Once you've added all the orange and vodka to your container, you want to make sure it's sealed well. You should, after you've sealed it, shake it end over end (not vigorous shaking, you just want to make sure all of the fruit floats or sinks to the opposite end) a few times. You should store the mix in a cool, dark place.
You should repeat the shaking process once or twice a day. More frequent shaking is fine, but don't get too crazy there. If you don't shake it, the fruit may clump together and be a giant pain in your butt, especially with stickier fruits, like mango. Gradually, you will see that the colour of the vodka is changing to resemble the colour of oranges.
You should begin checking your vodka after 4 days; you can perform a smell test and, of course, a taste test. Depending on how strong you'd like your infusion to be, you'll leave the oranges in to infuse for more or less time. I find that 4 days is the minimum for a strong vodka infusion, and I typically let my mixes ferment about 5 days. If you aren't performing a taste-test on your vodka, you'll want to look for a strong orange scent; it'll begin smelling more like orange juice than vodka when it's nearing fermented perfection.
Have you ever done this with grapefruit? I ask because I've had a drink called vodka grape which had vodka, grapefruit juice and I don't know what else. It was delicious.
Have you ever done this with grapefruit? I ask because I've had a drink called vodka grape which had vodka, grapefruit juice and I don't know what else. It was delicious.
I've not tried an infusion with grapefruit (I find it so SOUR!) but I have, so far, done apple, several orange, kiwi/strawberry, mango, strawberry, kiwi, several lemon, and lime.
Once you've decided that your vodka tastes perfect, you have a few options: drink it or store it.
If you want to serve it as-is, you can leave your orange vodka unfiltered, but bear in mind that your infusion will continue to ferment and the fruit you're using will continue to ripen, and we all know that fruit is not tasty once it becomes overripe. If you leave the fruit in after it's overripened/brown, that WILL impact the flavor of your vodka, and will, after a few more days, become too unsavory to drink, so you'll want to consume it quickly. You can always add more fruit, it's hard to salvage a bad batch of vodka.
If you want to store it, or don't want a bunch of oranges floating around your vodka, your next step is to filter it.
You're going to need to set up your second container for filtration; if you're using coffee filters you may need to secure them to the jar if they start to slide into the container; you can use a rubber band for this, or a hair tie if you're lacking a rubber band.
Slowly pour your vodka infusion through your filter. You may need to change coffee filters or rinse off your filter when it gets clogged with orange or pulp. Depending on how much pulp is left after your first filter, you may need to run it through a second filtration process to clear it all out.
After that, you're ready to store it. If you've filtered it into a glass or unsealable container, you should wash out the original jar thoroughly before you pour it back in.
If you find that you've made your infusion too strong, simply dilute it by adding more vodka and allow it to sit for a day or two.
Some other notes:
You should use fresh fruits and ingredients, rather than canned or dried fruits; it works better when the natural juices haven't been frozen or dehydrated, or sugared up.
If you chose to infuse berries, gently bruise or slice into the skin (dicing them is unnecessary unless your berries are too big to fit into your jar) before putting them into your container. It's better not to smush them (no, do not take the meat tenderizer to them) because they will ripen extremely fast and you'll spend more time than you'd like fishing them out and replacing them.
Sugar shouldn't be added unless you're using an exceptionally bitter ingredient; it's not necessary with fruit infusions. If you want your cocktail to be extra sweet, consider sugaring the rim of the glass before you serve it. If you do want to sugar the fruit, I've found that sugaring the fruit and allowing it to sit for a day or two, rather than pouring sugar into the liquor, works best.
DS, it might (or might not) interest you to know that we filter our infusions and cordials through cheesecloth first to get out the chunks and sediments. We hate changing coffee filters.
So, Sam, to answer your question, you're going to want to use whole vanilla beans (I'm sure you can get them at a natural foods store, if not your local grocery store). With spices, you don't want to crush them, but you should slice the beans in half at least once (I would probably slice them down the middle and then in half again). I'd probably use two or three full-size whole vanilla beans. Because vanilla is a subtle flavour, it will probably take longer to infuse, I'd bet on a week or two.
Citrus infuses quicker than anything else I've tried, probably because it's such an intense group of fruit.
Once you've decided that your vodka tastes perfect, you have a few options: drink it or store it.
If you want to serve it as-is, you can leave your orange vodka unfiltered, but bear in mind that your infusion will continue to ferment and
...
more
Once you've decided that your vodka tastes perfect, you have a few options: drink it or store it.
