Plum Gin Recipes

HOW DO YOU MAKE PLUM GIN? | ENGLISH PLUM GIN | NATIONAL DISH OF ENGLAND

Steps:

• Sterilise your Kilner Jar, wash your plums and measure out your ingredients.
• Get a clean fork and stab your plums all over, this will release all the juices into the Gin. Any plums that look a little ropey throw away, we want to avoid excess nasty bacteria.
• Now add all the ingredients to the jar and give it a shake and seal - place in a cool, dry and dark cupboard.
• For the next week, shake on a daily basis to dissolve the sugar and then leave alone for at least 3 months. Should be perfect for Christmas. If you want to make more, just double all the ingredients.
• After three months and you were good at sterilising you'll have some kick ass plum gin. Just look how much the colour changes and I promise you, this goes in to the flavour.
• You'll need to filter the sediment out, I used a jar with a tap and ran it through clean muslin into a pan.
• More sterilising, hopefully you had the sense to keep some old gin bottles, or any bottle, in anticipation of this day - make sure they are ultra clean. Fill em up and cap it off. You might want to sellotape the lids, as if they were bought from a shop - further fermentation could force the them off.
• My homemade Plum Gin made great Christmas gifts - not all of it though...
• Thank you England

PLUM GIN

Steps:

• Wash the plums. Prick them with a fork and then cut them in half without removing the stones.
• Place the plums in a sterilised jar.
• Add the sugar and gin and shake to mix together. The gin must cover the top of the plums.
• Put the lid on the jar.
• Keep it in a cool, dark place for four weeks.
• At the end of that time, the gin is ready to drink! Strain the gin into a sterilised bottle through a muslin cloth held in a funnel and discard the fruit.

PLUM-BASIL GIN FIZZES

Steps:

• Make the basil syrup: Bring the sugar and 1/3 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Stir in the basil, then remove from the heat and let cool completely, about 1 hour, then strain.
• Muddle 3 plums in a large liquid measuring cup with a wooden spoon. Stir in the basil syrup and gin. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Pour into ice-filled glasses and top with the seltzer. Garnish with basil and the remaining sliced plum.

PLUM GIN

Steps:

• Wash the plums and remove any leaves and stalks. Pierce the plums all over with a fork or the tip of a sharp knife, then halve (leave the stones in). Tip into a large, sterilised, sealable jar (about 2 litres) with a wide neck - the plums should easily fit inside. Alternatively, divide between two smaller jars.
• Sprinkle over 150g sugar and add the gin (reserve the gin bottle if you're planning to decant the plum gin back into it later). Seal the lid and give the jar a good shake. Store in a cool, dark place for at least a month, giving it a shake every few days for the first week or so to mix everything together and dissolve the sugar.
• Check the flavour after a month and continue to infuse if you prefer a stronger flavour - it can be left for up to three months. Or, add another 50g sugar and leave for two or three weeks if you prefer it sweeter. When you're happy with the flavour, strain the gin through a fine mesh cloth or muslin into a clean bottle and discard the fruit (you can also eat the boozy plums alongside sponge cakes or ice cream). Store in a cool, dark place. Drink on its own, in a G&T or mix with lemon juice and sugar syrup for a plum gin sour.

PLUM GIN COCKTAILS

Steps:

• Cook sugar and 1 1/2 cups water in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil. Stir in plums; remove from heat. Refrigerate syrup until cold.
• Fill 10 tall glasses with ice. Squeeze 1 lime wedge into each glass; add wedge to glass. Stir 1/4 cup of the plum syrup and 1 ounce gin into each glass. Add sparkling water to fill; stir. Garnish with plums. Serve.

PLUM COCKTAILS

Steps:

• Cook sugar and 1 1/2 cups water in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil. Stir in plums; remove from heat. Refrigerate syrup until cold.
• Fill 10 tall glasses with ice. Squeeze 1 lime wedge into each glass; add wedge to glass. Stir 1/4 cup syrup and 1 ounce gin into each glass. Add sparkling water to fill; stir. Garnish with plums. Serve.