How to prepare slivovitz at home. Homemade slivovitz or what could be better

Slivovitz is the real pride of the Czech Republic and a number of Balkan countries, Croatia, Bulgaria, Bosnia, Macedonia, and Serbia. Especially Serbia. It is the Serbian moonshiners who say:

“In the kingdom of alcoholic beverages there are two kings – Scotch whiskey and French cognac, and only one queen – Serbian plum brandy.” This is understandable, Serbia is one of the largest suppliers of plums in Europe (about 12% of the entire market), 90% of the total harvest is used to prepare “Serbian brandy slivovitz”.

It is nothing more than plum brandy and is similar in preparation technology to chacha and grappa, only the raw material is different - fermented plum juice. The strength of slivovitz after the first distillation is 45% (at home it reaches 52%), and with double distillation it is 75%. Czechs prefer triple.

In the Balkans, slivovitz is aged for at least 5 years in oak barrels, during which time the drink becomes more refined and rich in taste. In the Czech Republic, plum brandy is aged for up to 10 years in 6.5 m high Limousin oak vats. In any case, the drink requires rest and long aging.

Czech plum brandy

Our lands are also not deprived of plums, so preparing slivovitz at home is possible and even necessary.

Below is a more or less classic recipe, the main difference of which from most other modified recipes is the absence of sugar and yeast in the wort.

They impoverish the taste/smell of the drink, and the alcohol itself is of poorer quality.

Recipe for slivovitz (plum brandy)

Essentially, we only need plums and water, but if the plums ripened during the rainy season and their sugar content is very low, then it is difficult to do without adding sugar. But you need to sprinkle it as little as possible, otherwise the so-called. will turn into a banal mash for moonshine. In the slivovitz recipe below we will use:

  • 11 kg - plum fruits;
  • 8-9 l - clean water;
  • 3 kg - sugar, the amount of which depends on the sweetness of the plums;
  • 2 fermentation tanks.

The cooking technology is not complicated in principle and consists of several main steps:

  • Preparation of fruits.
  • Setting up the wort for fermentation.
  • Fermentation.
  • Distillation.
  • Infusion.

Preparing fruits for plum brandy

In general, to prepare plum brandy, it is better to use domestic plum (Prunus domestica), but any other variety will do: Hungarian, Renclod, Altana, Mirabelle, egg, etc...

The fruits should be collected as late as possible, until the first frost, when the plums become most sugary (the optimal sugar content is 8-9%). The plums should be as ripe as possible, but not wrinkled around the cuttings. Rotten and moldy fruits should be removed.

There is no need to wash plums, since there are natural yeast cultures on their surface (it is enough to wipe the surface with a thick cloth). The fruits need to be pitted, dividing them into two halves, and then crushed directly in the fermentation container to a homogeneous pulp.

At home, this can be done with a meat grinder or drill with a special attachment. It is also recommended to add 15-20% crushed seeds to the main wort - they give the drink a bitter almond flavor.

Setting up the wort for fermentation

There's nothing new here. In a fermentation container, and traditionally these are wooden vats/barrels/tubs, you need to place crushed plums. As such a container, you can also use food-grade plastic barrels, which are now easy to buy.

If the wort does not seem sweet enough, and here you can be guided by your taste sensations or hydrometer readings, you can sweeten it. Just add 100-200 g of sugar until the optimal sugar content is reached - 8-9%.

The fermentation container must be covered with gauze and sent to a warm place for a day to allow the fermentation process to begin. If everything went as it should, foam will begin to form on the surface. If fermentation has not started after 24 hours, you can try adding a little more sugar and wait 12 hours.

After the start of fermentation, the wort needs to be poured into another fermentation container (and here you can use a glass one with a more or less wide neck) and add water.

In this case, the container should be filled no more than 4/5 of the total volume, since the wort will actively foam. Mix thoroughly, install a water seal on the neck (the principle of its manufacture is described in the article). Now let's move on to the next stage.

Fermentation of plum wort

The fermentation container with our “brzechka” (Czech “braga”) should be placed in a dark place and protected from sunlight and temperature changes. The ideal fermentation temperature is +15°C, but at home you can bring it to the optimal +20…22°C. On average, “brzechka” ferments for 2-4 weeks at +20...22°C, at +15°C – 6-8 weeks.

