Cucumber Basil Infused Vodka

By S_brabec

Makes 1 quart

Ingredients

• 1 medium cucumber
• 35 g basil (leaves from one medium bunch)
• 1 - 750 mL bottle vodka
• Materials
• Quart sized jar
• Coffee filter or fine mesh strainer

Details

Adapted from noshon.it

Preparation

Step 1

Preparation
Wash, peel, and seed the cucumber. Chop into about ¼ inch pieces. Place cucumber chunks into jar. They should fill about a ¼ of the jar’s volume. Pour vodka into jar - leave a couple inches at the top, to allow space for when you add the basil leaves in later. Muddle the cucumber pieces slightly - a wooden spoon works great! Screw lid on jar and store in a cool, dark place for 5 days. (Taste along the way - you want your vodka to be about ¾ of the cucumber-y flavor that you’d like it to be before you add in the basil) Give jar a little shake once a day.



Wash basil. Tear roughly into pieces. Add to infusing cucumbers and vodka, making sure to squish leaves down so that they are covered by liquid. Give the ingredients another quick muddle. Screw lid on again and leave for 4 days until you are satisfied with the flavor, tasting along the way to check.

Once you’ve deemed your infusion ready, set a coffee filter in a funnel over a jar, or on top of another strainer. You can also use a regular strainer set over a bowl - in most cases, this should be enough to catch pieces of floating basil and cucumber, but if you see any particularly tiny ones, go for the coffee filter. Pour vodka from jar over strainer or filter. Discard soaked cucumber and basil. Pour infused vodka into a jar and refrigerate to store for up to several months.