This tangerine or orange liqueur recipe is a fun way to use seasonal citrus, and it’s easy to make. Really, you can make any kind of citrus liqueur — grapefruit, tangello, lime — depending on what you have readily available.
When it’s citrus season, we have an abundance (and then some) of tangerines at our disposal. I’ve made Tangerine-Ginger Jam. I’ve made Tangerine Syrup. Now I’m even getting boozy on you.
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When I spotted this recipe for homemade triple sec made from Cara Cara oranges, I had to try my hand at a slightly different version featuring our ever-plentiful tangerines.
Making the tangerine or orange liqueur recipe
This recipe calls for fresh tangerines or oranges. Juice the fruit, but retain some of the peels, as you’ll use those to give the homemade liqueur an stronger citrus flavor. Don’t use the white pith, as that will impart a bitterness. Use a spoon to remove that, keeping just the colorful outer part of the fruit to make this tangerine or orange liqueur recipe.
When your tangerine liqueur — or orange liqueur recipe — is ready, strain it to remove the skins and particles. Store it in a sealed jar in a cool, dry place.
Booze may not be at the top of your list (or mine) of must-haves for living a more self-sufficient lifestyle, but it’s kind of a fun diversion, yes?
Giving tangerine liqueur as gifts
Once made, this orange liqueur will need at least a month tucked in an out-or-the-way place to let the flavors get happy. Planning to give this as a gift for the holidays? Make sure you allot enough time for that.
Package strained tangerine liqueur in pretty bottles and tie on a tag. You might even consider adding a recipe or two for using this homemade liqueur and a couple of nice cocktail glasses.
★ Did you make this tangerine liqueur recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below! ★
Homemade triple sec from tangerines
This homemade tangerine or orange liqueur is easy to make and a fun way to use seasonal citrus.
Ingredients
- 2 cups tangerine juice (about 15 tangerines)
- 3 cups granulated organic cane sugar
- 1 cup water
- 750 ml bottle of vodka
Instructions
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Peel and juice tangerines, reserving the peels from four tangerines.
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Use a spoon to scrape the white pith from the inside of the tangerine peel; discard. Slice the remaining peel into 1/8" strips and divide between five pint sized jars.
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In a large saucepan, combine sugar and water; heat until sugar is dissolved.
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Stir in tangerine juice. Simmer for five minutes and then allow to cool to room temperature.
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Pour in entire bottle of vodka, then divide liquid between the jars.
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Screw on caps, set the jars in a cool dark place, and forget about them for a month. Once your month of waiting is up, strain out the tangerine peels and you're ready to mix a drink.
Recipe Notes
Makes about 5 pints.
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I did this recently too. I have a sour orange tree growing in the backyard of the house we just started renting. At first I was all “No scurvy for us,” thinking it was a regular orange tree. So disappointed when the fruits never got yummy! So I tried two recipes, one that called for just the peel and the other that used a whole orange and some coffee beans. Cant’ wait to try it out!
Sour oranges are great for making a marinating sauce we Cubans call ‘mojo’ (pronounced moe-hoe). You can adjust the quantities with no problems:
Cuban Mojo Sauce
3 heads garlic
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 1/2 cups sour orange juice (In a pinch, use two parts orange to one part lemon and one part lime)
1 cup minced onion
2 teaspoons oregano
1 cup Spanish olive oil
The mojo with oil marinade is best for chicken, duck, fish, and so on. The oil prevents the meat from losing fat and moisture.
Mash garlic, salt, and peppercorns into a paste, using a mortar and pestle. Stir in sour orange juice, onion, and oregano. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or longer.
In a saucepan, heat olive oil to medium hot (approximately 220 degrees F) and remove from heat. Carefully whisk in the garlic-orange juice mixture (prepared above) until well blended. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Kris, this sounds good! I made pineapple vinegar using a similar method (no vodka, though 😉
It was good!
Tangerine triple sec sounds divine. And how nice that you can just go out and pick your own fruit for it!
PS. I’ll be right over (I wish…)
That sounds like a cocktail of choice on a balmy evening.
We are working on our first batches of limoncello and pompelmocello from very scratch-including brewing up the alcohol which is legal here in New Zealand. When our mandarins are ripe, we’ll have a go at some triple sec too. This sounds great.
We did makes some last year out of our mandarins and it was divine. This year I’m trying it with some of the neighbor’s tangelos.
can’t wait to try this recipe..i go through store bought triple sec way too fast. i hadn’t even thought that i could make my own…and i bet this is much tastier!
How long does this last without going bad? Does it need to be refrigerated once it’s done brewing?
Oh, for a good long time. I’d say at least a year. And no, I don’t keep it refrigerated.
Hi, can I use gin instead of vodka with the tangerines?
Sure! It will taste different, but it will work.
What if anything could I sub for the regular sugar in this? alternatives?
Mind you, I haven’t *tried it, but I imagine honey or rice syrup could work fine.