RECIPES
Basiabzinka
Inspired by the raves of dawny_basik, who recommends this liqueur as a weapon against colds, I decided to give it a try too. Behind this charming name hides a nalewka (a traditional Polish homemade infused liqueur) made from elderflowers, which I'm using in my kitchen for the first time in my life. They smell heavenly, and when I went looking for them in my area, it was only thanks to their scent that I managed to gather just enough for this liqueur. Thanks to dawny_basik, the liqueur is already soaking in alcohol and maturing. Thank you once again for sending me the angelica root.
elderflower
Do you know how lovely this beauty smells? It smells so good and tempts me to taste it, and there's still so much time to wait. I hope everything turns out well, because I think I transferred it to a new jar just in the nick of time, before it started to ferment. Oh, it would be such a shame if it went to waste. I'm curious about the final result. I don't know whether elderflowers are still blooming where you live, but if they are, I encourage you to give this a try.
I keep thinking that I'd love to try some homemade syrup for kids that would have similar properties. Maybe a linden syrup? If you have any interesting recipes or tips, I'd be happy to hear them.
Forgive me for writing all of this so chaotically, but a cup full of strawberries with yogurt is waiting for me, along with the new issue of a cooking magazine full of French recipes. I can't wait for this culinary journey.
bzinka
Quoting from dawny_basik's blog, mozaikazycia.blogspot.com
Ingredients:
- 30-50 elderflower umbels
- 2 lemons
- 2-3 limes
- up to 700 g sugar (depending on your taste)
- 1 l water
- 1 l rectified spirit (spirytus)
- 1 tsp dried angelica root
Wash the lemons thoroughly, scald them, and cut into slices. Layer the washed umbels in a jar with the lemon slices, and pour the cooled syrup made from the water and sugar over them. Cover with cheesecloth, screw on the lid, and put in the sun for 7-10 days. Stir the contents of the jar every day and make sure it doesn't start to ferment.
After this time, strain, add the spirit, the lime juice and the angelica root, and set aside for 4 weeks. Shake the jar every day. Then leave the liqueur alone, without shaking, for another 2 weeks. After that, filter the contents of the jar and the liqueur is ready to drink, although the longer it sits, the better it will be.
Enjoy!
8 comments
Comments that readers left on my Polish blog flowerek.com between 2010 and 2015, translated from Polish. New comments are closed.
For kids, it's elderberry juice or chokeberry juice. But that's in the fall. Tinctures are good too, although not necessarily for kids. And in the spring, for kids there's dandelion flower syrup, and for adults mint liqueur and a tincture made from young pine shoots :)
I'd love to make a juice like that, but I don't know if I can still find any elderflowers anywhere. I'll definitely keep looking. I love wild rose petal jam.
Oh, and I just remembered: wild rose petal jam. I've never made it, but it looks gorgeous :)
Hello, this is my first time writing, but I've known your recipes for a long time and have already tried many of them. They're great. Today I started a batch of bzinka (there's so much elderflower around where I live that I could go into wholesale production). The sun hasn't shown up here for the last two days, but I hope the lack of it won't hurt the bzinka. What I don't know is whether, after those first 7-10 days, it should still stay in the sun? Please answer this for me, because I wouldn't want to ruin anything. Best wishes, Iwona.
Iwona, I'm jealous of that much elderflower. Sadly, there's not much of it where I live :( The bzinka only needs to sit in the sun for those 10 days. After that you can take the bzinka out of the sun. I kept my jar in the liquor cabinet. You definitely won't ruin anything. Thank you for the kind words, and best wishes :)
Flowerek, I hope that, just like us, you'll discover the virtues of this tincture, both its taste and its healing properties. Answering Iwona, I think nothing will happen to the bzinka, but you have to check on the whole thing every day, because the most important thing is not to let it ferment. Enjoy and Na zdrowie!!!!!
Beautiful photos :)
Thank you :)