. You don’t have to use the most expensive brand of alcohol, but avoid the cheapest if you want a delicate flavor.
You get what you pay for. You can also use pure grain alcohol if you have it in your area. Spices: You can make your liqueur uniquely your own by including some spices in the steeping process. Try whole cinnamon sticks with cranberries or a teaspoon of allspice with peaches or a whole vanilla bean withwell ANYTHING ! It is all good! Bottles: You can find very inexpensive, used glass bottles at thrift stores and garage sales or brand new bottles from sources such as Lavender Lane, 4 cups fruit of your choice (or 12 oz. bag of fresh cranberries) 2-3 cups of vodka or brandy Optional spices such as cinnamon sticks, whole allspice or vanilla bean Cheesecloth and coffee filters Large funnel for straining & filling bottles 1 cup sugar ½ cup water Wash fruit and remove stems or pits if necessary (depending upon fruit used). I like to use vintage canning jars for steeping, but any large glass jar will work well. Place fruit in a large, clean glass container. (I use my collection of vintage canning jars for this purpose. But any quart size or large jar will work.) Add 2-3 cups vodka or brandy or enough to cover the fruit.
Some fruit will float and that is okay. Add any spices that you wish. Stir the mixture and cover the container tightly. Set container on a shelf, away from heat or sunlight for at least 4 weeks. Stir or shake occasionally. After steeping, strain the mixture using several layers of cheesecloth. Once removed from the alcohol, store the “drunken fruit” in the refrigerator and use within a few days as a dessert topping, addition to tea bread, or addition to a dessert sauce.
Take the remaining flavored alcohol and strain again using fresh cheesecloth or better yet, coffee filters to get a clear liquid with no cloudiness. Meanwhile in a small saucepan, combine sugar and water. Heat to a boil, stirring constantly and cook for one minute or until the bubbling mixture turns clear.
- Remove from heat and set aside until completely cooled.
- About 1 hour) Pour half the sugar syrup into the alcohol base, stir and taste for sweetness.
- Some fruits are very tart and will require all of the sugar syrup.
- Others will only need a hint of sweetness.
- Extremely tart fruits (like cranberries) may even need a second batch of sugar syrup to really create a truly sweet liqueur.
This is a personal preference, so use your own judgment. Continue adding syrup until you reach desired flavor. Bottle your liqueurs in clean, decorative bottles and label with a date. The liqueurs will have the best flavor after a few months of sitting on the shelf (aging).
Why is my moonshine cloudy after cutting?
Solution #2 – Better tail cuts – Now, if solution #1 didn’t solve your problem, on to the next! The other possible problem with your moonshine is poor tail cuts. The tails contain fusel oils and if a high enough concentration of these oils makes it into your shine, it will become cloudy (sometimes right away and sometimes over time).
How do you preserve fruit in alcohol?
Preserving Fruit in Alcohol Last week I came home from eastern Washington with a small handful of Greengage plums. I love love love Greengage plums, as they have a super subtle sweetness that is smooth and almost flower-y. Because I had so few, I decided to preserve them in spirits.
- Covering them with brandy, I immediately knew that come December, I would strain the plums out and use them in a boozy upside down gingerbread cake.
- Ah, the life of a foodie – I’m not thinking about my next meal, but I am already thinking about a dessert I’ll make in the middle of winter! Preserving fruit in alcohol is quite easy and produces two delicious outcomes – boozy fruit & infused spirits.
Quite simply, I fill a clean glass jar with fruit, submerge completely in alcohol, add a few spoons of sugar, cover & shake. The recipe is truly that easy, which makes this preservation method a nice low bar of entry for anyone experimenting with preservation for the first time.
- The high alcohol content acts as a preservative, thereby minimizing spoilage.
- The amount of sugar depends on the fruit and your personal taste preference.
- I tend to stay on the less sweet side of things, but most stone fruits will taste better with a bit more sugar.
- Shake your jars gently every couple of days.
I keep my steeping fruits in a dark cupboard and shake them whenever I see them and that has always worked well. After 3 to 4 weeks, I move the jar to the fridge, where the low temperature will further retard deterioration and where they will keep for one million years.
- Ok, just kidding.
- But they will keep for a very long time.) The longer the fruit sits, the further they will break down, so try and use the fruit within three months time.
- Greengage Plums in Brandy 2 handfuls small plums 1 cup brandy 2 tablespoons sugar Add all ingredients to a clean glass jar.Add more brandy to the jar, if necessary, to fully submerge the plums.
Cover with lid and shake gently until sugar dissolves. Store in a dark cupboard for 3 to 4 weeks, shaking occasionally. After four weeks, move to refrigerator and use within three months. : Preserving Fruit in Alcohol
Do you cut moonshine with water?
Free Alcohol Dilution Calculator to Make Moonshine – If distilling spirits and alcohol at home, it’s necessary to dilute your distillate. Measure the alcohol content of the spirit and add the calculated amount of water for best results of home distilling.
Online course + hands-on distilling workshop: Learn how to make moonshine at home. ebooks + Distiller’s Guide Free Newsletter