During fermentation, carbon dioxide is actively released, which “sparkles” the wort and thereby stirs it (stirring the “brzechka” yourself is strictly prohibited). Gases also raise crushed fruits to the surface, forming a foamy “cap”.

This “cap” must be removed from the wort before it sinks to the bottom - this will be clearly visible if the container is glass. Plum pulp contains many harmful impurities, in particular light acids. After carbon dioxide has ceased to be released from the water seal, you should immediately begin distillation.

Distillation of slivovitz

We will drive at least twice. To do this, we pour the fermented wort into a distillation cube and drive it “to dryness,” that is, until the alcohol is no longer noticeable in the distillate.

During the first distillation, you should not cut off the “tails” and “heads,” since they, and especially the “tails,” contain many aromatic fruit substances, the boiling point of which is the same as that of fusel oils.

However, the heads can be cut off, but in the Czech Republic they do not use fractional distillation at all.

The second distillation must be carried out with cutting off the “heads” and “tails”, while the raw alcohol obtained after the first distillation should be diluted to 25-35%. Read more about the process of fractional distillation.

The second time is also distilled “dry”; the “heads” in the Balkans are used for medicinal purposes; the “tails” can be added to the next distillation. If you stick to this recipe, you should get approximately 100-150 ml of heads, 1-1.5 liters of the main product, and about 200 ml of tails.

After double distillation, the strength of slivovitz will be about 55-60%. You can drink it like that, but it’s better to dilute it to the optimal 45% (correct).

Infusion, ripening of slivovitz

Slivovitz is aged in oak barrels and if you have such an opportunity, be sure to take advantage of it. Of course, you will need more product - at least 20-30 liters, so as not to lose the unequal fight with "".

In Serbia, 100 kg of plums yield an average of 10-11 liters of slivovitz, so you will need quite a few fruits. Some craftsmen recommend tasting it immediately after pasture - we cannot recommend such nonsense. Give the drink at least a month or two to rest, and it will generously thank you with its refined taste.

By the way, slivovitz also ages well in glass bottles, like wine, you just need to use the right corks. The same “Rudolf Jelinek”, a popular producer of “palenki” in the Czech Republic (that’s what brandy is called in this country), ages slivovitz 53% in glass until its strength drops to the required 50%. In Moravia, bottles are buried in the ground and taken away only in the event of an important event.

How to drink slivovitz correctly

The drink is strong and is an excellent aperitif. It should be drunk only in its pure form, without mixing with any other drinks in which the “Balkan queen” feels uncomfortable and spoils the “cocktail” with a metallic aftertaste.

Only the Japanese liqueur Midori, made from melon rinds, enjoys her favor. But toasted cornbread goes great with plum brandy as a snack. Traditionally, the first glass is not taken as a snack, and it is not necessary.

And finally. Slivovitz is not the only fruit brandy that is prepared in the Balkans and the Czech Republic. Here is a small list of “palenki” produced by the company “Rudolf Jelinek”:

  • Cherny rybiz - blackcurrant brandy.
  • Cherry is a brandy made from Kelleris cherries.
  • Oskerusha is a brandy made from rotten wild pear fruits.
  • Douglaska is a brandy made from young shoots of coniferous trees.
  • Moravian nuclear brandy - apple “seed” brandy.
  • Ostruzhina - blackberry brandy.
  • Yagodovica - strawberry brandy.
  • Hazel (hazelnut) brandy.
  • Without black - elderberry brandy.
  • Boruvkovica - Malinowitz blueberry brandy.
  • Cherveny Erab - red rowan brandy.
  • Vilyame is a pear tree made from pears of the same variety.
  • Pivni palenka is a beer brandy vaguely reminiscent of young whiskey.
  • Cherny Erab - chokeberry brandy.
  • Kdoule - quince brandy.

Drinks are produced in limited quantities in 0.35 liter bottles and exclusively on pre-order. But the “Serbian queen” is persecuted often and regularly. So, now you know how to make slivovitz at home, use this knowledge wisely and you will succeed.

