Infused with cinnamon, clove, and the peels of blood oranges and meyer lemons, this Spiced Citrus Vodka is super simple to make at home.
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Making infused liquors at home is so much easier than you might think. As long as you have a little time to prep the ingredients and a little patience to wait for the flavors to infuse, the process itself is beyond simple.
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Spiced Citrus Vodka
For this Spiced Citrus Vodka, I combined the sunny and bright peels of seasonal winter citrus – meyer lemons and blood oranges – and let them sit for a month in an extra large mason jar. I then added a stick of cinnamon and some whole cloves for a scant few days to impart a bit of holiday spice to the mix. The spices don’t need long – just two to three days – or else they might overpower the other flavors.
Once the vodka is infused, you strain out the solids and voila! A bright and sweet flavored vodka ready to be bottled. I personally love these Boston Round Amber Glass Bottles for storage and gifting!
Food In Jars Mastery Challenge
I was inspired to make this recipe thanks to the Food In Jars Mastery Challenge. Developed by Marisa McClellan of Food In Jars fame, every month we are prompted to attempt a different kind of preservation technique. January was Citrus month, and in camaraderie with my fellow canners I decided to infuse vodka with winter citrus. This recipe is the delicious result of that challenge.
February was Fermentation (I made Marisa’s Kimchi Kraut recipe), and this coming month (March) is all about Herbs – join in on the fun by checking out this page!
Leftover Citrus Juice
Don’t let that citrus juice go to waste! The orange and lemon juices can be frozen for later, or you can use them right away in a different, fabulous recipe. Here are a few you can try:
- Citrus Vinaigrette
- Lemon Icebox Pie
- Plumcake all’Arancia (Orange Loaf Cake)
- Gluten-Free Lemon Cookies
- Cranberry Orange Pie
- Large Batch Whiskey Sours
Now What?
Use your Spiced Citrus Vodka in place of regular vodka in a variety of drinks, including a special Spiced Lemon Drop (link coming soon). It also will taste great mixed with cranberry or orange juices, and even lemonade! Enjoy the taste of wintry citrus all year long with a bottle in your liquor cabinet.
Spiced Citrus Vodka Infused with Blood Orange & Meyer Lemon
Ingredients
- 5 Meyer lemons
- 6 blood oranges
- 5 cups vodka, 80 proof or higher
- 1 cinnamon stick, broken
- 1 tablespoon whole cloves
Supplies
- 1 extra large mason jar
- Vegetable peeler
- Bottles and labels for storage
Instructions
- Using a vegetable peeler, remove the peel from the oranges and lemons, leaving behind as much pith as possible (pith will make the infused vodka bitter). Juice the peeled fruit and reserve for another use.
- Place all the peels into a large, sealable container (like an extra large mason jar). Fill with vodka until covered, leaving at least an inch or so of head space at the top.
- Let the peels infuse for about 1 month in a cool, dark place. Shake occasionally.
- After one month, add the cinnamon stick and cloves. Let these infuse for 2 more days.
- After the vodka is infused and turns a lovely dark yellow, strain the peels and spices out of the vodka using a fine mesh sieve.
- Bottle the infused spiced citrus vodka into swing top or screw top bottles. Store indefinitely.
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