rumtopf

[GeoffC]

I know we're an abstemious lot here, but does any one have a Rumtopf and can they let us know their experiences ?

(hic!) ....

[phenomshel]

I think you've got the wrong forum. What with Zany Carters running around, "abstemious" isn't precisely the term I'd use to describe us here at MR!!

Anyway, I had to look it up - OMG that looks HIGHLY intoxicating, and very entertaining with a crowd. If you decide to do one, I'm sure we'd all be interested in the details...

[Sweetpea]

My mother used to make it. No idea how it goes though (don't even know how it tastes like, I don't drink alcohol).

[columbus]

Originally Posted by GeoffC;

I know we're an abstemious lot here, but does any one have a Rumtopf and can they let us know their experiences ?

(hic!) ....

My father used to make this 60 years ago though I think the name Rumtopf may be more specific to the container.

He used a tall stoneware jar, plentiful at that time, filled it with Damsons from the garden, then topped with sugar, covered with Gin & covered the jar with a lid. At a later date the screw top glass jars sweets used to come in.

It was left until Christmas & the liquid poured off & drunk. Much the same as Sloe gin made with Blackthorn berries. (It was later years that I was allowed to sample)
If left for a shorter period you could also then eat the (alcoholic) fruit which had been preserved by the alcohol.

If I am correct the idea behind the Rumtopf is more to produce the alcoholic fruit desert with the lightly flavoured white rum as a side benefit.

Either way I have being doing this to produce fruit liqueurs fo many years using Gin, Bacardi and Vodka as bases. (Hic!)... and on occasion the "Fruit" desert when called for by my S.O.

N.B. Isopropyl alcohol in the ears kills bacteria, drinking the above makes you forget about the pain

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by columbus

My father used to make this 60 years ago though I think the name Rumtopf may be more specific to the container.

He used a tall stoneware jar, plentiful at that time, filled it with Damsons from the garden, then topped with sugar, covered with Gin & covered the jar with a lid. At a later date the screw top glass jars sweets used to come in.

It was left until Christmas & the liquid poured off & drunk. Much the same as Sloe gin made with Blackthorn berries. (It was later years that I was allowed to sample)
If left for a shorter period you could also then eat the (alcoholic) fruit which had been preserved by the alcohol.

If I am correct the idea behind the Rumtopf is more to produce the alcoholic fruit desert with the lightly flavoured white rum as a side benefit.

Either way I have being doing this to produce fruit liqueurs fo many years using Gin, Bacardi and Vodka as bases. (Hic!)... and on occasion the "Fruit" desert when called for by my S.O.

N.B. Isopropyl alcohol in the ears kills bacteria, drinking the above makes you forget about the pain

My mother had a "real" rumtopf container. And she used Stroh Rum. The recipe I found said you have to add as much sugar as fruit (so, 500gr strawberries = 500gr sugar) and to fill so much rum in it that the fruit is 2cm underneath the fluid. Don't use overripe fruit.

She now puts walnuts and plumps in strong water... (and calls it a fruit bite when she eats it!)

[krisk]

we did rumtopfs in Germany! I was always told it was a way to keep the fruit that WAS turning from going to waste. we always used rum, and a variety of (mostly) plums. actually I think only stone fruits. as I recall the finished product was SO strong it could only be used as an ice cream topping, or for desert (or maybe raising the dead)

[carlobee]

i'm sorry. but what is a rumtopf?

[columbus]

Try here - http://www.germandeli.com/rumtopfrecipe.html

or maybe - http://www.google.com/search?q=rumto...mozilla:en-GB:

Then try it and enjoy!

[GeoffC]

well we got one recently and have started to feed it ready for christmas - jollied up fruit for ice cream toppings and liquid for (erm) drinking, should make a good starter for a hot toddy !