Helen Witty

Caraway Liqueur

“Kümmel”

Preparation info
  • Makes about

    3½

    cups
    • Difficulty

      Easy

Appears in
Better Than Store-Bought: Authoritative recipes that most people never knew they could make at home
Better Than Store-Bought

By Helen Witty and Elizabeth Schneider

Published 1979

  • About

This is a homey version of a favorite European cordial, kümmel. We find the warm, clean flavor of its spices make a liqueur that is among the least cloying of after-dinner nips.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
  • ¼ teaspoon fennel seeds
  • ¼ teaspoo

Method

  1. Add the caraway, fennel, and cumin seeds to the vodka in a bottle or jar, cover, and let stand for 1 to 3 weeks, shaking occasionally. When the flavor is strong enough, strain out the seeds.
  2. Boil the water and sugar together for 2 or 3 minutes, skimming off any froth. Cool, then mix the syrup with the spice infusion.
  3. Pour through a funnel lined with c