If you want to serve it as-is, you can leave your orange vodka unfiltered, but bear in mind that your infusion will continue to ferment and the fruit you're using will continue to ripen, and we all know that fruit is not tasty once it becomes overripe. If you leave the fruit in after it's overripened/brown, that WILL impact the flavor of your vodka, and will, after a few more days, become too unsavory to drink, so you'll want to consume it quickly. You can always add more fruit, it's hard to salvage a bad batch of vodka.
If you want to store it, or don't want a bunch of oranges floating around your vodka, your next step is to filter it.
You're going to need to set up your second container for filtration; if you're using coffee filters you may need to secure them to the jar if they start to slide into the container; you can use a rubber band for this, or a hair tie if you're lacking a rubber band.
Slowly pour your vodka infusion through your filter. You may need to change coffee filters or rinse off your filter when it gets clogged with orange or pulp. Depending on how much pulp is left after your first filter, you may need to run it through a second filtration process to clear it all out.
After that, you're ready to store it. If you've filtered it into a glass or unsealable container, you should wash out the original jar thoroughly before you pour it back in.
If you find that you've made your infusion too strong, simply dilute it by adding more vodka and allow it to sit for a day or two.
And this will be your finished product! less
I'm guessing that if you do not filter it till it's clear it could go bad?
Some other notes: You should use fresh fruits and ingredients, rather than canned or dried fruits; it works better when the natural juices haven't been frozen or dehydrated, or sugared up.
If you chose to infuse berries, gently bruise
...
more
Some other notes: You should use fresh fruits and ingredients, rather than canned or dried fruits; it works better when the natural juices haven't been frozen or dehydrated, or sugared up.
If you chose to infuse berries, gently bruise or slice into the skin (dicing them is unnecessary unless your berries are too big to fit into your jar) before putting them into your container. It's better not to smush them (no, do not take the meat tenderizer to them) because they will ripen extremely fast and you'll spend more time than you'd like fishing them out and replacing them.
Sugar shouldn't be added unless you're using an exceptionally bitter ingredient; it's not necessary with fruit infusions. If you want your cocktail to be extra sweet, consider sugaring the rim of the glass before you serve it. If you do want to sugar the fruit, I've found that sugaring the fruit and allowing it to sit for a day or two, rather than pouring sugar into the liquor, works best.
less
We add sugar to some of ours to make cordials, but they are meant for small quantities after dinner because of their sweetness. Infusing like DS is saying makes them a lot more useful for most people.
DS, it might (or might not) interest you to know that we filter our infusions and cordials through cheesecloth first to get out the chunks and sediments. We hate changing coffee filters.
*goes back to his corner*
Cheesecloth... See, I never would've thought of that (I've never used cheesecloth, or at least not since I was a teeny weenie surprise) but from what google images is showing, that would be a great idea.
I like having a food strainer around because, yeah, it's way less of a pain in the ass than filters and it's more environmentally responsible.
Cheesecloth... See, I never would've thought of that (I've never used cheesecloth, or at least not since I was a teeny weenie surprise) but from what google images is showing, that would be a great idea.
I like having a food strainer
...
more
Cheesecloth... See, I never would've thought of that (I've never used cheesecloth, or at least not since I was a teeny weenie surprise) but from what google images is showing, that would be a great idea.
I like having a food strainer around because, yeah, it's way less of a pain in the ass than filters and it's more environmentally responsible.
Cheesecloth... See, I never would've thought of that (I've never used cheesecloth, or at least not since I was a teeny weenie surprise) but from what google images is showing, that would be a great idea.
I like having a food strainer
...
more
Cheesecloth... See, I never would've thought of that (I've never used cheesecloth, or at least not since I was a teeny weenie surprise) but from what google images is showing, that would be a great idea.
I like having a food strainer around because, yeah, it's way less of a pain in the ass than filters and it's more environmentally responsible.
Plus, I need them for coffee, dammit!
less
What about using those gold-toned metal coffee filters that came with coffee pots? They could be rinsed and used again, and I think we have a couple sitting around since we got the Keurig.
I'm guessing that if you do not filter it till it's clear it could go bad?
If you don't filter it (or filter all of it) the fruit inside will continue to ferment and will eventually rot and be super depressing. But, you can leave the fruit in (vodka mimosa without the wine!) and drink it as is.
