Black Pepper Infused Vodka Recipes

INFUSED VODKA

Steps:

• Wash and dry the lemon, lime, and orange. Using a zester or a strong vegetable peeler, peel the skin of each citrus fruit to create narrow ribbons.;
• When handling peppers, it's best to use rubber gloves; some varieties can sting or even burn the skin. Wash and dry the peppers and slit them lengthwise into slivers. For stronger flavor, leave the seeds intact. For milder flavor, remove. Avoid getting the juice near eyes.
• For Both Recipes: Clean bottle in warm sudsy water. Rinse and dry. Gently place the citrus peels or peppers into the gift bottle, pour in the vodka, and cover the top of the bottle. (Do not seal at this point) Place the bottle in the refrigerator and let the ingredients steep for at least 3 hours - 2 days is better. Before giving, top off the bottle with additional vodka. (The infusion ingredients will soak up some of the vodka.) Seal the bottle with a cork or glass bottle stopper and seal with sealing wax. Tie a thin metal wire or fabric ribbon around the top of the neck, if so desired.

PEPPER VODKA

Steps:

• Add the peppercorns to the vodka and allow to sit in a cool dark place for 7 days. Stir or gently shake to combine every few days. After 7 days, strain through a fine mesh strainer to remove the peppercorns. Place in a sterilized* glass container with a lid and store in a cool dark place.
• Tips on Sterilizing Jars Properly-handled sterilized equipment will keep canned foods in good condition for years. Sterilizing jars is the first step of preserving foods.
• Sterilizing Tips: Jars should be made from glass and free of any chips or cracks. Preserving or canning jars are topped with a glass, plastic, or metal lid, which has a rubber seal. Two piece lids are best for canning, as they vacuum seal when processed. To sterilize jars, before filling with jams, pickles, or preserves, wash jars and lids with hot, soapy water. Rinse well and arrange jars and lids open sides up, without touching, on a tray. Boil the jars and lids in a large saucepan, covered with water, for 15 minutes. Use tongs when handling the hot sterilized jars, to move them from boiling water. Be sure the tongs are sterilized too, by dipping the ends in boiling water for a few minutes. As a rule, hot preserves go into hot jars and cold preserves go into cold jars. All items used in the process of making jams, jellies, and preserves must be clean. This includes any towels used, and especially your hands. After the jars are sterilized, you can preserve the food. It is important to follow any canning and processing instructions included in the recipe and refer to USDA guidelines about the sterilization of canned products.