feste

Thanks, Tim. But are you assuming that the alcohol and water of the spirit get absorbed into the solid matter at an identical rate? Because it's been my experience that the solids (fruit, herbs, etc.) absorb more alcohol than water. If you taste a piece of fruit that's been macerating in booze for some time, it hardly tastes like fruit, just fibrous booze. And the resultant liquid is much more flavorful and has a lower proof than the spirit used, hence the ability to freeze. Without a hydrometer, how can you tell what the proof is?

I've got a couple questions here on this topic: First, how can you really tell what proof your resultant liqueur is? Infusing anything, even just zest, lowers the ABV of whatever you're steeping. The bar I work at infuses a lemongrass vodka (not a very juicy ingredient), and if you put it into the freezer it will freeze, at least to a slushy point, which won't happen with regular vodka. So how can you measure what level of alcohol is being absorbed into the peel in exchange for the aromatic oils? I'm also curious about milk-infused limoncellos. I've come across several recipes, but they seem to be only country home versions. Does anyone a bit of history about a milk/cream limoncello variation? Thanks!

Every time I've used fresh pineapple puree it's ended up being just that, puree. Fluffy and thick and almost fibrous. The texture almost distracts from the pure candy-like pineapple flavor I'm looking for. Try making a sugar syrup and marinating chopped pineapple in it overnight, then pressing the pieces. The sugar causes the juice to ooze out of the pineapple, and you get a rich, very pineapple-y flavored liquid. There's something about the equilibrium of the sugar content of the syrup versus that of the fruit that causes the juice to leach out into the syrup. I checked Harold McGee but still am not sure of the rules of this. Also, I skin the fruit but don't bother cutting out all the eyes. I don't notice any additional tannic element like some fruits and it is far easier and results in more fruit this way.

I've never made this recipe but, yes, egg whites will tend to separate. A little cream of tartar might help, but if possible, make everything today except keep the whites aside, refrigerated, overnight. Then whip them up and fold them in as close to serving as possible. For people who have enjoyed family recipes that are made in large batches, is egg white separation a problem? Or do you just give it a quick stir before serving? Good luck!

No, no, no! Hot water bath processing is only used for acidic foods. Grenadine and other fruit syrups are fine to process this way, as the acid prevents botulism and other food-borne diseases. But botulism thrives in a low-acid environment. (Especially a high-protein one, so please don't process nut syrups like this.) Non-acidic foods require processing temperatures of 240' (rather then the 212' of boiling water), so to do it at home you need a pressure canner (different from a pressure cooker). This sufficiently eliminates these risks. But yes, a lot of work for simple syrup.

I've got to back up Morgenthaler and say Pina Coladas. Yes, I know Coco Lopez looks like pomade, or Crisco, or both mixed together. And I know it smells like Coppertone. But add pineapple juice and some Goslings (and preferably a beach) and I'm a happy girl.

I created an espresso-infused Pernod sour for a guy writing a book about coffee drinks. Sounded weird as hell but turned out delicious. Coffee, anise and lemon, and the egg white fantastically melded everything together. So maybe try some absinthe or other pastis? Good luck! Coffee lemonade sounds delicious...

I recently reread Taras Grescoe's The Devil's Picnic, a book about the author's travels around the world in search of illicit consumables. He has a chapter on Swiss absinthe (before the ban was lifted), and while in the Val-de-Travers he ran into many people who said they used absinthe to glaze souffles. He didn't mention if they were sweet or savory; either one sounds intriguing, though. MaxH, have you come across any recipes for this use? Good book, btw. I almost named my company after an absinthe-maker Grescoe discusses.

That sounds so f'n delicious! Any way I could talk a recipe out of you Toby?

All bitters have (or are meant to have) quinine in them? Are you sure? ← Yep, typically in the form of cinchona bark. Quin-quin, quinquina and chinotto are all bitter aperitif-types whose names are derived from cinchona. "Bitters" that don't have it lack spine and complexity to me. Like adding an extract. Yes, it adds flavor, but think of, say, a Pegu Club with orange extract rather than orange bitters. It wouldn't be an untasty drink, but it wouldn't have the depth that the quinine brings to it. The bitters elevate the Pegu Club above what would otherwise be a gin kamikaze.

Hello, I am going to be undertaking my first foray into pressure canning. I have made jam and pickles and the like for years, but need to start processing non-acidic things. I would like to process tall bottles of syrup I make, so I obviously need a pressure canner. I've never done it before, so I'd like something relatively easy to use but big enough to process many bottles at once. Does anyone have preferred brands of canners? Why? What are the differences? Is it worth it to drop the big bucks on the expensive brands? Thanks for your help!