Plum is a fruit with a pleasant sourness, which makes excellent desserts, baked goods and various wines, tinctures, and liqueurs. For those who prefer to prepare alcoholic drinks on their own, we present several simple recipes for plums at home. Depending on your preferences, you can get low-alcohol and strong liqueurs. Any fruit is suitable for making drinks, but the most delicious liqueur is obtained from red sweet plums, varieties “Hungarian”, “Renklod”, “Canadian”. Of the yellow varieties, the Mirabelle plum is the best.

Preparation of plums

Before you make plum at home, you need to properly prepare the fruits. The quality of the drink will depend on this.

To prepare homemade plum liqueur or tincture, it is better to take slightly overripe fruits. But they should not be too ripe, otherwise the high pectin content will turn everything into a jelly-like mass.

Slivyanka recipes

There are different recipes for liqueurs made with plums: sweet and not so sweet, strong and light. Let's look at the best ways to prepare plums.

Classic recipe for slivyanka without vodka

In this recipe, it is better to remove the pits from the plums. It is recommended to take red varieties of plums.


You will need:

  • Peeled plums – 6 kg.
  • Granulated sugar – 2.8-3 kg.
  • Water – 3 glasses.

Cooking instructions:

  • Cut the plums into slices, cover them with sugar, add water and mix everything thoroughly. When the sugar has melted, pour the mixture into a previously prepared glass bottle.
  • Seal the neck of the vessel with a breathable material: bandage, gauze, light, clean cloth.
  • Place the container in a warm, dark place for 2-3 days.
  • After the specified period of time, the fermentation process should begin. This will be noticeable by the resulting foam and sour smell. The fabric stopper must be removed and a water seal must be placed on the neck of the vessel. In home preparation, ordinary medical gloves are often used as a water seal. You need to make a small hole on one finger for air to escape. Wearing a glove, put the container back in a dark place.
  • Once the fermentation process is complete (the glove is deflated), filter the liquid and separate the wort.
  • Pour the resulting transparent liqueur into bottles and send it to mature in a cellar or other dark and cool place for 2 months. After the expiration of the term, the plum is ready.

Plum liqueur prepared without vodka is not very strong (about 16 degrees). It has a pleasant sweetish taste with sourness and a pronounced plum aroma. If you prepare homemade liqueur without yeast with seeds, then notes of bitterness will appear in the taste.

This drink can be served with white meat, cold appetizers and desserts. Unopened bottles can be stored for up to 2 years. Opened plum can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 10 days.


Vodka recipe

Slivyanka with vodka cooks faster. This method is suitable for those who like stronger alcoholic drinks. Plums can be used either peeled or with pits.

Ingredients:

  • Ripe plum – 1 kg.
  • Vodka – 400-500 ml.
  • Granulated sugar – 350-400 g.

Prepare in advance clean glass jars in which you will make the liqueur.

Note! The entire process of preparing homemade plum must take place under sterile conditions.

Cooking instructions:

  • Rinse and dry the plums. If they are large, you can cut them into 2-4 parts.
  • Place the fruits in layers, covering each layer with sugar.
  • Cover the filled jars with gauze and put them in a dark, warm place for a day or two.
  • During this time, the plum should give juice. To ensure that the fruits are completely saturated with it, the containers need to be shaken every 4-5 hours.
  • After 2 days, pour vodka into the containers so as to fill them to the brim.
  • Seal the jars with lids and store in a cool, dark place for 1 month.
  • After this, uncork the containers, strain the tincture, separating the fruits, and pour the filtered liquid into bottles. Slivyanka is ready to eat.

This homemade recipe for plum cake with sugar and vodka can be modified as you wish. To obtain a sweeter liqueur, increase the amount of sugar. You can also add some berries and spices to the plums for aroma and rich taste. If you don’t have vodka, it’s quite acceptable to make a plum liqueur using moonshine. The tincture can be stored for a year in well-sealed bottles.


Bitter-sour plum

Not everyone likes sweet alcoholic drinks. For those who appreciate tart liqueurs with bitterness and sourness, the recipe below is suitable. Unsweetened plum is prepared at home, also with vodka. You can replace vodka with diluted alcohol or moonshine. In this recipe, it is very important that the plums are ripe and not too sour, otherwise the drink will not be very pleasant.

