We'll start with the vodka infusions I made last week. Of course, I have no idea whether or not they'll be delicious, but they're here, and waiting. Most sets of instructions I could find online said that within a week the infusion would be ready to drink, however other sources suggested that the longer you leave the flavouring in the vodka the more delicious it becomes.
My first problem was finding a container to put my new vodka infusions in. You can buy stoppered containers from Ikea for $3 each, but they're a little bigger than I wanted (at least for my first try), and that would necessitate a trip all the way to Ikea. I settled on these little numbers from Cost Plus, although mine are obviously in a rectangular shape. I liked the smaller size (570 mL each, so you end up with about 500 mL of your flavour of vodka), and that it had a nozzle for pouring the vodka off eventually also (I don't like things that glug too much, it makes it difficult to pour accurately!). I wasn't too worried about the bottles being airtight, since no particulate could get in anyway, and many of my stored bottles of alcohol are hardly airtight anyway.
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I made blueberry, blackberry, and raspberry last week. Today I made two more, one with vanilla and one with coffee, so we'll see how those go also. The blackberry, by far, had the prettiest colour at bottling, but now the blueberry bottle has become a beautiful purple -- the same colour that leaks into blueberry pancakes -- that is so pretty. My blackberries were on the border of overripe and freshly picked, so I didn't bother to add any sugar. However, the blueberries were store bought and the raspberries, though freshly picked were a little tart, so I added just about a teaspoon of sugar to each of those bottles before adding the vodka.
Eventually I'll drink these, although I don't know in what or with whom. Probably for my birthday next month, as they should be good and delicious by then. I'm also hoping to make a bottle with chillies (probably dried, because then I'll get some delicious smoky flavour in there too), and perhaps some other fruit. Oh, and chocolate! There's a great recipe for chocolate liqueur on Epicurious.
Infused Vodka "Recipe"
(This is more of a set of generalised instructions than a recipe, pieced together from various sources on the internet.)
Start with 750 mL of your choice of vodka. Some suggest using a premium grade vodka because it will be the smoothest in the end and have a better overall flavour. Others suggest that anything that is at least triple-distilled is adequate. (I settled for Kirkland vodka, because it is relatively inexpensive and comes in large bottles.) I would say use anything that you're happy to drink yourself.
Add to a seal-able glass bottle or jar 1 cup of your fruit or flavouring of choice. This amount is, of course, variable. If you're adding vanilla to your vodka, use a bean or two, and if using something strongly flavoured like coffee beans, add a little less than a cup. I choose to err on the side of more flavour, because you can always dilute your infusion with a little more vodka of your choice, but it's hard to concentrate a flavour more. For whole fruits, chop them up so plenty of surface area is present, as greater surface area will allow for great flavour infusion. (My current infusions are blackberry, raspberry, blueberry, vanilla, and coffee, but I hope also to make chocolate, lemon, orange, and chili at some point in the near future; other websites suggest making infusions with lemongrass or garlic for more fancy flavours).
Let your jar sit in a dark place for at least a week (for strong flavours, such as berries and vanilla), and up to a month or more (for milder flavours, like lemongrass or melon). You can check on it every once in a while and shake it up, or just set it and forget it and enjoy your end result when you remember again!
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