Rumtopf
Submitted by brianjwood on August 17, 2002 at 12:05 pm

DESCRIPTION
RumTopf

SUMMARY
Yield 0 File under Family / Ethnic / Regional

INSTRUCTIONS
This will brighten anyone's Christmas, or any other festivity around that time. From me via Jill Dupleix and countless Germanic fun lovers!
Cheers, brian
RumTopf (RumPot)
be very careful to use only undamaged fruit, and not over-ripe. It is best to work in roughly 2lb quantities, though less will work.

Start the Rumtopf when strawberries are in season, ripe and cheap. Pick over the berries and scrupulously remove any damaged fruits. Wash and dry, weigh and put in a tall, lidded pottery jar, that must be glazed on the inside. Add half the fruit weight in granulated sugar, level off and add dark rum to come 3/4 inch over the contents. In season repeat with raspberries, loganberries, red and blackcurrants, dark sour cherries, stoned or un-stoned doesn't matter, peaches, apricots and nectarines, ripe and in season, stoned and sliced, yellow or red plums and greengages ditto, and finally add pears or pineapple, peeled, deseeded and chopped. With each addition, weigh the fruits , add half that weight in granulated sugar, and 3/4 inch of covering dark rum. When full (or you are tired!), cover tightly with cling film, put on the lid and store in a properly cool place until Christmas. They will in fact last almost forever if you are extremely careful to use only unblemished fruit. Serve with cream (heavy or clotted); ice cream, pancakes, pretty much what you want. It is suggested that the liquor, mixed with a sparkling wine makes a splendid cocktail.