Getting Nutty With Infused Spirits: A Deliciously Simple DIY Guide
If you enjoy making spirit infusions at home, this article may just come in handy! Homemade spirit infusions make for a great gift too. You can pick the spirit that your loved ones like and infuse it with their favourite fruits/herbs/spices or even nuts! Yes, yes, you read that right. Below are detailed instructions for infusing nuts in spirits. Check them out!
How To Use Nuts For Infusion
When it comes to nuts which have skins, you need to be a little careful. The skins tend to lend tannin astringency to infusions. The astringency usually mellows with age. But if you want a milder infusion, blanch and skin these nuts before using them. Skinning pecans and walnuts is a tad difficult, but worth the effort. Before infusing, it's better to roast the nuts until they are golden brown to maximise the flavour.
Infusing Nuts In Spirits
For this process, you can use either of the two methods. The first is the traditional way of steeping, which normally takes longer. The second method uses a cream whipper or nitrous oxide infuser which takes only minutes. Below are the ingredients you need for the process. You can use a whisky and hazelnut combination for your infusion. If you want to try with bourbon, then choose walnuts and/or pistachios.
Ingredients
Spirit: 500 ml McDowell's No.1 Whisky
Nuts: 400 gm Hazelnuts
Spirit: 500 ml Bulleit Bourbon
Nuts: 400 gm Walnuts and/or Pistachios (you can any ratio for either of the nuts if you are using both walnut and pistachio)
Method
1. Traditional Method
Choose a combination of spirit and nut/nuts as mentioned above. Then, crack the nuts and crush them using a muddle. In a warm oven, roast them at 130ºC. Take an airtight container and add the crushed and roasted nuts in it. Add your spirit in the container. Leave the concoction in a cool, dark cupboard for three days. Filter the infused spirit using a superbag (flexible sieve) or four thick muslin cloth or cheesecloth. Repeat the process until the haziness in the spirit disappears.
2. Rapid Method
Choose a combination of spirit and nut/nuts as mentioned earlier. Crack the nuts, crush them and then roast them in a warm oven at 130ºC. Take a cream whipper or nitrous oxide infuser and put the crushed, roasted nuts in it. Top up with the spirit. Charge with one charge of Nitrous oxide. You add nitrous oxide to the mixture to get a thick and creamy texture. The wipers come with chargers filled with nitrous oxide. You use one or more chargers as per your requirement. Leave for a minimum of 90 seconds before shaking and adding one more. Wait for 90 seconds and release the gas. Filter using a superbag or four thick muslin clothes or cheesecloth. A little bit of residue will be left, so try to finely strain as much as possible. Repeat the process until the haziness in it goes away.
While it's great to learn about alcoholic beverages, it is important to also consume alcohol moderately. Remember to serve and drink responsibly to ensure you and your guests are healthy and out of harm's way. If you know anyone who has trouble controlling their alcohol intake, please refer them to a professional immediately.
