Sloe liqueur, Grandma's style

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 1 ½ kg sloes
• 1 kg brown rock sugar
• 1 vanilla pod(s)
• 1 1/2 liters brown rum, 54% ABV
• 2 liters of water

Instructions

Working time approx. 2 hours 30 minutes; Rest period approx. 6 days; Cooking/baking time approx. 2 hours; Total time approx. 6 days 4 hours 30 minutes

Harvest and wash the sloes after the first frost. Alternatively, you can pick the sloes when ripe, wash them, and freeze them in the freezer. Pierce the thawed sloes with a needle and place them in a saucepan. Bring the water to a boil in another saucepan. Pour the boiling water over the sloes, cover, and let stand for 24 hours. Strain the liquid into a saucepan and bring to a boil again. Pour the liquid back over the sloes, cover, and let stand for another 24 hours. Repeat the pouring and letting stand process a third time. Now strain through a fine sieve, discard the sloes, and add the rock candy to the liquid. Heat while stirring until the rock candy dissolves. Scrape out the seeds from the vanilla pod with a knife and add it to the sweet liquid while stirring. Allow the brew, which now forms the flavor base of the liqueur, to cool to approximately 70°C, otherwise the alcohol content of the rum will evaporate. Now add the rum. Since the flavor of the brew depends on the ripeness, amount of pulp on the sloe, and quality of the sloe, only add one liter of rum initially. Add the remaining rum as desired. Don’t forget to season to taste. Now pour the liqueur into bottles, seal tightly, and allow to cool. To allow the vanilla flavor to fully develop, a further resting period of at least three days is necessary. The liqueur will keep for at least one year in the sealed bottle if the alcohol content is appropriate.