Super easy recipe for homemade pear liqueur

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large pear the William variety is perfect for this
• 1/2 cinnamon stick
• 1/4 nutmeg broken into small pieces
• 2 strips of dried orange peel
• 6 cloves
• 500ml vodka
• 150g/5oz caster sugar

HOW TO MAKE PEAR LIQUEUR

1. Make sure you have a ripe yet unblemished pear and rinse and pat dry
2. Pierce the pear all over with a fine skewer
3. Place the pear in a sterilised glass jar that it fits quite snugly and will allow your 500ml vodka
4. Add the spices and orange peel (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)
5. Fill jar with vodka and pop on the lid
6. Set on a sunny windowsill for 2 weeks. It looks rather pretty so is no hardship to have around!
7. After 2 weeks open the jar and add the sugar
8. Shake well and set aside in a cool dark cupboard for a further 2 weeks making sure you give it a shake every day or so to get that sugar to completely dissolve
9. 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.
10. Decant the liquid into a sterilised bottle and enjoy at your leasure

Pear liqueur is wonderful serve really chilled after a meal or used as part of a martini at cocktail hour. It makes a great foodie gift too, so make some for Christmas hampers and get ahead with your festive preparations.