New Years Eve/ Hogmany Nearly- Instant-Strawberry-Peach Schnapps

A New Years Special: Nearly-Instant-Strawberry-Peach Schnapps. This is very similar to making strawberry Schnapps- only faster!


2 punnets of ripe strawberries
1 punnet of ripe grapes
300g caster sugar
1  glass bottle of Peach Schnapps

Prep time: 30 mins
Cooking time : 15-20 mins, plus 15-20 mins for sterilisation

1. Remove all the fruit stalks, stems and the hulls of the strawberries. Ensure all the fruit is washed and any bad bits have been removed.
2. add the fruit, sugar and a splash of Schnapps to a pan and bring to the boil.
3. Keep the pan on a rolling boil, stirring constantly, until the syrup sticks to the back of a spoon.
4. Strain the syrup and fruit bits through a sieve to remove the skins and pips- allow the syrup to  cool.
5. Remove about 1/4 of the Schnapps from the bottle and keep for later.
6. Add the fruit syrup to the bottle using a funnel, top up the bottle so there is no air space with the removed schnapps.*
7. Seal the bottle and place it in the oven at 100°C and leave it for 15-20 mins.
8. Remove the now sterile bottle and allow it to cool over night
9.  Store the Schnapps in the fridge and serve over ice.

* You're allowed to drink the spare schnapps once the bottle is topped up- not before :P

Variations

I haven't tried this with any other fruit, but the theory should hold true for any soft fruit you'd like to turn into Schnapps.

One advantage of this method is the fruit doesn't have to be in perfect condition, as in traditional bottling, because you turn them into syrup, so even late into the season the fruit is suitable to use.

This method is also much, much quicker then traditional bottling, as you can make it a day or two before you need it- for example last minute  Christmas presents or New Years parties. If you have time it can also sit, as traditional bottling, before you need it.

Obviously it goes without saying: 

Drink responsibly and don't drink and drive :)