You will need:

  • Plums – 1 kg.
  • Vodka – 400-500 ml.

Cooking process:

  • Rinse the plums, make cuts on them; there is no need to peel them.
  • Place the fruits in jars and fill with vodka.
  • Seal the containers with lids and put them in a cool, dark place for 1.5 months.
  • After the expiration date, filter the contents of the jars. Pour the resulting liqueur into bottles. Slivyanka is ready and can be consumed immediately after pouring.

The drink is ideal with meat dishes, salads, and vegetables. Unsweetened plum liqueur can be stored at home for no more than 1 year in a hermetically sealed container.

Strong alcohol-based plum


Those who like stronger drinks can make slivyanka with alcohol, diluting it to the desired degree. The alcohol must be pure, preferably medical grade. It is best to prepare this liqueur from yellow plums.

Ingredients:

  • Plum fruits – 2 kg.
  • Alcohol (96 or 70 degrees) – 1 glass.
  • Sugar – 500 g.
  • Fresh mint – 3-4 sprigs.

How to cook:

  • Peel the plums and grind them into puree using a blender or meat grinder.
  • Mix the puree with sugar, add mint leaves and pour alcohol over everything.
  • Divide the mixture into jars, seal them with lids and store in a cool, dark place for 30-35 days.
  • Afterwards, strain the plum through several layers of gauze or cotton wool.

The liqueur turns out to be thick, tart and very tasty, despite its high strength. It can be diluted when serving, and also added to tea and coffee in winter. This tincture can be stored for a long time - 3-4 years.

Jam plum recipe

If you have leftover plum jam, you can use it to make a wonderful, sweet-tasting alcoholic drink.

Preparing this liqueur is somewhat labor-intensive, but the taste is excellent.

Products:

  • Plum jam – 1 l.
  • Vodka – 1.5 l.

Home manufacturing technology:

  • In a convenient container, mix the jam with vodka until you get a homogeneous mass.
  • Pour the resulting liquid into clean jars, close them with lids and put them in a warm place to ferment for 6-7 days. You need to shake the jars every day.
  • After a week, move the containers to a cool, dark place and leave them for another 3 days, continuing to shake.
  • After time, carefully drain the separated liquid. The sediment should remain at the bottom. To make it transparent, filter through several layers of gauze.
  • If the sweetness is not enough, add sugar to the tincture and stir until completely dissolved.
  • Pour the liquid into bottles and store in a cool place for another 3-7 days. The longer the plum is infused, the better its taste will be.

The resulting liqueur can be stored for up to 3 years in an airtight container. The opened drink should be kept in the refrigerator for no more than 2 weeks.

Now you know how to make delicious homemade liqueur with plums of different strengths and sweetness. Choose the most suitable recipe and enjoy the fruity alcoholic drink.

There are many delicious and aromatic alcoholic drinks that can be prepared at home. Slivovitz is one of these drinks. This is a fairly strong alcohol, from 40 to 50 degrees, and even those who have just begun to master the art of moonshine can cope with its preparation.

Slivovitz is a kind of brandy, or simply moonshine made with plums. In Western countries it is known as rakia and is most popular in the Balkans. The Serbian version of the drink is very popular all over the world, and Czech rakia is also famous. Each recipe for making an alcoholic drink with plums has its own nuances. Some argue that rakia and slivovitz are essentially the same drink, just under different names. Others argue that, despite the similarities, these are still two different moonshine products.

Secrets of homemade plum brandy

The first step is to answer the question about the presence of sugar in a traditional recipe. Many who decide to make plum brandy at home for the first time ask this very question. Classic preparation of the drink eliminates the addition of sugar. But if we take into account many nuances that relate to the climatic and geographical conditions of our country’s location, the presence of sugar in the drink is still allowed. The plums that grow in our gardens often do not have enough sweetness.

