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Creme de Cassis

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In late June and early July the black currants ripen in our garden. The bushes are quite productive but the berries usually ripen all at once so you have to be creative in utilizing the harvest.

Jams, jellies and just the juice from the berries are all delicious as well as using them in pies, desserts and sauces, especially for game.

The berries are black and have a delicious and complex flavor of black fruit, cherry with hints of bitterness and pine as well as some tartness.

Creme de Cassis is a liqueur produced from black currants, alcohol and sugar, versions from Dijon France are famous.

The berries are cleaned and put in jars with the sugar and alcohol, then aged in a dark and cool place for about 6 months. The liqueur is strained and bottled about the time for Christmas for enjoyment and gifts.

Typically it is sipped after dinner but when mixed with white wine as Kir or Champagne for Kir Royal it makes a good cocktail.

Creme de Cassis

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Recipe by admin
Servings

servings
Prep time

30

minutes
Cooking time

minutes
Calories

kcal
Total time

0

minutes

Black currants have a rich and full flavor of dark, black fruit with a hint of tartness, a touch of bitterness and just a trace of pine. Cassis is a liqueur made with black currants and has a great complex flavor both sipped alone and mixed with white wine to make Kir or mixed with Champagne for Kir Royal.
The berries ripen in the beginning of July so steeping your berries for 6 months produces a wonderful Cassis just in time to enjoy for Christmas or give as gifts.

Ingredients

  • 350 gr 350 fresh black currants

  • 125 gr 125 sugar

  • 500 ml 500 vodka/brandy

Directions

  • Pick over the currants and discard stems, leaves, unripe berries and old berries. Rinse the berries and let them dry.
  • Pour the berries into a 1 quart mason jar that has a tight fitting lid. Add the sugar and the alcohol (vodka or brandy) and put the lid on the jar. It should be full almost to the top.
  • Turn the jar a couple of times to start mixing and dissolving the sugar. Label the jar and store in a cool and dark place.
  • Turn the jar to mix the ingredients once a week, for the first month. The cassis should be ready in about 6 months. The longer you age it, the smoother it gets. After 6-12 months, strain the liquid and bottle it, for a clear liqueur do not press down on the berries.
    You can press the rest of the berries or leave them in the jar to use for dessert making or to flavor sauces for game.

Notes

  • I do not recommend pressing or mashing the berries as the liquid becomes cloudy. Also, using a blender or mixer will leave you with a mash that is difficult if not impossible to strain.

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