Brandy production is a complex and long process, where cognac alcohol from several grape varieties undergoes multiple distillation. But even at home, you can make cognac drink, which is obtained no worse than real cognac. Moreover, homemade cognac recipes are simple and do not require special skills and expensive products. Due to its excellent taste, pleasant tart aroma and rich color, homemade prune cognac is considered one of the most popular recipes.
Homemade prune cognac - general principles of preparation
Prunes have an interesting tart taste and a pleasant aroma. This hybrid of blackthorn and cherry plum is widely used in cooking, it is used for the preparation of various drinks and dishes. It is especially popular with winemakers; often prunes, brandies, tinctures, and cognac are prepared on the basis of prunes.
For the preparation of brandy, high-quality fresh prunes are selected without signs of damage. Dried fruits should be shiny, soft and fleshy. Pay special attention to the color: you should not purchase a product in rich black color - it is processed with glycerin to increase the shelf life, and light brown - they were pre-dipped in boiling water, which not only killed all the useful qualities of prunes, but also because of what they lost its original taste and aroma. Pre-dried fruits are washed and dried.
Another important component of cognac is an alcoholic drink: expensive vodka made with alcohol "alpha" is considered to be the best, or high-quality purified home-made moonshine of double distillation, where the degree does not exceed 50.
Additional ingredients can be honey, hot peppers, oak bark, spices and other products. It all depends on what tastes and aromas you prefer in alcohol.
Homemade prune cognac, prepared according to the recipes given in this article, not only does not yield to store products, but also surpasses it in taste.
Recipe 1. Homemade prune cognac on oak bark
Ingredients:
• three liters of vodka;
• 6-8 buds of cloves;
• 2 tbsp. l shredded oak bark;
• 2 tbsp. l lemon juice;
• 10 fruits of prunes;
• 1 tbsp. l granulated sugar;
• two pinches of nutmeg.
Cooking method:
1. Put the oak bark in a bowl, pour boiling water for 10 minutes. After the allotted time, drain the water, and put the bark itself in a large bottle of a suitable size.
2. Add cloves, sprinkle nutmeg and sugar.
3. Rinse the prunes thoroughly and lay out to the remaining components.
4. Pour in vodka, lemon juice and mix thoroughly the entire contents of the bottle.
5. Close the container with a lid, insist at room temperature for 2 weeks.
6. After 14 days, strain the brewed cognac 2 times through several layers of gauze.
7. Pour homemade cognac from prunes into clean, dry bottles, and seal with stoppers.
8. You can taste the drink after 2-3 days of repeated infusion. But the longer cognac stays, the more intense and interesting its aroma and taste will be.
Recipe 2. Homemade prune cognac with spices
Ingredients:
• a bottle of vodka or purified moonshine;
• 6 pieces of prunes;
• 3 pieces of pepper peas;
• a pinch of vanillin;
• 1 tsp Sahara;
• 2 tbsp. l dry tea leaves;
• 1 bud of cloves.
Cooking method:
1. Put all the spices in a mortar, chop.
2. Rinse the prunes and dry them on a towel.
3. Put the crushed spices, two teaspoons of tea leaves, sugar and prunes in a liter jar.
4. Pour all the ingredients with moonshine.
5. Close the jar and clean for a week in a darkened place at room temperature.
6. Infusion is required to shake daily.
7. After 7 days, strain the drink and pour into a suitable glass container.
8. Let the cognac from prunes ripen for 2-3 days, after which you can start tasting the drink.
Recipe 3. Homemade prune cognac with honey
Ingredients:
• liter of moonshine;
• 3 tbsp. l honey;
• a pinch of vanilla;
• 120 g of prunes.
Cooking method:
1. Place the washed and dried dried fruits in a glass bowl.
2. Add honey and vanilla.
3. Pour in the moonshine, mix. Instead of moonshine, you can also use vodka or purified alcohol.
4. Remove the container with infusion for 3 weeks in a dark place. Be sure to shake the container with contents well every 2-3 days.
5. After aging, strain the prune cognac and pour into prepared bottles.
Recipe 4. Homemade cognac from prunes, rose hips and dried apples
Ingredients:
• liter of vodka;
• 2 tbsp. l Sahara;
• 400 g of a mixture of rose hips, prunes and dried apples;
• 2 tbsp. l oak bark;
• 1 tbsp. l lemon juice;
• ground ginger on the tip of the knife.