Each nation makes amendments to recipes that are borrowed from other countries. If you have plums with a low sugar content, you have to adjust the technology for preparing slivovitz. In principle, to prepare rakia you only need plums and water, but if the fruits taste sour, you will have to add sweetness. However, it is better not to overdo it, otherwise instead of a pleasant drink you will end up with ordinary mash.

So, in optimal proportions you will need:

  • 10-11 kilograms of ripe plums;
  • 9 liters of purified water;
  • The amount of sugar is determined by eye and depends on the sweetness of the fruit.

In addition, you will need two fermentation containers. Making slivovitz is not that difficult. The first step is the preparation of the plums, then the wort is set, fermentation occurs, after which the drink is subjected to double distillation and infused.

Properly preparing the fruits

Homemade plums are best suited for making slivovitz, but if they are not available, then any available variety will do. It can be Hungarian plum, altana, egg or mirabelle. The fruits for slivovitz are harvested as late as possible, before the first frost. That's when they are the sweetest. The fruits need to be allowed to ripen as much as possible, but not to miss the moment when they begin to rot and deteriorate.

The surface of the fruit contains natural yeast, so they are not washed when preparing alcoholic beverages.

To get rid of dirt and dust, you just need to wipe them with a dry cloth. The plums need to be pitted, divided into two halves and crushed into a puree directly in the fermentation container. This is easy to do using a regular kitchen meat grinder or drill with a chopping attachment. It is also recommended to add a fifth of the seeds to the wort, which also need to be crushed first. The fruit seeds will give plum brandy a bitter, tart flavor.

Setting up the wort for fermentation

In principle, this process does not bring anything new. As a container for fermentation, you can use a wooden vat or barrel in which plum pulp is placed. You can also use plastic barrels if the material is suitable for food. If the wort does not seem sweet, you can add sugar to taste, or follow the hydrometer readings. It is worth adding sugar little by little and stirring, periodically measuring the sugar content. Ideally, the figure is 18 percent.

In order to begin the fermentation process, the barrel of wort must be covered with a thin cloth or gauze and placed in a warm place for a day. If the process goes correctly, foam will begin to form on the surface. If after a day there are no signs of fermentation, then you should add more sugar and wait another ten hours.

After the fermentation process has begun, the wort can be poured into a more convenient, even glass, container. To reduce the acidity of the wort, you need to add water at this stage. The wort will foam a lot, so you don't want the container to be filled to the top. The wort needs to be mixed well, and a water seal must be installed on the neck of the bottle. The mash should be placed in a dark place where it will be protected from any temperature changes and sunlight. Ideally, the room temperature should be 15 degrees, but 20-22 is allowed. At a temperature of 15 degrees, the mash will be ready in one and a half to two months. At a temperature of 22 degrees, this process will be reduced to two or four weeks.

During the fermentation process, carbon dioxide is released in large quantities, with the help of which spontaneous mixing of the mash occurs. It is strictly forbidden to chop the wort yourself. The gas will lift up pieces of plums, thereby forming a film. It’s good if you can carefully remove it without waiting for it to sink to the bottom of the bottle. This film contains quite a lot of harmful and unnecessary impurities. It is worth starting distillation immediately after carbon dioxide has ceased to be released.

Distillation and infusion of slivovitz

The drink should be distilled at least twice. To do this, the mash is poured into a distillation cube and distilled until the alcohol is no longer felt in the distiller. The mash turns out thick, so to avoid burning, you need to heat it over low heat, or it is better to use a steam generator. During the first distillation, you should not remove the first and last product. It contains many aromatic oils.

During the second distillation, the first and last alcohols should be cut off by diluting the raw alcohol from the first distillation to 25 degrees. Often the first one is used for medicinal purposes, and the “tail” is used for further distillation. If you completely follow the proportions, you should get about 150 grams of the first product, one and a half liters of the main product, and 200 grams of the tail. After the second distillation, slivovitz is very strong, up to 60 degrees.

Of course, lovers of strong drinks can drink it this way, but it’s still worth diluting it to 45 degrees.

Traditionally, rakia is infused in oak barrels; if there is such an opportunity, then there is no need to neglect it. Of course, at least 10 liters of slivovitz are infused in barrels. To obtain this amount of drink, Serbs consume at least one hundred kilograms of plums. Tasting the drink immediately after driving is a bad idea.

