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The boerenjongens recipe
for a 2-liter preserving jar
Rinse the raisins in a sieve under cold water and let them drain.
Bring the water, rock sugar, cinnamon stick, and lemon peel to a boil, stirring until all the sugar has dissolved.
Add the raisins and simmer gently for 5 minutes until they plump up. Then let everything cool completely.
Rinse a 2-liter preserving jar with boiling water. Spoon the raisins, syrup, and cinnamon stick into it, leave the lemon peel behind, and pour in the brandy.
Close the jar and store it in a cool, dark place for at least 6 weeks. Swirl it around every few days during the first week so the sugar dissolves evenly.
Spoon a tablespoon of raisins with a little liquid into a liqueur glass for each person, and place a small spoon beside it.
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The story
Raisins in brandy come from the north of the country. In Friesland and Groningen, they were served on special occasions in a silver brandy bowl. It is a shallow bowl with two handles. When a child was born or there was a wedding, the bowl was passed around and each guest took a spoonful. In Friesland, a sip served after a birth was called a poppeslok. Silver brandy bowls have been around since the seventeenth century, and you can tell where they come from by their handles. Frisian bowls have horizontal handles, while Groninger ones have vertical handles. There were special spoons for weddings and births. There is also a version with apricots, called boerenmeisjes. These days, you can buy both ready-made in a jar. Making your own takes half an hour, and then you can decide how sweet and how strong they are.
The right glass
Serve boerenjongens in a small stemmed glass, such as an 8 cl cordial glass. It holds exactly a tablespoon of raisins with a splash of liquid, and the stem makes a little spoonful of raisins look instantly festive. Choose a bowl that isn't too narrow, since you eat them with a spoon. Set the spoon beside it, too. In the past, one silver bowl would be passed around; now everyone gets their own little glass. Take a look at our cordial glasses.
RCR Adagio Cordial Glass 8 cl (6 pieces)
Bormioli Rocco America'20S Cordial Glass 8 cl Cordinal (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 63,90.
The right tools
To make boerenjongens, in addition to the glass, use a bar spoon for stirring, a jigger for precise measuring, and a nutmeg grater. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; find them all in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 3 bar tools together € 87,80.
What do you need to make boerenjongens?
To make boerenjongens, you need brandy or vieux. Each liquor page tells you the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it goes with, and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
Make boerenmeisjes in exactly the same way, using 500 grams of dried apricots cut into pieces. Use rum instead of brandy to make rum-soaked raisins, with the flavor of rum raisin ice cream. Cognac gives them a richer, rounder flavor. A vanilla pod or star anise in the jar adds a festive touch. The liquid is practically a liqueur already. A splash in the mulled wine or spiced bishop's wine makes it warmer and sweeter.
Serving tip
Take the jar out of the cellar an hour before serving. This brings out the cinnamon more. Enjoy with coffee after Christmas dinner, or warm over a scoop of vanilla ice cream in a dessert glass.
Good to know
Making boerenjongens: why you cook the raisins first
Raisins are dried and absorb moisture. If you briefly cook them in sugar syrup first, they swell with water and sugar rather than pure brandy. This makes them soft and juicy. Sugar also dissolves much better in hot water than in cold alcohol. Let the raisins cool completely before adding the brandy. Some of the alcohol evaporates if the raisins are warm. Rinse them beforehand, too. They often have a thin coating of oil that makes the liquid cloudy.
What brandy do you use for boerenjongens?
Dutch brandy is colorless and lightly spiced, made from neutral alcohol. It’s different from cognac, which is distilled from wine. You can also find it as preserving brandy, specially made for boerenjongens and boerenmeisjes. Vieux is the Dutch counterpart to cognac and gives the liquid a darker color with a hint of caramel. Cognac or brandy gives them a richer flavor, but it’s really a waste of the bottle. Whichever you use, don’t add water. The alcohol keeps the raisins good for months.
How long should boerenjongens steep?
At least six weeks. After two weeks, the raisins are already soft, but at that point you’ll mostly taste the brandy and sweet raisins separately. Between six weeks and three months, the sugar, cinnamon, and alcohol meld, giving the liquid a rounded flavor that’s almost like a liqueur. They only get better after that. Store the jar somewhere cool and dark, not in the refrigerator or on a windowsill. If you want to serve them at Christmas, start them by mid-November at the latest. For St. Nicholas’ Eve, that means mid-October.
Storing boerenjongens
An unopened jar of boerenjongens will keep for years if stored somewhere cool and dark. Once opened, it will keep for months, as long as you do two things. Always use a clean spoon and keep the raisins submerged in the liquid. If any stick out above the liquid, pour in a little brandy. Over time, sugar may crystallize at the bottom. This doesn’t mean they’ve gone bad; just stir it loose. If you fill small jars to give away, write the date they were made on the label.
What do you use boerenjongens for?
Traditionally, you spoon them out of a liqueur glass, along with the liquid. But you can do more with them. Spoon them warm over vanilla ice cream, stir them into yogurt or quark, or serve them alongside a board of aged and extra-aged cheese. Many pancake restaurants surely have them on the menu as a topping. A truly Dutch treat is advocaat with whipped cream and a spoonful of boerenjongens on top. If you like egg drinks, serve them alongside a glass of Eggnog. They’re also great in a Christmas cake or bread pudding.
Non-alcoholic boerenjongens
Non-alcoholic boerenjongens don’t really exist. It’s the brandy that keeps them good for months. What you can do is plump raisins in the same way in a syrup of apple juice and tea with cinnamon and lemon peel. Let them steep overnight and store them in the refrigerator. They should be eaten within a week. They taste sweet and spicy, but you’ll miss that warm glow. They’re a great alternative for children at a birthday party or with coffee. Find more alcohol-free drinks in the mocktails section.
Frequently asked questions
What are boerenjongens?
Raisins preserved in brandy with sugar and usually cinnamon. It is an old tradition from Friesland and Groningen, where they were passed around at births and weddings. You eat them with a small spoon from a little glass and drink the sweet liquid alongside. If you use apricots, they are called boerenmeisjes.
How do you make boerenjongens?
Boil 500 grams of rinsed raisins for 5 minutes in a syrup made from 25 cl of water, 250 grams of rock sugar, a cinnamon stick, and a strip of lemon peel. Let everything cool completely and put it in a clean preserving jar. Pour in 70 cl of brandy and leave the jar in a cool, dark place for at least six weeks.
How long do boerenjongens keep?
An unopened jar will keep for years if stored in a cool, dark place, and the flavor only mellows over time. Once opened, it will keep for months if you use a clean spoon and keep the raisins submerged in brandy. If the liquid level drops, add a little brandy.
What do you serve boerenjongens in?
In a small stemmed glass, such as an 8 cl liqueur glass, with a small spoon. Add a tablespoon of raisins and a splash of liquid. In the past, a silver brandy bowl was passed around, and everyone took a spoonful. Now everyone gets their own little glass, like our liqueur glasses.
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