Cranberry Liqueur

Two quarts of cranberry liqueur ready to cure for 3 weeks.

I had a hard day.
I had to go to the dentist and have a filling replaced.  That filling was 40 years old, I was attached and I think the dentist has it out for me because I asked her if she was 12 the first time I met her.  Needless to say, it didn't go well, I cried, sweated bullets, had to have my husband leave work and come sit with me.  How embarrassing.

Then, Riley, my little dachshund, is not house broken so he has to wear a shirt so he won't 'go' in the house.  Tonight after dinner, and after he had been outside TWICE, he pooped in his shirt!  I had to get the damn poopy shirt off over his head, get him outside, get the mess cleaned up and then get his butt washed when he came in.  Sometimes I wonder if I like that dog at all.

Riley in his clean shirt...after the poop incident.

So, I don't feel well (actually I just don't feel my cheek, tongue or top of my mouth), and I had poop duty.  So I didn't feel much like baking.  I just wanted a drink.  Which reminded me that I wanted to make some cranberry liqueur.  So I did.

After our house fire 12 years ago, our neighbor took us in for a couple of days until we got our apartments (yes it took two apartments because we had 5 kids at home at the time).  One of the things our dear neighbor did was hand us a glass of her homemade cranberry liqueur each evening so we could relax after another hard day of dealing with all your worldly possessions going up in smoke.  It was a little glass of heaven each evening before bed.

I wanted to make some this year to have on hand for the holidays.  It is so good on its own, but it is also very good mixed with champagne, in a Cosmo, or mixed with vodka and some sprite.  I am using some of my wild Alaskan cranberries, but you can use the cranberries you buy at the store.  It is a beautiful color and a sweet-tart flavor.  It also makes nice gifts if you can bear to part with any.

It almost makes up for cleaning up a poopy dog and crying in the dentist's office

Weighing my cranberries.

Cooking cranberries, water, and sugar.

Dividing the cranberry mixture between two quart jars.

Cranberry Liqueur

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 (12-ounce) package fresh cranberries
• 4 cups vodka 

1. Combine sugar, cranberries and water in a medium saucepan; cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until sugar dissolves and cranberry skins pop, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and cool completely.  Add vodka.
2. Pour the vodka mixture into clean jars; secure with lids. I divide the cranberry/sugar mixture into two quart canning jars, then add two cups of vodka into each jar.  Let stand 3 weeks in a cool, dark place, shaking every other day.
3. Strain the cranberry mixture through a cheesecloth-lined sieve into a bowl, and discard solids. Carefully pour liqueur into clean bottles or jars.  
4. Note: Liqueur can be stored refrigerated or at room temperature for up to a year. Like it is going to last that long.

October 22, 2014   Daylight 8 hrs, 55 min, 9 sec.     Temp. H 34/ L 23°F