20479 Sun Jul 07 13:21:41 -0700 2002 6 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 71181 I'd like to experiment with infusing vodka with fresh summer fruit. Anyone have any experience or tips in doing so? Chenery Park restaurant in Glen Park has a great nectarine infusion right now, and I've had their pomegranate infusion previously, both fantastic. But I've never had the chance to talk to them about how they do it. Any help to be had from the 'hounds? Thanks, John Sun Jul 07 13:21:41 -0700 2002 0 John 1 71185 Its totally easy. Get a big jar, throw in chopped fruit, pour in vodka to the very tippy-top, put the lid on the jar, put it in a dark, cool corner for 2-8 weeks. The more fruit or veggies or whatever you use and the longer you leave it, the stronger the flavor. Taste test it every week and stop when you get the flavor you want. If you go too far and the flavor is too strong, just add more vodka. After you have done a couple of batches of single flavor vodkas successfully, you will be overcome with the desire to start mixing it up. When you start adding teas and herbs you will know you are addicted. Sun Jul 07 16:41:21 -0700 2002 71181 0 Rochelle McCune 2 71187 I've been waiting for our first lemon cucumbers and was going to ask again for that 'recipe' for the infused vodka. any particular details I should remember? Seem to remember you'd mentioned skins vs no skins ..... Thanks! Sun Jul 07 17:15:18 -0700 2002 71185 0 celery 3 71190 Last summer, we made numerous variations - infusion time, skinned v. not, seeded v. not, number of cukes to a gallon. Unfortunately, we felt that none of those batches were as good as the previous year's batch. So this summer, we are doing all sorts of variations and logging the outcome and keeping samples. To answer your question - Some people liked the more delicate flavor of the skinned cukes and some people preferred the more earthy flavor of the unskinned cukes. I think everyone preferred the cukes that had been seeded. Sun Jul 07 18:01:32 -0700 2002 71187 0 Rochelle McCune 4 71209 Hey Rochelle, My Hangar One regular and Mandarin Orange Vodkas have just arrived. I can't wait to pick them up this week. Got any recipes for the Mandarin one other than on the rocks? I was thinking a touch of fresh mandarin orange juice with a twist of the peel over ice? I keep thinking I read a suggestion somewhere. Sun Jul 07 23:48:30 -0700 2002 71190 0 Ciaohound 5 71329 Sorry to take so long to get back to you. I'm at home with a hideous cold. During the 15 minutes the medicine is working, I thought I'd see what y'all are up to. Your drink idea sounds great. Below is the previous discussion where Janet & I give drink recommendations. Let me know how you like it. Have you smelled it yet? Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/19830#67135 Tue Jul 09 16:36:29 -0700 2002 71209 0 Rochelle McCune 1 71207 There have been several threads on this on the general borad... maybe move this there? I am making up several batches of fruit and veggie vodkas... Dried apple/raisin... ginger... hot peppers... lime... lemon... Sun Jul 07 23:30:29 -0700 2002 71181 0 the rogue