Toasting the pecans or walnuts help loosen the skins, then rubbing in a towel gets much of them off, but not all. I would think toasting would lend a nicer flavor, though. A method I use for hazelnuts to get all the skins off is to blanch them with baking soda mixed into the boiling water. The water turns black and boils up, then subsides, and after a few minutes the skins slip off like blanching almonds. It may work for pecans, but the crevices may be too much. All this sounds delicious! Post if the fat washing works...

Reviving an old topic here... Can anyone tell me what the definition of a "cordial" is? After much research, it appears that "Rose's Lime Juice" and "Rose's Lime Cordial" are (almost?) the same thing: sweetened preserved lime juice. Maybe the cordial used to have alcohol in it, but not any more, and is still labeled as "cordial." Some of you in the bay area are familiar with my syrups. I've been working on a Rose's substitute and have finally figured it out, and would like to label it "lime cordial" because that just sounds better than "lime syrup." But I've got to be accurate. Thank you!

My problem with most of the Fee Bros. bitters is that they aren't actually bitters. They are glycerin-based flavorings rather than alcoholic tinctures, and the fruit ones don't have any quinine in them (the definition of a bitter). They seem to me more like candy flavorings than cocktail ingredients. I've enjoyed the grapefruit and peach ones on occasion, but I always seem to want to add real bitters as well to back them up. And I'll cut Regan's orange with Fee orange for roundness and balance (although now I'm an Ango orange fan). All that being said, I haven't tried the cherry yet. Is there any quinine in it?

What exactly is the name of this? It is incredible! I don't have and probably never will have the VEP ($110 a bottle!) but it worked quite well with plain old yellow chartreuse. We made it with Tanqueray. I'm still sipping it trying to make it last as we're almost at the bottom of our yellow chartreuse. Thank you, feste. ← So the story goes that one of our bartenders found a recipe called the "Shanghai Gin Fizz" in an old bar book. He said the book was pretty terrible, but he liked the ingredients, so he made the drink but didn't care for the fizz elements added to it. So he made it with just the four ingredients and loved it. Unfortunately there is already a drink (or two) called a Shanghai, so a few bartenders around town have been calling it the Shanghai... Gin. I'm glad you like it birder! It has been one of my favorite drinks for months. I love yellow Chartreuse!

Yup. And I think Cate over at Pizzaiolo just put it on their drink list. One of my most favorite cocktails!

The Slanted Door sells it for $10. And ask nice and we'll make you the Shanghai Gin variation- gin, lemon, Benedictine and yellow VEP. Quite frankly, I prefer it to The Last Word.

Hi Penwu! Try some yellow Chartreuse. I find it mixes better than green. Here's a cocktail a few of us in San Francisco have been enjoying: Shanghai Gin 3/4 oz lemon juice 3/4 oz Benedictine 3/4 oz yellow Chartreuse 3/4 oz gin Shaken, up. I see it as a variation of The Last Word, but in my opinion, infinitely more delicious.

Thanks Hathor! I'm just looking for a bottle equivalent of a canning jar. The places that I normally buy my jars don't have bottles. If I buy a glass bottle with a screw top, can I process it like a jar? Does it need a special kind of top that pops in when cooling? I own a lot of books on canning, and none of them discuss bottles. After opening, of course, they'll be refrigerated. Thanks again!

Hello, I'm new to this forum although I've been on Spirits & Cocktails for a while. I am a bartender and cook, and I've been making jam for years. Mes Confitures is one of my favorite books! My question is this: I've been making a lot of syrups for the bar, and I would like to process them so they can be stored on a shelf rather than just refrigerated. I've searched everywhere and can't find information on how to process bottles rather than jars. Do I use screw caps? Plastic corks? Do I need special bottles? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much!

Mmm, had a brandy milk punch at Brennan's on Royal St. this morning with my breakfast. So far the best cocktail I've had in New Orleans.

Funny; I'm veering towards obsession with the idea of making a cream of coconut substitute for Coco Lopez that can do justice to the tiki cocktail recipes I love so much. I'm having trouble with the coconut milk going off too quickly. Damn if I don't love a fine tropical libation.

Always had success with a small dish of apple cider vinegar to which a few drops of liquid dishwashing detergent had been added. Can't imagine why, but it works great.

And eje, you must stop by soon and give me a taste!

The first time I made gum syrup, I purchased resinous amber-colored chunks, not unlike the pieces of mesquite gum in your photo. They took a long time to break down, and although the mouthfeel was lovely and silky, there was not much added flavor. I find the powdered form much easier to work with.