While reading through Heritage by Sean Brock, I got inspired to make my own bitters. The book is about how to make good Southern Cuisine, and few things remind me of the Southern parts of my childhood more than picking up and eating pecans from my grandparents front yard. After some research, I couldn't find any pecan bitters or even recipes out there, although there are recipes for black walnut bitters. This recipe is loosely based around a number of black walnut bitter recipes I found.
Starting Ingredients:
1/2 pint Mason jar
75 g pecan bits (break pecan halves into 2-3 pieces each)
100 g Everclear (slightly more than is required to top the pecans)
2 g allspice
2 g ground clove
1 g finely ground black pepper
1/3 cinnamon stick
Later Ingredients:
1 pint Mason jar
5 oz. Woozy bottle
100 g water
25-50 g honey to taste
Lightly crush the pecan halves or break into 2-3 pieces, we will try to preserve these as garnishes for drinks that the bitters are used in. Take out a scale and tare a 1/2 pint Mason jar; fill with 75 g of the pecans. Add the spices and top with Everclear or a similar grain alcohol. Shake and store in the dark for 1 month; try to remember to shake daily.
After 1 month, strain the liquid into a 1 pint Mason jar and put the pecans in a small saucepan. Add 100 g of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat ti below a simmer and allow the mixture to steep for 10 minutes. Once cooled, pout into the original 1/2 pint Mason jar, shake, and store in the dark next to the Everclear for two weeks, shaking daily.
After two more weeks, strain the pecans and combine the liquids. Add 25 g honey to the liquids and stir until dissolved, adding more to taste. Pour the liquids into a 5 oz. Woozy bottle, reserving any leftovers in the 1/2 pint Mason jar stored in the dark. Cover the Woozy bottle with paper (think Angostura bitters) to keep light out. Store the pecans in a Mason jar, adding a small amount of Everclear to preserve; garnish drinks made with the pecan bitters with a pecan.
Starting Ingredients:
1/2 pint Mason jar
75 g pecan bits (break pecan halves into 2-3 pieces each)
100 g Everclear (slightly more than is required to top the pecans)
2 g allspice
2 g ground clove
1 g finely ground black pepper
1/3 cinnamon stick
Later Ingredients:
1 pint Mason jar
5 oz. Woozy bottle
100 g water
25-50 g honey to taste
Lightly crush the pecan halves or break into 2-3 pieces, we will try to preserve these as garnishes for drinks that the bitters are used in. Take out a scale and tare a 1/2 pint Mason jar; fill with 75 g of the pecans. Add the spices and top with Everclear or a similar grain alcohol. Shake and store in the dark for 1 month; try to remember to shake daily.
After 1 month, strain the liquid into a 1 pint Mason jar and put the pecans in a small saucepan. Add 100 g of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat ti below a simmer and allow the mixture to steep for 10 minutes. Once cooled, pout into the original 1/2 pint Mason jar, shake, and store in the dark next to the Everclear for two weeks, shaking daily.
After two more weeks, strain the pecans and combine the liquids. Add 25 g honey to the liquids and stir until dissolved, adding more to taste. Pour the liquids into a 5 oz. Woozy bottle, reserving any leftovers in the 1/2 pint Mason jar stored in the dark. Cover the Woozy bottle with paper (think Angostura bitters) to keep light out. Store the pecans in a Mason jar, adding a small amount of Everclear to preserve; garnish drinks made with the pecan bitters with a pecan.
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