Common myrtle and Mirto

common myrtle

This is a common wild plant in the Mediterranean area, the leaves have an aromatic medical fragrance. I just harvested a kg of this dark blue berry, too astringent to eat. 

common myrtle

In Sardinia they macerate the berries in alcohol to make a popular drink Mirto and use the leaves in casseroles. 

 

common myrtle in gin

So I make my first mirto: macerate berries in gin, after 8 weeks, I will check the taste, may need some sugar to round up the flavor.