Autumn Tincture - Plum or Damson Gin or Vodka

October is a time for the jewel like tones of plums and damsons and if you have any in your freezer, it’s a lovely November task to turn them into Plum or Damson Gin or Vodka. Either make most welcome party or weekend gifts. 

Plum or Damson Gin or Vodka

Take a 1 litre bottle of decent supermarket London dry gin and 1lb of damsons or plums. If using frozen fruit you don’t need to prick them all over, they will split anyway, place fruit in a sterilised kilner jar. Add the equivalent weight of sugar and leave to steep, shaking daily - or at least frequently - so that the sugar colours. As soon as it has, add the gin, shake and store in a cool, dark place. Shake every few days until the sugar has dissolved then leave quietly, shaking only occasionally. After about 10 weeks (or 3 months if you can wait), strain into clean smaller bottles, label and prepare to be very popular. Some then destone the used fruit, dry in a low oven for several hours and then stir into fruit cakes or Christmas pudding. If you prefer your gin more syrupy, reduce the gin to 750 ml, keeping other quantities the same. 

Lovely over ice, short, or long with tonic or soda, or neat in a hip flask when out walking, in which case home made fruit cake and an artisan Wensleydale are the perfect morale and energy boosting accompaniment.