Category:
Beverages

Seasons:
June, July, August

Courtesy of Kate Payne, The Hip Girl's Guide to Homemaking

Photography by Jo Ann Santangelo

My peach, plum and nectarine escapades last year left me with a pile of pits. I learned that stone fruits are related to almonds, and my hunch that the pits would make a tasty cordial was correct. I added a cinnamon stick, which is optional. If you don't have enough pits, toss in a handful of raw and lightly chopped almonds.

1 batch makes 3 cups

Easy

1 cups stone fruit pits, picked clean and left whole or lightly crushed
2 cups grain alcohol (Everclear) or a 100-plus-proof vodka
2/3 cups sugar
1/2 cups water
1 whole cinnamon stick (optional)

Stone Fruit Liqueur Directions

Combine the pits and alcohol in a quart-size jar, seal and let sit for 2 weeks in a dark cabinet. Swirl it around every few days.

After 2 weeks, make a simple syrup by combining the sugar and water in a small saucepan and dissolving the granules over medium-low heat. Raise the heat to medium-high to bring the syrup to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Let cool completely before adding 1 cup of syrup to the pits/alcohol jar. Add the cinnamon stick (if using) and seal the jar again, and let it sit for 2 more weeks.

Strain the solids from the liqueur and sip over ice or add to a cocktail for an almondy twist. Store liqueur either at room temperature or in the freezer, tightly sealed.