Filtering Infusions

Straining and filtering out the materials that you are infusing into a liquor is an important but laborious process.  Here is how I do it:

Step 1:

Strain the mixture into a pitcher through a fine mesh strainer. 
This will remove all of the larger pieces from the infusion.

Step 2:

Pour the mixture through a permanent coffee filter, such as this one. 
I usually place the filter into the strainer over a pitcher.  You will probably have to rinse the filter periodocally.  When the filter clogs (no more liquid is going through) I remove the filter, pour the liquid back into the container of un-filtered mixture, and rinse the filter in the sink.

Step 3:

Pour the mixture through disposable coffee filters.
I use flat-bottom coffee filters and place them in the strainer over a pitcher.  They will clog quickly and have to be replaced.  You can squeeze out the used filters into a bowl, and then run that through more filters at the end.

The resulting infusion should be free of sediment.  If needed, filter it again.

Choosing Fruit for Infusing

Often in infusing, you will be using the zest of fruit.  This is most common with citrus flavored infusions.  Here are a few tips for picking citrus fruits to zest:

The condition of the outside of the fruit is what's important when choosing fruit for zesting, since this is the part that you want to use.  Try to pick citrus that has a bright color and few blemishes on the skin.  Most citrus will have a coating of food-grade wax on the outside, and may have pesticides. 

Organic fruit is available at most supermarkets and it won't have pesticides.  If you can find fruit that hasn't been coated in wax, use that.  However, this will be hard to find unless you have a farmer's market.  Even the organic fruit that I have found in stores has been coated in wax.

If you can't find wax-free or organic fruit, you can use any fruit available.  Just make sure to thoroughly wash the fruit as I explain in Tips on Zesting.

Muddling

Muddling is the combining of ingredients, usually in the bottom of a glass, by mashing them with a muddler before adding the remaining ingredients.  To muddle, throw the ingredients to be muddled in a mixing glass and mash them together with the muddler.

Tips on Zesting

Many infusions involving citrus use just the zest from the fruit.  To get the zest, you must remove just the outer layer of the peel.  You do not want to get any of the white pith underneath.  Getting pith in the infusion can cause it to become bitter.

I use an OXO Zester.  However, many people prefer a microplane zester.  Whichever you use, you'll want to follow these tips:

Thoroughly wash the citrus to remove any pesticides and wax.  Use hot water and a Vegetable Brush to remove as much wax as possible.  Dry the fruit.

Now, find the biggest bowl you have.  This will make it easier to ensure that you collect all of the zest.  Gently scrape your zester down the sides of the fruit over the bowl.  Make sure you aren't getting any pith.  It is more important to avoid getting the pith than to get every scrap of zest.  For example, the lemon on the left has not been zested, the one on the right has been:

Once the fruit is zested, set it aside for other use.  I usually juice them using a juicer and store the juice in the fridge for other recipes.    Lemons and limes are great for making Sour Mix.

The Basics on Infusing

Making liqueur is a relatively simple but time consuming process.  It basicly involves soaking the flavoring ingredient (fruit, spices, etc.) in a base alcohol (typically grain alcohol or vodka) for an extended period of time, then removing the flavoring ingredient from the alcohol.  The alcohol will take on the flavor of the ingredient.  Most recipes also call for the addition of a sweetener such as simple syrup or honey at some part of the process.  What you are left with is a sweet liqueur, hopefully with the desired flavor.