A taste of sea air…
Craving the salty, summery flavours of the coast?
Try my new recipe for a Cornish, botanical-infused wild gin.
Ingredients
1L Gin. Don’t choose a fancy one, since you’ll be adding your own botanicals which might obscure the flavours. Instead, opt for a basic gin - you’ll be adding the fancy flavours later!
8-10 heads of Alexanders; either in flower or seed. I used a mixture of both, since I harvested the plant mid-season.
A modest handful of Rock Samphire. You can use fresh or dried.
A handful of Sea Buckthorn berries. I used pre- dried ones, but you can use fresh if you like.
A pinch of dried, edible seaweed. You can gather this if you know when and where, otherwise health food shops do sell seaweed. Don’t use too much as it can be very salty - you don’t want to overpower your gin.
Disclaimer & foraging note: Please do your research and make sure you’re harvesting the correct plants and are 110% sure of their ID, as there are several similar-looking members of the plant family Apiaceae which are deadly. Both Rock Samphire and Alexanders are in this family, so it’s really important to make sure you are certain before harvesting wild plants. If in doubt, don’t eat it - this particular plant family is not one to take chances on! Always make sure you forage from clean and wild places, and only take what you need; a rule of thumb I’ve heard is to never gather more than 1/4 of any plant, and only then where the plant is growing abundantly.
Seaside in a bottle
Gin, with botanicals infusing
Method
Dry your plants, if you’re not using them right away. (You can add them fresh, but bear in mind they will have a higher water content than dried plants and so you’ll likely need twice as much as the recipe states). Drying can be done in a well-aerated space in your home, away from direct light and heat. I use an old office in-tray which is made of mesh and leave plants until crisp. Quick method: You can also spread your plants out on a baking sheet, and use the lowest setting on your oven (30-50°C with the door ajar) until plants are crisp. Be careful not to brown or burn plants as the flavours will spoil/change.
Find a 1.5L wide-mouth jar, preferably a Kilner jar or equivalent, with a seal. Chop the larger botanicals (Alexanders and Rock Samphire) into 2-3cm long pieces, and add to the jar.
Gently crush the Sea Buckthorn berries with a pestle and mortar (only a bit - you don’t want “dust”) and add them to the jar.
Add your seaweed pieces to the jar.
Pour over the gin, seal the jar and give a gentle shake to combine. Make sure your plant matter is completely covered.
Leave the jar in a cool, dark place, agitating daily to infuse the botanical flavours.
After a month, strain off the plant matter, and bottle the gin. Make sure you label with all ingredients and the date made!
Enjoy with tonic and a slice of lemon or cucumber, or perhaps an aromatic herb like Lemon Balm. Note: I personally find that a more “plain” tonic is best, since botanical tonics may mask the taste and aroma of your creation - which would be a shame :)
What did you think of this recipe? Let me know in the comments below!
