Homemade Red Currant Syrup / Liquor

 

Sometimes I come across recipes involving red currant syrup or a sweet liqueur made from red currants. You won't find these on the market. There just isn't enough interest in producing such a niche item. With so many drink recipes calling for creme de cassis, which is made with black currants, there's no room for this brighter tasting berry.

The good news is that the berries themselves are not such an unusual summer crop, and they are in season this summer. This recipe does not make a lot of syrup or liqueur--it takes a lot of these little berries to make much of anything. But if you happen on a bumper crop of red currants, feel free to scale up the recipe. 

• 1/2 pint red currants
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup 100-proof vodka (for liqueur)

Clean and remove the stems from the berries and put them in a saucepan with water. Heat on medium-high until boiling, then reduce heat to simmer. Add sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved and the berries break up and release their juices. Strain the mixture with fine mesh and allow it to cool.

At this point you can seal it in a container and use this syrup as a sweetener. But you can add a cup of vodka and bottle it as an alcoholic creme de cassis rouge.