Plum Gin Recipes

PLUM GIN COCKTAILS

Steps:

• Cook sugar and 1 1/2 cups water in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil. Stir in plums; remove from heat. Refrigerate syrup until cold.
• Fill 10 tall glasses with ice. Squeeze 1 lime wedge into each glass; add wedge to glass. Stir 1/4 cup of the plum syrup and 1 ounce gin into each glass. Add sparkling water to fill; stir. Garnish with plums. Serve.

DAMSON GIN

Steps:

• Rinse and pick over the damsons to remove any leaves and stalks, then pat dry, tip into a freezer bag and freeze overnight. The next day, bash the bag of damsons a couple of times with a rolling pin and then tip the lot into a 2-litre Kilner jar, or divide between 2 smaller jars.
• Pour in the sugar and gin, and put the lid on. Shake well. Each day for a week, give the jar a good shake until all the sugar has dissolved, then put it in a cool, dark place and leave for 2-3 months.
• Line a plastic sieve with a square of muslin (or use a coffee filter in a cone for a really refined gin) and strain the damson gin through it. Decant into clean, dry bottles, seal and label. The gin is now ready to drink, but will improve and mature over time - it will keep for over a year, if you can wait that long.

PLUM GIN

Steps:

• Wash the plums and remove any leaves and stalks. Pierce the plums all over with a fork or the tip of a sharp knife, then halve (leave the stones in). Tip into a large, sterilised, sealable jar (about 2 litres) with a wide neck - the plums should easily fit inside. Alternatively, divide between two smaller jars.
• Sprinkle over 150g sugar and add the gin (reserve the gin bottle if you're planning to decant the plum gin back into it later). Seal the lid and give the jar a good shake. Store in a cool, dark place for at least a month, giving it a shake every few days for the first week or so to mix everything together and dissolve the sugar.
• Check the flavour after a month and continue to infuse if you prefer a stronger flavour - it can be left for up to three months. Or, add another 50g sugar and leave for two or three weeks if you prefer it sweeter. When you're happy with the flavour, strain the gin through a fine mesh cloth or muslin into a clean bottle and discard the fruit (you can also eat the boozy plums alongside sponge cakes or ice cream). Store in a cool, dark place. Drink on its own, in a G&T or mix with lemon juice and sugar syrup for a plum gin sour.