My Moms Plum Brandy Recipes

Steps:

• Make sure the plum halves are clean and dry, then put them in a large sterilised glass jar. Add the sugar, brandy, cinnamon stick and star anise. Seal and gently rotate the jar to help dissolve the sugar.
• Continue to gently shake or rotate the jar (trying not to bash the fruit too much) every day for a week.
• Once the sugar has dissolved, leave it in a cool dark cupboard for another 2 weeks to infuse.
• Strain the mixture through a sieve lined with muslin, kitchen paper or coffee filter paper. Discard the plums, any fruit pulp and the spices, and pour the strained brandy into a bottle. Will keep for two months.

Steps:

• Stuff a one gallon jar with fresh ripe fruit.
• If plums or cherries are used, take pits out.
• If berries are used, leave whole.
• If pears or apples are used, cut them, leaving out the cores.
• Add 2 to 3 cups sugar.
• Cover with vodka.
• Put a lid on the jar.
• Let stand for 2 to 3 months.

Steps:

• Enough fruit to somewhat fill a gallon jar, (cherries, apricots, crabapples, etc.).
• Place fruit, any kind, into glass jar -- pits and all, just cut off the yucky parts.
• Add sugar and vodka.
• Set on your kitchen counter and flip it every day for three months. (If you put it away you'll forget about it!)
• The first few days I place the jar into a bucket in case my lid leaks, that way I can pour it back in and go hunt for a new lid. I put a sticker on it indicating the date it will be ready and "Up on even" if I happen to start it on an even day, you wouldn't believe how many times I've thought to myself "did I turn the brandy today?")
• In three months strain it through cheesecloth or a clean dishcloth or what have you, if you want it even clearer then strain it again through a paper coffee filter.
• Bottle it and wowee it's delicious! I do up a nice label on my computer and bottle it into smaller than micky bottles to tuck into my Christmas baskets.