Cooking method:
1. Pour vodka into a glass container of the right size.
2. Pour boiling water over the bark for 5 minutes, then drain the water, and place the soaked bark in a gauze bag and dress it.
3. Put granulated sugar, vodka, dried fruit mix, bag with oak bark, ginger and lemon juice in vodka.
4. Thoroughly mix the infusion and clean for 10 days in a dark place.
5. After a week and a half, remove the bark, strain the drink into bottles.
6. You can use cognac on the third day.
Recipe 5. Homemade prune cognac on spices
Ingredients:
• 100 grams of prunes;
• 3 liters of vodka;
• a tablespoon of black tea leaves;
• five leaves of laurel;
• 5-6 peas of black pepper;
• 3 tbsp. l Sahara;
• 1 tbsp. l dried lemon balm;
• 3-4 cm chili peppers;
• a pinch or two of vanilla.
Cooking method:
1. Put peppercorns, chili, melissa, sugar, bay leaves, vanilla and tea leaves in a large glass bowl.
2. Pour all the spices with vodka.
3. Remove cognac for insisting for 2 weeks in a dark place.
4. After the allotted time, strain the cognac. Squeeze out all the spices in the jar and strain again.
5. Pour the beverage into a bottle and seal.
Recipe 6. Ladies Chocolate Prune Cognac
Ingredients:
• 1.5 liters of vodka;
• 1.5 glasses of water;
• 2 glasses of milk;
• 3 cups of granulated sugar;
• 8 pcs. prunes
• a bag of vanilla sugar;
• bar of dark chocolate.
Cooking method:
1. Break the chocolate bar into small pieces.
2. Put the chocolate in a saucepan, heat, stirring constantly, over low heat.
3. Once the chocolate has melted, add vanilla sugar and pour in the vodka.
4. Thoroughly mix the chocolate mixture, cool and pour into a jar.
5. Put the mass in the refrigerator for 5 days. Shake and mix daily.
6. Cook the sweet syrup from sugar and water, put the washed and dried cubed prunes in it. Soak the mixture for 12 hours at room temperature.
7. After a few hours, heat the syrup, strain and cool again.
8. Strain the chocolate drink 2-3 times through cheesecloth, mix with sweet syrup.
9. Remove the brandy for a week in the refrigerator.
Express recipe 7. Homemade prune cognac in the evening
Ingredients:
• 3 liters of vodka;
• 1 tsp black tea leaves;
• 1 tsp oak bark;
• 1 tsp granulated sugar;
• 1 tsp instant coffee;
• 0.5 tsp soda;
• 5-6 crystals of vanillin;
• 2 bay leaves;
• 3 peas of black pepper;
• 2 prunes;
• 5 raisins;
• 2 buds of cloves;
• 3 coriander seeds;
• a pinch of nutmeg.
Cooking method:
1. Pour all used spices and dried fruits into a large stainless steel pan. Do not reduce or increase the number of ingredients, the ratio of all components in this recipe is such that the taste and smell of the finished product is perfect.
2. Pour in the vodka, put the pan on medium heat.
3. Be sure to cover the container with the contents of the lid so as not to lose the "degrees". It is best to use a glass lid so as not to miss the moment of boiling.
4. As soon as the cognac approaches the boiling point, the first small bubbles begin to appear, immediately remove the pan from the heat.
5. When the drink has completely cooled, it will only be necessary to filter and pour it into pre-prepared bottles.
Homemade Prune Cognac: Tips and Tricks
• In addition to the above ingredients, in any of the recipes you can put a small amount of lemon or orange peel in the original product. These components will give homemade cognac a special aroma.
• Pine nuts in combination with prunes are also able to give homemade cognac interesting, unusual taste.
• Do not refuse to brew and coffee as part of the original product, they give the drink the same cognac color.
• To fully reveal the taste of cognac, it is better to taste it when it is warmed to a temperature slightly below room temperature. Sweet prune cognac tastes better when slightly cool.
Homemade prune cognac, like any other alcoholic drink, has a number of contraindications:
• the drink is contraindicated in children, lactating and pregnant women;
• people with liver and kidney diseases;
• people with chronic diseases;
• people suffering from alcohol addiction;
• with individual intolerance of the constituent components.
Thanks to the simple recipes for making cognac, you can treat your loved ones and friends with a really tasty, home-made alcoholic drink, but do not forget that excessive drinking is the cause of many diseases.
