Cleaning out the fridge...my way.

Seckel Pear Vodka

Believe it or not, after buying over 30 pounds of Seckel Pears in the month of November, I still had a few of the darling little pears left in the produce drawer. Dilemma? I needed to make room for groceries I bought for Thanksgiving and though these pears are delicious, I really didn't feel like eating any more of them.

Same with the freezer. I found about a pound of mixed berries, mostly raspberries, taking up valuable space.

 Frozen mixed berries..thawed...no sugar added.

So what to do with the extra fresh and frozen fruit?

Preserve it, with Vodka!

~~~~~~

Put it in a jar:

Obviously berries can be left whole, but if you are using larger fruit, like pears, you might want to chop them up into pieces.

 

I left my Seckel Pears whole, rather than chopping them up. It takes much longer for the flavors to infuse, but I think it looks prettier!

Add some vodka:

Seal tightly.

Store out of direct sunlight, shaking once every few days. Wait about a week, at least, before using.

(The vodka preserves the fruit so you don't have to keep it in the fridge, but if at any point the fruit begins to turn brown, take it out of the vodka and toss it in the composter. It might make the vodka a tad bitter, plus they look icky.)

Filter before using.

~~~~~

I could have added other flavorings too, like a vanilla bean, a cinnamon stick, whole nutmeg, star anise, and/or peppercorns.

Fresh or dried herbs work well too!

Infused Vodkas are not just fruit-flavored. Some people like to use jalapeno peppers, cucumbers or even bacon to make their vodka-based cocktails tastier!

The vodkas I made this morning won't be infused by Thanksgiving. They might not even be ready by Christmas, but not to worry. I think I still have Apricot Vodka left from last summer.

Mixed Berries and Seckel Pears, infusing (preserved) in Vodka. 

Go back to more great ideas on my blog >>>

How about some Apricot~Vanilla Bean Vodka?

Comments

[Chef Jay]

It seems you have enjoyed your canning experience. By the way, I love the jar you used. :) I'm into canning salsa recipes myself and I'm glad to have found a relevant post. All the best! :)

[Brook Hurst Stephens]

Thank you for your comment Chef Jay.
I checked out your website and your salsa recipes look delicious!
Brook