My eye doctor told me I should start eating goji berries for eye health. (I have a strong family history of macular degeneration)

For the last couple of months, I've been eating a handful of dried goji berries a day. I really like them. They have an unusual slightly tart/sweet/sour taste to them - unlike any other fruit or vegetable I've tasted.

Since I do like them so much the natural next step is to try to make a liquor with them, right?

I boiled one cup of dried berries in two cups of sugar water in order to reconstitute them.

Then after it cooled, I dumped it all into a jar with a bottle of Everclear. Let it sit for a couple of weeks, and strained out the berries (which I froze for use as an icecream topping this summer)

I put one bottle in the pantry and one in the freezer.

Tonight we tried it. YUMMY. I like the frozen version now, and think the room temp. version will be better after a year of mellowing.

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My eye doctor told me I should start eating goji berries for eye health. (I have a strong family history of macular degeneration)

Deborah,
Your goji berry liqueur is a beautiful color!

I noticed your post before I went to Whole Foods today, so picked up some berries for my dad - who has macular degeneration. I'll give them to him when I see him later this week. Thanks for the tip!

Colleen,

And here I thought you were going to start manufacturing bootleg / hootch (Sp?) in your garage now.

All the best to your dad. What a thoughtful daughter you are!

Deborah - shared your post with Bill, who is delighted to know he can now consider your hooch as being for medicinal purposes (his mom and grandmother both have/had problems with macular degeneration, so he's glad to find something so pleasant as preventive medicine).

Judy

Colleen, and that photo really doesn't do the color justice. It is kind of an iridescent peachy/orange color.
The berries themselves are kind of a light cranberry red color. But when they are boiled the liquid is more orange.

Goji berries are an acquired taste, I think. Your dad may not like the taste at first. They are not as sweet as cranberries or raisins. They almost have a sour tang to them. Just tell him to eat a palmful every day and within a week he will love them.

Judy, if we do a 2009 GTG in St. Louis, I'll save a bottle of Goji Liqueur for Bill.

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Your dad may not like the taste at first. They are not as sweet as cranberries or raisins. They almost have a sour tang to them. Just tell him to eat a palmful every day and within a week he will love them.

Thanks -- I'll be sure to tell him.

Eden, it didn't even occur to me to make my own goji berry liqueur! (I don't know why not, since our resident bootlegger excuse me - alcoholic beverage artisan - gave perfect directions.)