2 travellers from Hungary, I got acquainted to a few days back were fondly trying to get everybody drink some liquor they had made back home. I obliged switching from my Peroni Can to a small shot of this curious drink that was as clear as water. The similarities end there. A sip of the drink was enough to roast my intestines. It was more of a shock as I was not expecting what was in store. Another sip led me to enjoy it better. It had subtle apricot flavour and the alcohol strength was well over 60 %.
Palinka is a double distilled Hungarian fruit brandy made typically with Apricots, Plums, Pears. Some use apples, cherries.
It is not very difficult to make Palinka at home. Good quality Palinka can be obtained if there is access to ripe Apricots and a decent distillation kit. This blog is more from a educational stand point. I would not advise anybody to start making their alcohol at home if it is against the law.
A small distillation unit can resemble something like the picture on top. The best bet for home unit would a Pressure Cooker. Construct a Spiral metallic tube connecting to the Pressure nozzle and end in a condenser (could be a spot where cold water keeps flowing across to cool the steam. Let the liquid drip down on the other end in a vessel which is the alcohol.
This pure alcohol should go through a 2nd round of distillation to get a clean, crisp liquor.
Palinka Recipe
Ripe apricots - 10 Kilogram (Choose the ones which are very ripe. Cut and damaged ones would be good. But make sure it is not rotten)
Sugar - 300 gm
Mix the Apricot and the Sugar in a large Jar and cover the Jar with a lid and leave it in your back yard (good if there is sunlight).
Leave it to ferment for 1 month
Then go through the above mentioned distillation process to make the Palinka.
Time for my next shot of Palinka. Ciao.
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