Rumtopf
Preserved fruit macerated in sugar and rum. Yum.
Growing up, I had a good friend who's family is of German decent. Her mom was a woman with impeccable taste as well as a gifted cook and baker. She's been an inspiration to me and I think of her often as I'm concocting things in my kitchen. One recipe she prepared that always intrigued me was a traditional German Rumptopf. Each fall she pulled out a giant ceramic crock, filled it with stone fruit, sugar and rum and stashed it away in their attic. By Christmas the crock would emerge from darkness and inside would be a fragrant, boozy elixir. If you were lucky, you would be gifted with a jar of this magical mixture to enjoy atop ice cream, buttery pound cake or as a base for a wintery cocktail.
I recently decided to try my hand at my own Rumtopf. Without an authentic German crock, I pulled out the biggest lidded glass jar I had in my cupboard and got to work.
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| Cheers! |
Here's my recipe:
Ingredients:
4lbs mixed stone fruit, like pears, apples, plums, peaches or cherries, cleaned, pitted and chopped
4c sugar
1-750 ml bottle of rum
3-5 gallon ceramic crock or lidded jar-sanitized
Directions:
1. Combine fruit, sugar and rum in your crock or jar.
2. Stir with a wooden spoon until sugar is dissolved.
3. Place plastic wrap directly on top of the fruit mixture and up the inside of the jar to form a seal. Rest a plate on top of the plastic to weigh down the fruit.
4. Place the lid on your jar and let it rest in a cool, dark place (like an attic or basement) for at least 6-8 weeks.
5. During this time you can add more fruit plus half the fruit's weight of sugar and enough rum to cover. Be sure to replace the plastic wrap and plate. The trick is to keep the air out to prevent any mold from forming. If mold should appear on your plate or plastic wrap, wash the plate before return to the jar and replace the plastic wrap.
This will keep indefinitely. I portioned my Rumtopf out into mason jars for gift giving.
But first, I prepared a warming cocktail for myself :)
Enjoy!
Rumtopf
Makes about 3-4 quartsIngredients:
4lbs mixed stone fruit, like pears, apples, plums, peaches or cherries, cleaned, pitted and chopped
4c sugar
1-750 ml bottle of rum
3-5 gallon ceramic crock or lidded jar-sanitized
Directions:
1. Combine fruit, sugar and rum in your crock or jar.
2. Stir with a wooden spoon until sugar is dissolved.
3. Place plastic wrap directly on top of the fruit mixture and up the inside of the jar to form a seal. Rest a plate on top of the plastic to weigh down the fruit.
4. Place the lid on your jar and let it rest in a cool, dark place (like an attic or basement) for at least 6-8 weeks.
5. During this time you can add more fruit plus half the fruit's weight of sugar and enough rum to cover. Be sure to replace the plastic wrap and plate. The trick is to keep the air out to prevent any mold from forming. If mold should appear on your plate or plastic wrap, wash the plate before return to the jar and replace the plastic wrap.
This will keep indefinitely. I portioned my Rumtopf out into mason jars for gift giving.
But first, I prepared a warming cocktail for myself :)
Enjoy!
this sounds delicious!
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