This looks kind of gross, I know – kind of like milking blackcurrants. I can also see why you’d think it’s blood all over my friend’s hands. And yes, our hands were died reddish-purple for the next few days. But the beautiful bottles of homemade crème de cassis in my fridge were well worth the dye job.
Making your own blackcurrant liqueur is a lot easier than you think. It takes a little bout of effort and a little bit more patience. Here’s how to do it:
- Step 1: Pick a lot of (preferably organic) blackcurrants.*
- Step 2: Squish them all by hand in a big bowl, preferably when a woman is cleaning your air conditioning unit and is too polite to ask why you’re standing at the kitchen counter with your hands in a big bowl of blue for an hour and a half.
- Step 3: The ratio for alcohol to blackcurrants is 3:4. So if you had 10 cups of blackcurrants, add 750mL of vodka or white rum or cachaça, or something else with a high alcohol content but neutral taste.
- Step 4: Pour into a sterile jar or container and cover to keep out insects.
- Step 5: Leave in a cool place for a couple months. If it’s summer and you don’t have a cool place, leave in the fridge. The berries won’t ferment, but they’ll still be delicious and there’s no risk of losing your entire batch to mold. If you don’t leave it in the fridge, check it regularly for any mold growing on top. You can scrape it off. If the whole thing smells bad, throw it out. And don’t leave the lid screwed on too tightly or pressure could build up and the jar could explode. None of this happens if you put it in the fridge, but it won’t be as delicious.
- Step 6: Squeeze your berries through a cheesecloth into a large bowl.
- Step 7: Add 1/2 cup of (preferably organic) cane sugar for every 4 or 5 cups of blackcurrant juice (or to taste)
- Step 8: Transfer to another sterile jar or container, cover and store it for another month in that same cool place.
- Step 9: If it’s not already in the fridge, transfer it after a month to the fridge. You shouldn’t actually have to do this, since it’s high enough alcohol and high enough sugar to not necessitate it, but better safe than sorry. I wouldn’t want your precious cassis to keep fermenting and explode in your liquor cabinet.
- Step 10: Drink with sparkling wine (a Kir royale), on the rocks or in small, sweet sips for as long as it lasts. The liquid itself will last at least a year. More if you added a ton of sugar.
I also tried this with blueberries in vodka (also delicious) and blueberries in dark rum (less delicious on its own, but great for mixing or baking).
*I went to Au Paradis des Fruits in Dunham. The berries aren’t certified organic, but they aren’t sprayed within an inch of their lives either. If you know where to pick-you-own cassis near Montreal, please let me know.
Leave a Reply