Digestivi

One Italian tradition - make that a European tradition - is making digestivi. This are after dinner liquors, often bitter, used to aid digestion.

My brother-in-law and his family came down from France on vacation a few weeks ago. While he was here we made walnut liquor (noccino) together. Here it is in the demijohns. It will be ready for bottling on the 1st of September.















Here's the recipe:

20 immature walnuts
7 liters white wine
600 - 800 mL grain alcohol
600 - 800 grams sugar

Take the immature walnuts, before the nutshells have formed, and quarter them
Divide the wine into 2 5-liter demijohns
Add the walnut quarters to the wine (10 each)
Add alcohol
Add sugar (600 grams if you used a sweet wine, 700 - 800 if you used a dry wine)
Cap the demijohns and store in a cool, dark place
Shake daily, cracking the caps for the first week to allow gas to escape
After 40 days, strain to remove the walnuts
Filter twice through a coffee filter
Bottle and allow to settle for 3 to 4 months before drinking

After he left I made a batch of basil - lemon liquor. Considering it came out well and I have lots of basil in the garden, I decided to make another batch.

Look at that forest!
















Here's the recipe:

100 grams basil, chopped
1 lemon
150 grams alcohol
3 liters white wine
300 grams sugar

Grate the lemon peel, then cut 4 or 5 thin slices
Place basil, lemon peel and lemon slices in a mason jar
Pour in the alcohol, cap, and let sit for 6 days, shaking daily

Here's today's work. Next weeend I'll finish.