Make Homemade Blackberry Liqueur

1. Start by gently washing your blackberries and removing any stalks or leaves left behind from picking. Top Tip - be sure to wash under a gently flow of water so you don't lose half your blackberries down the sink as they can be very fragile when washing.

2. Once they're ready, pop your blackberries into a large ceramic or glass bowl. Pour a good quality wine over the berries, then grab a potato masher and gently crush the fruit into the wine.

3. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let it sit in a cool spot for 2 days, returning to give it another mash every now and then.

4. After 2 days, pour the mixture through a fine sieve to strain it. For extra smoothness, I like to strain it again using a sieve lined with muslin to catch any leftover bits. This can take a little longer to strain, but is well worth the effort for a much smoother liqueur at the end.

5. Now, pour the juice into a pan and add the sugar. Warm it gently, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then let it simmer for about 5 minutes. Once it's cooled down, stir in your vodka.

Alternatively it works really well with gin if you would prefer.

6. Using a small jug and funnel if you have one, pour the mixture into bottles, seal them up, and add a label.