Hand Foraged Liqueurs
Since spring is here and summer is right around the corner it is the best time to forage for some local ingredients to add to your cocktails. I have already posted a lilac simple syrup recipe over in the “syrups & mixers” section of recipes. But here I am going to give you two recipes for sustainably harvest liqueurs, one features stinging nettle, and the other features both watercress and lilac.
Stinging Nettle Liqueur
Stinging nettle might seem a little intimidating and it is definitely deserving of that reputation so when harvesting nettle ensure you wear appropriate clothing. You will want to wear jeans, long sleeves, and thick gloves. I wore gardening gloves with rubber palms to really protect myself. When harvesting my first batch I was very careful and didn’t get stung at all, I was very impressed and got cocky when I stopped to pick some more and got stung all the way up my arm. Then when harvesting the watercress I didn’t realize there was stinging nettle beside me and proceeded to stick my face in it, I don’t recommend doing this. Heed my warning and dress appropriately, however, if you should find yourself with a sting there are normally docking leaves nearby that you can rub on the stung area that will neutralize the sting.
As far as actually harvesting the stinging nettle you really only want the “young” leaves, these tend to be softer and less bitter. A good rule of thumb is to only harvest the top 6 inches or so of the plant, or the top three layers of leaves. Not only are these the young leaves you want but it will promote further growth of the plant.
For the orris and angelica root I bought them dried from The Silk Road Spice Merchant based out of Calgary. They have an amazing selection of various herbs, spices, bitters, salts, and acidulants.
Ingredients
1/2 tsp Dried Angelica Root
1/2 tsp Dried Orris Root
About 1 Cup Stinging Nettle Leaves
1/2 Cup Sugar
Rind of 1 Lemon
375ml of Vodka (I used Sons of Vancouver)
Method
The first thing you will want to do is remove the nettle leaves WITH your gloves on from the stems, then place all your nettles in a large bowl and pour over hot water and let sit for 5-10 minutes. Not only will this clean all the leaves it will also deactivate the stinging properties of the nettle. After the nettles have been cleaned and steeped, drain and place them on a towel, at this point the nettles should be fine to touch but I would still recommend using caution.
Take all your ingredients and place them in an airtight container, I find Tupperware containers work really well here. Give the mixture a good shake and leave it in a cool dark place for 1-3 days, and shake it 3-4 times a day. How long you steep it will depend on personal preference and how strong you want the flavour, I found after two days I liked the flavour the best. I taste test it as time goes on until I like the flavour. The only thing you want to make sure is that all the sugar is dissolved.
Watercress Liqueur
Watercress grows in clear, fresh, slow-moving waters so creeks and mountain runoffs would be a great place to look. I got lucky and have a stream right in my neighbourhood where watercress grows, so I just headed down the hill and harvested myself some. To harvest watercress, you want to stick your hand in the water and find where the plant attaches to the ground and then cut a few centimetres above that. Watercress is a perennial, meaning it will come back year after year, so you want to make sure you leave the roots. In most places, watercress will grow year-round, here the winters are a little bit frigid so the plants tend to produce less in the winter in the Okanagan. The best time to harvest watercress is during the fall and spring.
Ingredients
1/2 Cup White Sugar
About 1 Cup Watercress
About 3/4 Cup Lilac Flowers
Rind of 1/2 a Lemon
375 ml Vodka (I used Sons of Vancouver)
Method
Just like the nettle you want to soak both the lilac flowers and watercress in warm water, gently agitate them to remove any unwanted debris, once they have soaked for 5-10 minutes strain them on to a clean hand towel to drain. At this point you can start removing the lilac flowers from the stems, just pinch the head of the flower or bud and gently pull.
Once the flowers are off their stems take all your ingredients and place them in an airtight container, I find Tupperware containers work really well here. Give the mixture a good shake and leave it in a cool dark place for 1-3 days, and shake it 3-4 times a day. How long you steep it will depend on personal preference and how strong you want the flavour, I taste test is as time goes on until I like the flavour. The only thing you want to make sure is that all the sugar is dissolved.