The drink should rest for one to two months and brew. Only then will its taste be pleasant and its aroma exquisite.

If there is no oak barrel, or the volume of slivovitz does not allow it to infuse there, then glass bottles are also great, but only with the right lid. In the Czech Republic, slivovitz is aged until its strength drops from 53 degrees to 50. And in Moravia, the bottles are buried and taken out only on occasion.

History of the drink and how to drink it correctly

Absolutely all residents of the Balkans prepare slivovitz. They produce it not only for themselves, but also treat tourists to the drink, and even use it as a means of combating many ailments. Residents of the Balkans are well versed in the intricacies of distilling slivovitz, and its fundamental difference from moonshine. They age the drink for at least one year, and sometimes even five years.

The real drink called slivovitz has a characteristic golden color. It acquires this shade due to prolonged infusion in oak barrels. Therefore, if plum brandy at home turns out transparent, there is no need to doubt the quality of the drink. By the way, store-bought plum brandy may not have any color. This alcohol is very easy to drink, even though it is very strong. It doesn't burn, and even the hangover from it is quite mild.

The Serbs have a patent for it, but this is not entirely fair. The Czechs prepared such a drink five hundred years ago, and in Moravia during the war they ate only plums, and alcohol was also prepared from its fruits. But, starting from 2007, only Serbia can produce a drink called Slivovitz, so in stores you should be very careful, be sure to pay attention to the manufacturer and year of production.

Of course, in order not to fall for a fake, it is better to prepare this drink yourself. In our country there are no problems with plums, and in a year rich in such fruits, you don’t have to worry about it.

Where to use them

In addition to following the correct preparation and infusion process, slivovitz must be drunk correctly. This is a very strong drink, and drinking culture is more important here than ever. Most often, slivovitz serves as an aperitif, and only in its pure form. You should not add slivovitz to cocktails, it will only spoil the taste with metallic notes. The ideal snack for this drink is lightly toasted cornbread. As a rule, you are not supposed to eat the first glass, but with slivovitz there is no need for this.

Strong alcohol causes an increased appetite, which is why slivovitz is ideal for an aperitif. It is often used to replace vodka on the holiday table. Fruity notes go well with most meat dishes, so you can snack on what we are used to seeing on the table. The temperature of slivovitz when consumed may vary. Some prefer chilled plum brandy, while others, on the contrary, heat it up. Room temperature of the drink is also suitable. It’s worth trying different options, because each temperature state reveals individual notes of the drink.

Of course, not only slivovitz is prepared in the Balkans. There you can find a large number of alcoholic drinks made with various fruits and berries, as well as real fruit mixes. Various versions of brandy are popular in the Czech Republic, for example, blackcurrant, slightly rotten wild pear, cherry, blackberry and strawberry. Pine brandy, made with brewer's yeast and apples, is also popular there. All these drinks can be found on the shelves of Czech stores or prepared at home.

Balkans are accustomed to treating wounds and cuts with slivovitz, using brandy as an antiseptic. In combination with various herbs, tinctures based on plum brandy help them fight cardiovascular diseases, rheumatism, radiculitis and colds. It is also used in home cosmetology to cleanse the skin of various rashes. It also helps with nervous system disorders.

The drink, which has long conquered the hearts of Serbs and Czechs, is gradually gaining popularity all over the world. This is not surprising, because it is based on natural ingredients, these are just plums that turn into a pleasant alcoholic drink.

Slivovitz is a delicious alcoholic drink with a strength of 40-50 degrees, which anyone can prepare at home. There is a simple recipe that even a beginner in moonshine can easily master.

In many European countries it is also known as rakia. It is made most of all in the Balkans. Serbian rakia has become widely known. However, the Czech version of the drink is no less popular. The recipes for their preparation, of course, have their own peculiarities. Some connoisseurs of alcohol believe that rakia is slivovitz. Others argue that these are very close, but still different drinks.

If this alcohol seems too strong to you, then softer and tasty drinks can also be made from plums. A striking example is homemade.

How to do it at home?

