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19 | The IFP -H alton H ills | T hursday,A ugust 13,2020 theifp.ca Never miss a deal with your shopping list on Save.ca. Selected items are sorted by store, making your day-to-day shopping experience a real money saver. Shopping locally is the best way to support our communities. And saving locally makes it even better! Find big deals close to home with save.ca. We made it easier than ever to find the deals you're looking for. Save.ca's bountiful search results let you comparison shop to get the best buy. A lot of little things can add up to big things. Itall addsup. Start saving today at: That's the thinking behind the new save.ca. The hardest part about making blueberry brandy is fighting the temptation to sample it. Ideally, if you use fresh Ontario blueberries at their peak in July or August, this liqueur will be perfect right in time for Christmas. I started making blueber- ry brandy while bartending in the U.K. a few years ago, and now, every season, I try to replenish my store of the sweet, spicy liqueur. Most of the ingredients are likely already in your kitchen cupboards. For me, the brandy was the only in- gredient I don't keep on hand. Luckily, the quality of the brandy isn't too important, and whatever is least expen- sive at the LCBO will work. I use a French brandy, but there are plenty of even more budget-friendly East- ern European brandies available, especially for scal- ing the recipe up. While it's nice to serve to friends and family during the holidays, it also makes a great gift poured into small- er decorative bottles. Blueberry brandy can be served on its own, with ice or to add a blueberry twist to cocktails. BLUEBERRY BRANDY INGREDIENTS • 4 cups of blueberries • 2 cups of sugar • 500 mL (2 cups) of brandy • Half of a cinnamon stick • A pinch of nutmeg • Two cardamom pods (optional) • Half a lemon's peel (or orange peel), plus a small slice METHOD 1. Wash the blueberries and remove any stems. It's not absolutely necessary, but if you plan to use the ber- ries later (you could heat them up for a boozy jam), it's nice to get it out of the way now. 2. Pour the ingredients in- to a large jar - I used a 1-litre Mason jar with a lid. Add the blueberries first, then the sugar, and the brandy last. The spices and lemon can go in at any point, but if you add the brandy first, there's more risk of splashing and making a mess. 3. Tighten the lid and shake vigorously. 4. Repeat every few days, whenever you remember, until the sugar is fully dis- solved. 5. Store in a cool, dark place. The flavours will meld nicely after about a month, but the longer it sits, the stronger the flavours will be. 6. Once you're satisfied with the flavour, strain through a fine mesh strainer into a bottle. Adding a few berries into the bottle also adds visual appeal. The berries will re- main preserved in the alco- hol. This article is part of Make Preserving Your 'Jam', a series that explores ways to preserve fresh produce, from farm or garden, for year-round consumption. FOOD AND DRINK HARDEST PART IS WAITING WHEN IT COMES TO BLUEBERRY BRANDY ALCOHOL, BERRIES AND SPICE COMBINE FOR A SWEET HOLIDAY LIQUEUR BRYAN MYERS bmyers@metroland.com Infusing berries in alcohol preserves their flavour for year-round cocktails or dessert liqueurs. Bryan Myers/Torstar SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER AT THEIFP.CA