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Fruits in Alcohol

July 5, 2009
15:11 PM

While I had the restaurant in Waterford I religiously made my own Sloe Gin in the Autumn which then became the house Digestif.

I determined that I should do something similar here.
However northern latitude Sloes, who really need a frost to sweeten, seemed to be an inappropriate choice and so I decided to pick what was ripest and most flavoursome of the abundant fruits of the moment, steep these in alcohol, a la Sloe Gin, and then decide what turned out best.

Fruits in Alcohol.jpg

To that ended at the moment I have started a Jar of Red Rousillon Apricots, White Peaches (They do look red to you and to me I know) and some Yellow Plums all marinading in their baths of Alcohol (freely available in the supermarket, for this purpose, at about €8. 50 a litre)

I was disappointed that I seemed to have missed the cherries who seemed to be over.

I had however, reckoned without the variations of climate in the Languedoc.

On a spin up the mountains today we saw a sign out side a farm for Cerises

These turned out to be a slightly later Yellow Cherry which thrives in the hills.
To taste one was to be forever disenchanted from the ordinary reds.
I said I would take the whole box. (approx 6 kg)

Box Cherries.jpg

M. Le Cerisier was delighted and charged me €4. 50 for the lot.

I think I may have found the house Digestif of Le Presbytere

cherries.jpg

Comments

  1. Petra

    on July 6, 2009

    Please set a bucket full aside for me – I have such fond memories of these delightful cherries! One of my aunts had a tree in her garden. When I stayed with her during the summer I could reach the cherries from my bedroom window. in Germany they were called “Dönissens Gelbe Knorpelkirsche”, I think. A smilar new-ish variety is called “Moonlight”.

  2. martine

    on July 6, 2009

    Et en France, on les appelle cerises ‘Napoléon’. Ne me demandez pas pourquoi… Elles sont parfaites pour faire des cerises à l’eau-de-vie.
    Régalez-vous bien.

  3. Martin

    on July 6, 2009

    Can no-one tell me the Spanish and Italian?
    I had looked them up in Google and thought them Rainier, but that was merely in English.
    Danke Petra, Merci Martine, you have both earned complimentary glasses of Knorpelkirshe Wasser or Eau de Vie de Cerise Napoleon.

  4. Eugene

    on July 8, 2009

    Them cherries are ‘Rainier’ in M&S today at €12.50 per kg only.

  5. Martin

    on July 8, 2009

    Hold on.
    I bought 6kg for €4.50, that is 75 cent a kg. 75 cent goes 16.66 times into €12.50.
    Good profit for Mr M and S there. I hope he passed a little of it on to M. Le Cerisier.

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