First of all, we want to answer the most common question that people ask when trying to make it at home: “Do I need to add sugar?” If we turn to the traditional classic recipe, the answer will always be negative. However, if we take into account the geographical and climatic features of our country, we will no longer be so categorical. The fact is that the plums that ripen in our country often do not have the necessary sweetness and sugar content.

To make slivovitz tasty in such a situation, we must make appropriate adjustments to the recipe and use sugar. In any case, correct understanding comes only with practice and experience.

Slivovitz is a classic recipe.

You will need the following ingredients:

  • ripe plums – 6 kg;
  • filtered water – 4 liters.

The correct sequence of actions when preparing a drink at home.

1. Preparation of fruits.

Remember, plums cannot be washed. This is due to the fact that their skin contains natural yeast, which we need for the normal fermentation process.

For our plum brandy recipe, only ripe sweet plums are suitable. It’s not scary if you pick them from the tree or pick them from the ground when they’re a little overripe.

All fruits are divided in half. The seeds are extracted from them. Then they need to be crushed until smooth. For these purposes, you can use a meat grinder or blender. Place the finished plum mass in a fermentation container.

2. Prepare the wort for the mash.

If you plan to add sugar to our brandy, then this should be done at this stage. There can be no exact recommendations here. It all depends on the sugar content of the plums you use.

Taste the plum mixture. If you don't taste the sweetness, add sugar. After adding it, taste the wort again. Repeat the procedure if necessary. Sometimes it is enough to add 70-100 grams. However, in some cases, 200-300 grams may not be enough. Trust your taste and do everything boldly.

3. Fermentation.

Place the fermentation container in a warm and dark place for 24 hours. Its neck should be tied with gauze. If you did everything correctly, then after a day you will see foam on the surface of the wort. Otherwise, pour another 200 grams of granulated sugar into the container and wait an additional 10-12 hours.

After you see bubbles on the surface of the wort, pour the prepared water into our container. After this, mix thoroughly and install the water seal. If you are used to using a rubber glove, you can do the same in this case.

In order for fermentation to be fast and of high quality, it is necessary to create the right conditions. The container with mash should be in a dark room with a temperature of 19-25 degrees. In this case, fermentation can last 15-20 days. It is very easy to understand when it is finished. If bubbles stop forming, then everything is ready to start distillation.

4. Distillation.

Pour the finished mash into the distillation cube of the moonshine still. When distilling, you need to select the “body” of the slivovitz. Throw back the “heads” - the first 100 ml of output. This is done because Pervak ​​contains acetone. We stop collecting the product when the output strength drops below 40 degrees. Next will be the “tails”, which also contain harmful substances.

Then re-distillation should be carried out. This will help you get rid of fusel oils for sure. The result will be slivovitz with a strength of 50-60 degrees. If necessary, it can be diluted with water. If you focus on a strength of 44-45 degrees, then at the end you will get 500-800 ml of slivovitz.

Any fruit moonshine will significantly improve its taste if, after distillation, it is infused in wooden oak barrels. If you don’t have them or you just don’t want to waste time on this, then you can start tasting.

There is another example of a classic fruit brandy - grappa. In terms of popularity, this alcoholic beverage in Italy can compete with wine. And this says a lot! Quite simply prepared from any grape variety.

What varieties of plums are best to use?

Slivovitz is unpretentious in this sense. You can take the fruits that you can get your hands on. However, choose the sweetest plums. The less sugar you use when making slivovitz at home, the more enjoyable the tasting you will get.

You can use the following varieties of plums: Alyonushka, Vengerka, Candy, Kroman, Medovaya, Narach, Tulitsa and any others.

How to drink correctly?

Slivovitz is an excellent aperitif. In other words, one glass is drunk before a meal for appetite. In this case, do not bite it. So, you will truly feel the taste and quickly feel a beastly appetite.

Slivovitz can be served at a holiday table instead of vodka. In this case, eat it the same way you are used to with other strong alcohol. Any hot meat dish is great.

You should drink slivovitz only in its pure form.

Slivovitz can be of different strengths - from 45 to 75% vol., but it is always prepared from fermented plum juice. Once upon a time, plum vodka was on the table of every Jewish family in Eastern Europe. On Passover it was forbidden to drink alcohol made from grain, and slivovitz was considered kosher. While settling around the world, emigrants popularized this drink and now you can see moonshine on plums in almost any country.

