Description: The common whitebeam is a mealy, tasteless fruit, similar to the hawthorn, which in the past was often used for jellies and jams. In times of famine also as a barren dish, consumed with bread.
With the same fruit a "rustic drink" was made by fermenting the crushed fruit in water to obtain a liqueur with a light pear flavor. This taste can also be found in a Grappa, which is prepared with the fruits of the genuine common whitebeam.
Ingredients: - 1 liter Grappa - 5 tablespoons of sugar - some handfuls ripe fruits of the common whitebeam
Preparation: When the first snow falls in the high mountains, some handfuls of these mature red fruits are picked up and placed in a liter of Grappa, which has already been sweetened with 5 tablespoons of sugar. Altogether the Grappa must be exposed to the sun for at least three months until the berries have given off their color. After filtration, it is aged for further three months. The reddish-colored Grappa with pear flavor is particularly suitable for refining ice-cream.
