Bitters. It makes a body buttermilk.
Jan. 24th, 2012 12:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
madbakerThis week's Resolution Recipe: Buddha's Hand Bitters. Ten points to the first person to correctly identify the cut-tag text, as long as you don't look it up.
zest of 1 Buddha's Hand
zest of 1 lemon
2 Tbsp chopped dried lemon peel
6 green cardamom pods, cracked
1/4 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp gentian root
1/4 tsp dried hops
1/4 tsp white peppercorns
1 lemongrass stalk, chopped
2 cups high-proof vodka. Don't use the cheap stuff
1 cup water
2 Tbsp rich syrup (below)
Place everything except for vodka, water, and syrup in a quart-sized Mason jar. Pour in the 2 cups of vodka, adding more if necessary so that all the ingredients are covered. Seal and store at room temperature out of direct sunlight for 2 weeks, shaking the jar once per day.
After 2 weeks, strain the liquid through a cheesecloth-lined funnel into a quart jar to remove the solids. Repeat until all of the sediment has been filtered out. Squeeze the cheesecloth over the jar to release any excess liquid and transfer the solids to a small saucepan. Cover the jar and set aside.
Cover the solids in the saucepan with the water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover the pan, lower the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Once cooled add the contents (both solids and water) to another quart Mason jar. Cover and store at room temp out of direct sunlight for 1 week, shaking the jar daily.
Rich syrup:
2 Tbsp demerara or turbinado sugar
1 Tbsp water
Bring the sugar and water to a simmer, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. At the first crack of a boil, remove from the heat and let cool completely.
After 1 week, strain the jar with the liquid and solids through cheesecloth into another quart jar. Repeat until the sediment is filtered out; discard the solids. Add this liquid to the jar containing the original vodka solution. Add the rich syrup and stir to incorporate, then cover and give the jar a shake to fully dissolve.
Allow to stand at room temperature for 3 days. Then skim off any debris that floats to the surface and pour through a cheesecloth-lined funnel one last time to remove any solids. Decant into smaller jars and label. If there's any sediment left or the liquid is cloudy, give the bottle a shake before using. The bitters will last indefinitely but use within a year for optimum flavor.
Good with vodka, gin, and tequila; they are terrific in a Manhattan, too.
What worked: Very aromatic and citrusy. I haven't tried it in a drink yet but it smells good. While this sounds complicated, the actual time involved was low.
What didn't: There's still some cloudiness I couldn't get rid of, even when using a coffee filter.
Will I make it again? It depends on how much we like it, and how long it takes us to go through it. I need to buy some small bottles to decant into.
zest of 1 Buddha's Hand
zest of 1 lemon
2 Tbsp chopped dried lemon peel
6 green cardamom pods, cracked
1/4 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp gentian root
1/4 tsp dried hops
1/4 tsp white peppercorns
1 lemongrass stalk, chopped
2 cups high-proof vodka. Don't use the cheap stuff
1 cup water
2 Tbsp rich syrup (below)
Place everything except for vodka, water, and syrup in a quart-sized Mason jar. Pour in the 2 cups of vodka, adding more if necessary so that all the ingredients are covered. Seal and store at room temperature out of direct sunlight for 2 weeks, shaking the jar once per day.
After 2 weeks, strain the liquid through a cheesecloth-lined funnel into a quart jar to remove the solids. Repeat until all of the sediment has been filtered out. Squeeze the cheesecloth over the jar to release any excess liquid and transfer the solids to a small saucepan. Cover the jar and set aside.
Cover the solids in the saucepan with the water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover the pan, lower the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Once cooled add the contents (both solids and water) to another quart Mason jar. Cover and store at room temp out of direct sunlight for 1 week, shaking the jar daily.
Rich syrup:
2 Tbsp demerara or turbinado sugar
1 Tbsp water
Bring the sugar and water to a simmer, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. At the first crack of a boil, remove from the heat and let cool completely.
After 1 week, strain the jar with the liquid and solids through cheesecloth into another quart jar. Repeat until the sediment is filtered out; discard the solids. Add this liquid to the jar containing the original vodka solution. Add the rich syrup and stir to incorporate, then cover and give the jar a shake to fully dissolve.
Allow to stand at room temperature for 3 days. Then skim off any debris that floats to the surface and pour through a cheesecloth-lined funnel one last time to remove any solids. Decant into smaller jars and label. If there's any sediment left or the liquid is cloudy, give the bottle a shake before using. The bitters will last indefinitely but use within a year for optimum flavor.
Good with vodka, gin, and tequila; they are terrific in a Manhattan, too.
What worked: Very aromatic and citrusy. I haven't tried it in a drink yet but it smells good. While this sounds complicated, the actual time involved was low.
What didn't: There's still some cloudiness I couldn't get rid of, even when using a coffee filter.
Will I make it again? It depends on how much we like it, and how long it takes us to go through it. I need to buy some small bottles to decant into.
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no subject
Date: 2012-01-25 04:15 am (UTC)This sounds wonderful - it's a recipe for the files!
Also? I should hunt down the picture of caprine with Buddha's Hand (aka Cthulhufruit) peeking out of her cleavage... very amusing.
no subject
Date: 2012-01-25 04:46 am (UTC)The picture I was thinking of didn't come up in a quick search. And I'm going to have interesting earworms for the rest of the night...
no subject
Date: 2012-01-25 03:18 pm (UTC)