Pear Liqueur

Step 1

Make sure you have a ripe yet unblemished pear and rinse and pat dry

Step 2

Pierce the pear all over with a fine skewer

Step 3

Place the pear in a sterilised glass jar that it fits quite snugly and will allow your 500ml vodka

Step 4

Add the spices and orange peel

Step 5

(to make the dried orange peel simply use a potato peeler to peel strips of skin off an unwaxed (or well scrubbed and rinsed orange) making sure you just take the skin and not the bitter white pith. Leave this on a radiator or in an airing cupboard overnight, or warm in a very low oven till completely dried. This intensifies that wonderful orange flavour)

Step 6

Fill jar with vodka and pop on the lid

Step 7

Set on a sunny windowsill for 1 week. It looks rather pretty so is no hardship to have around!

Step 8

After a week open the jar and add the sugar

Step 9

Shake well and set aside in a cool dark cupboard for a further week making sure you give it a shake every day or so to get that sugar to completely dissolve

Step 10

Remove pear and spices from the jar and strain the contents through a sieve lined with a double layer of muslin (or use a coffee filter), I like to do this part twice to get a really clear liqueur.

Step 11

Decant the liquid into a sterilised bottle and enjoy