Shared by Nilou and Chantal Ghalchi
Shared by Nilou and Chantal Ghalchi
Sour Cherry Vodka
Yield: 1 (750 ml) bottle
Sour Cherry Vodka
Yield: 1 (750 ml) bottleFamily Journey
TehranLos AngelesPort Washington, NY
Great Neck, NYBrooklyn
In the summer, Nilou Ghalchi makes sour cherry infused vodka with cherries from the tree in her backyard. The recipe, which couldn’t be simpler, consists of just two ingredients- sour cherries and vodka- but yields a deeply flavorful and complex result. Nilou serves glasses of the sour cherry vodka alongside gondi on Friday nights, with ash on weekdays, and whenever the occasion calls for it.
Read more about Nilou Ghalchi’s family story in "Rebuilding a Lost Persian World in a Sun-Filled Long Island Kitchen" and get her recipes for kharafs khoresht (Persian beef, celery and herb stew) and Persian Halva with Saffron and Rosewater.
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 1 quart sour cherries, rinsed, pitted and stems removed
- 1 (750 ml) bottle vodka, such as Absolut or Tito’s
Preparation
Step 1
Fill a large glass jar with the cherries, but do not pack it. Pour the vodka over the cherries and seal the jar tightly. Place on a sun-lit window ledge or in a sunny spot for one week. Then, move to a dark, cool space, such as a pantry, and let steep for another 3 weeks- or up to 6 months.
Step 2
At the end of that time, open the jar and strain the liquid using a fine mesh strainer. Set the strainer over a large bowl, ideally one from which you'll be able to easily pour afterward.
Step 3
Pour the vodka mixture through the strainer and allow the fruit to sit, seeping liquid, for a good hour or so, stirring a bit and pressing if need be to make the liquid go through.
Step 4
Now taste the vodka. Add sugar if you want an after-dinner liqueur, or leave it out if you want something sharper. Using a funnel, pour the vodka into a decorative bottle. Store.
