Blackcurrant liqueur
The fruit liqueurs (or "creams" in French) are a mix of neutral alcohol in which fruits are macerated, and sugar syrup. They are the basis of the very famous "Kir", mixture of dry white wine and blackcurrant liqueur.
This recipe is for blackcurrant, but it can be made with other soft fruits like raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, etc.
This recipe is for blackcurrant, but it can be made with other soft fruits like raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, etc.
55 min.
Easy
13.50 €
1 litre
5 IngredientsLast modified on: August 3rd 2013
For 1 litre, you will need:
- 1
700 g blackcurrant - 2
600 ml neutral-flavoured eau-de-vie - 3
2 blackcurrants leaf (optional) - 4
500 g caster sugar - 5
300 ml water - Total weight: 2,100 grams
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 45 min.
Cooking: 10 min.
All in all: 55 min.
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - ⌛ 5 min.
Put 2 blackcurrants leaf in a 1 litre jar.
Stage 2 - ⌛ 10 min.
Quickly wash 700 g blackcurrant under the tap, drain and dry them.
Fill up the jar.
Fill up the jar.
Stage 3 - ⌛ 2 min.
Fill the jar with 600 ml neutral-flavoured eau-de-vie. The fruit must be completely covered with the alcohol.
Stage 4 - ⌛ 1 min.
Seal the jar and leave in a cool and dark place for about 3 months.
Stage 5
After 3 months, the alcohol will have taken on a pretty red/purple color.
Stage 6
This means that all the flavour of the fruits has been transferred to the alcohol.
Stage 7 - ⌛ 10 min.
Empty the contents of the bottle into a strainer placed over a high-sided container (to avoid splashes - they stain!) and collect the blackcurrant juice.
Stage 8 - ⌛ 1 min.
Pour the juice into a pan.
You can now discard the fruit, they have lost all their taste.
You can now discard the fruit, they have lost all their taste.
Stage 9 - ⌛ 2 min.
Stage 10 - ⌛ 10 min.
Heat to about 110°C or 230°F, you can use a thermometer to check.
It takes about 10 minutes to reach this temperature.
It takes about 10 minutes to reach this temperature.
Stage 11
Leave the syrup to cool for about 10 minutes, until the temperature drops below 100°C or 212°F.
Stage 12
Carefully mix the two liquids together:
Add the blackcurrant juice to the syrup.
Add the blackcurrant juice to the syrup.
Stage 13
Then pour this mix into the other pan.
Stage 14 - ⌛ 10 min.
Repeat this until the two liquids are thoroughly mixed.
It's important to do it like this because if you introduce a spoon or other utensil to stir with, the syrup might start to crystallize.
It's important to do it like this because if you introduce a spoon or other utensil to stir with, the syrup might start to crystallize.
Stage 15
The blackcurrant liqueur is now ready, and can be bottled.
Remarks
Its essential to use good quality fruit for this recipe, with bad or ordinary fruit you will have poor liqueur, and with well-flavoured fruit a great one. Best results are obtained with wild fruits, especially raspberries.
A couple of leaves can be left in with blackcurrants, but not with other fruit.
If you are making strawberry liqueur, cut large fruit into 2 or 4.
If you have a lot of blackcurrants in season, make blackcurrant coulis.
A couple of leaves can be left in with blackcurrants, but not with other fruit.
If you are making strawberry liqueur, cut large fruit into 2 or 4.
If you have a lot of blackcurrants in season, make blackcurrant coulis.
And to drink?
To make "Kir", the famous aperitif, pour one measure of blackcurrant liqueur into a glass and about six measures cool dry white wine (typically white Bourgogne like "Bourgogne aligoté" or equivalent).
You can also make a "Communard" by replacing the white wine with a light red one. A votre santé !
You can also make a "Communard" by replacing the white wine with a light red one. A votre santé !
Keeping: Several months.
Source: After Gaston Lenôtre.
Nutritional information
| Proteins (gr) | Carbohydrates (gr) | Fats (gr) | Energy value (in k-calories) | Energy value (in k-joules) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole recipe | 7 RDI=3 % | 600 RDI=60 % | 0 | 3,860 RDI=190 % | 16,160 RDI: 190 % |
| Per 100 g | 0 | 30 RDI=3 % | 0 | 180 RDI=9 % | 770 RDI: 9 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 1 litre : 13.50 €
Change currency:
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
Some other recipes using this recipe
Pears in red wine with blackcurrant
Pears cooked until soft in a red wine and blackcurrant syrup, served with the reduced syrup and custard sauce (crème anglaise).
257 K4.1 2 hours 35 min.
Blackcurrant sorbet for Edith
If you love the taste of blackcurrants (like Edith), this sorbet is for you...
265 K4.9 25 min.
Dijonnaise pear cake
This moist cake with a pear-dijonnaise centre is made with a "moelleux" batter. The pears are cooked first in blackcurrant-flavoured crème de cassis.
30 K 1 hour 45 min.
This recipe uses (among others)
Blackcurrant
Like these other recipes: Blackcurrant coulis, Blackcurrant-almond muffins, ... See them all 2
Caster sugar
Like these other recipes: Gâteau Breton (Brittany butter cake), Four quarters, Tea and white chocolate biscuits, Far Normandy-Brittany, Confit of quinces in Macvin, ... See them all 365
Water
Like these other recipes: Lemon and lime custard tart, Langoustine gratin, Special small breads, Kouign-amann, Hazelnut and orange cake, ... See them all 138
Other recipes you may also like
Pistachio powder or paste
Pistachio paste has a similar texture to almond paste, but the similarity ends there, as its flavour and colour are quite characteristic. October 13th 2010396 K 154 50 min.
Fruit crémeux
This kind of "crémeux" (it means "creamy", but contains no actual cream) is a basic recipe in the repertoire of French pastry chefs. It is smoother but less frothy than a mousse and uses gelatin to set it as it cools. Often used as a tart filling or in other desserts, crémeux is usually poured to set in a mould. This fruity version is made with raspberries. September 12th 2020199 K2.5 40 min.
Apple paste
Apple paste, like most other fruit pastes, is a simple mixture of apple juice, sugar and a gelling agent - pectin here. November 6th 201996 K5 10 days 50 min.
Chantilly cream
Chantilly cream, it's simply whipped liquid cream with sugar. It is use in many desserts, but already delicious simply with strawberries or other fruits. September 17th 2013686 K5 20 min.
How to prepare spinach
For most people (and me most of all), spinach brings back bad memories of canteens... But, well prepared, it's a fine and delicate vegetable which goes remarkably well with scrambled eggs, fish, and many another things. Here are two ways of preparing it. June 5th 20153.41 M3.5 1 hour 9 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-11-30)
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Follow this recipe (as 11 people already do)
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.
The 4 comments already posted on this recipe
I have tried with strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and cherries. The best results is with raspberries, especially wild ones, absolutely fabulous!
Question: How do the leaves add to the flavour of the mix? And why is it that you advise not to include leaves on other fruits? What fruits have you tried that you really recommend? Thank you!