A combination of tart fresh apricots and sweet dried apricots make for the tasty and complex homemade apricot liqueur.
I found this was better with much less sweetener than other homemade liqueurs that I’ve made. In order to let the tartness of the fresh apricots come through, I settled on a 1:4 ratio of sweetener to infused spirit. Of course, you can always add more to taste.
Note: To make simple syrup, combine 1 cup water with 1 cup sugar in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved. Cool before using. Simple syrup will keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Step One
INGREDIENTS - 3/4 cup fresh apricots, pitted and diced, 3/4 cup unsweetened dried apricots, diced, 1 1/2 cups vodka, 1/4 cup simple syrup, plus more as desired (see note above).
Step Two
Place the fresh and dried apricots in a clean quart jar and pour in vodka. Fruit should be covered in liquid. Seal jar and set aside to infuse for a week at room temperature.
Step Three
After a week, strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove the fruit pieces, pressing gently to extract additional liquid. Then strain again through a chinois or a fine mesh strainer lined with a triple layer of cheesecloth.
Step Four
In a clean quart jar combine the strained liquid with simple syrup. Stir to combine, taste, and add more simple syrup if desired.
Step Five
Store in sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.