Sicilian prickly pear liquor, a liquor with an intense flavor, great to serve at the end of a meal with dessert. Like all homemade liquors, the process is very simple and quick, except for the maceration time which, in this case, is about 10 days, but a week may be enough. Another Sicilian liquor I recommend trying is the mulberry liquor which I find amazing.
Returning to today’s recipe, it should be noted that this liquor can be made not only using the fruits, as I did, but also by macerating fruits and peels in alcohol. Obviously, the peels must first be thoroughly cleaned and completely free of thorns.
In Sicily, prickly pears are cultivated, but they also grow spontaneously; just move away from the city and they can be found almost everywhere. I have dedicated an area of my garden to the cultivation of these fruits, performing regular pruning and also the famous scozzolatura on some plants. This allows me to have two harvests: one part in August and a part of late fruits, which are even better, that can be harvested until December.
Other homemade liquor recipes:
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 10 Days
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Regional Italian
- Region: Sicily
Ingredients for Prickly Pear Liquor
Yields about 1 liter of liquor
- 1.1 lbs prickly pears (net weight, already peeled)
- 2 cups pure alcohol (at 96°)
- 2 cups water
- 1.75 cups sugar
Recommended Tools
- Jar
- Strainer
- Cheesecloth
- Glass Bottle
Preparation of PRICKLY PEAR LIQUOR
Peel 4 or 5 prickly pears and cut them into pieces; you will need 500 g of already peeled fruits.
Place them in a glass jar and add the alcohol. Close the jar with the lid and let it macerate for 10 days in a dark place away from heat sources (for example, inside the pantry). Once or twice a day, shake the container to facilitate the infusion process.
After 10 days, prepare the syrup: place the water and sugar in a small pot, stir, and bring to a boil. As soon as the water reaches a boil and the sugar is completely dissolved, remove from heat and let it cool.
Filter the prickly pear-infused alcohol into a bowl, then filter it a second time through a strainer lined with cheesecloth.
Add the now cold sugar syrup and mix well.
Bottle the liquor and store it in the refrigerator.
Let the prickly pear liquor mature in the refrigerator for at least 15 days before enjoying.
Notes
Keep the liquor in the fridge or freezer, so it’s served very cold. I recommend using chilled glasses from the fridge or kept in the freezer for 5-10 minutes.
If you liked this recipe, you might also be interested in the Nutella Liquor (Nutellino) or the Vodka Sour or the Caipiroska.