Essentially slivovitz - fruit brandy. Fermented sweet plum juice undergoes two or three distillations and is aged in oak barrels for a period of one to five years. High-quality alcohol is golden and smells like plums, but not all samples can boast of this.

Slivovitz gets its color and oiliness in oak barrels; if the drink is colorless, it tastes closer to grape brandy. It’s difficult to buy real plum brandy in our stores, but you can make it yourself.

In 100 ml slivovitz 302 kcal. Fruit alcohol is rich in vitamins B2 and PP and microelements, including iron, potassium, phosphorus and calcium. It is believed that a glass before dinner helps digest fatty foods and facilitates digestion.

What do you need for home cooking?

Procurement of raw materials:

  • If there are a lot of plums in your region, the harvest can be put to good use. It’s good if the plums are sweet, then you will do without adding sugar and yeast, and the taste of fruit brandy will be noble. Unfortunately, northern plums differ from Balkan plums, but their sugar content must be taken into account when creating a recipe.
  • Plums become sweeter after frost; try to collect overripe and frozen fruits.
  • Do not use rotten or spoiled fruit.
  • It is good if plums are collected in dry weather. In this case, live yeast will remain on the skin.
  • The original technology involves fermentation in wooden containers, but they are perfectly replaced by plastic or glass containers.
  • Wash all equipment and hands thoroughly, otherwise microbes will interfere with fermentation, and the plums will simply turn sour or moldy.

Homemade recipe

Ingredients:

  • 11-12 kg plums.
  • Sugar - depending on the sweetness of the plums.
  • Water - 8 l.

Wort production

Do not wash the plums. Take out the seeds, you can leave a few pieces to give the alcohol an almond flavor. Grind the fruits using any available method and start making the wort:

  1. Try plum puree. If it is sour, add a little sugar and stir. Add 100 g at a time until the wort becomes sweetish. Optimal sugar content is 8%.
  2. Place the mixture in a fermentation container, tie gauze around the throat and place in a warm place.
  3. You will know about the start of fermentation in about a day - foam will appear on the surface. If this does not happen, add sugar and leave for another day. Sometimes fermentation does not begin, then you will have to save the raw material by turning it into yeast.
  4. Pour water at a temperature of about 27-28 o C into the fermented mass. Stir.
  5. Close the container with a water seal or a rubber glove with a hole.

Fermentation

The basis of the distillate should be wine. Place the container with the wort in a dark and warm room.

The process can last from 2 to 8 weeks. The end of fermentation is indicated by the settling of the “cap” to the bottom and the cessation of gurgling (the rubber glove falls off).

Distillation

  1. Separate the wine from the sediment.
  2. Distill twice through a moonshine still, cutting off the heads and tails. You can carry out a third distillation, since it is impossible to purify alcohol with charcoal or other methods - it will lose its aroma.
  3. Before re-distillation, dilute the distillate with water to 25-35% vol.
  4. After a three hour distillation you will get approximately 150g of heads and 200ml of tails. The rest is strong distillate, which needs up to 45% vol.

The product yield from 11 kg of plums is 1 liter.

Infusion and aging

  1. Slivovitz is already ready for consumption, but it still needs to be finished in an oak barrel or on oak chips.
  2. For home conditions, the optimal holding period is 1 year, although in places of mass production alcohol is kept for up to 5 years.
  3. If there is no barrel or pegs, just let the slivovitz rest in bottles for a couple of months.
  4. It is advisable to store the finished drink in a dark and cool place.

How to drink?

  • Slivovitz is drunk in small glasses before meals to stimulate the appetite. They start having a snack with the second glass; crispy toasted bread will be very helpful.
  • When mixed with other alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, rakia gives the cocktail an unpleasant metallic taste.
  • The strength of the alcohol from the plums is not felt, but it is deceptively light. Consider the degrees and volumes of drinks.

Many consider the taste of rakia to be peculiar, but lovers of fruit vodka are not ready to exchange it even for elite alcohol. Try it, maybe this is your drink.

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