Grandmother's "Rum Pot"

[temporaryreality]

 Ever so long ago, I promised @sdi that I'd translate and post a recipe I obtained while living in Germany. There must be an equivalent term in English for "Rumtopf" but since I'm not much of an imbiber of alcohol, I don't know what it is - maybe a liqueur?

Without further ado (and with my comments in parentheses),

Großmutters Rumtopf

Ingredients: rum, fruit, sugar

The recipe collects fruit from spring through fall, with the additional ingredients, in a stoneware crock with a lid.

The following fruits are not suitable: apples, black currants, blueberries, blackberries (no reason given in the original).

Use only unblemished ripe fruit. One batch (original says “layer” – I’m not sure what’s intended, so went with “batch”. 10/30/23 comment: actually, I think layer is correct as you do add fruit layer by layer, apparently about 6 weeks apart) needs about six weeks to mature. Before refilling, stir with a clean spoon (this suggests that you can add fruit as you go along).

To prepare:

Rumtopf begins with the first summer fruit: strawberries.

Wash, drain (original says “dry”) and weigh strawberries and place in a bowl. Add half their weight in sugar. Let it sit for an hour and then add it to the stoneware crock (called “the rumpot”). Add enough rum (descriptions says it should be “54%” which I guess refers to the proof) so that the strawberries are covered to a fingerwidth. (Here begins the mixing metric and imperial measurements, which is amusing) So, you’ll need about .7 liters for every pound of fruit and half pound of sugar.

Close the crock and set in a cool place. Check periodically to confirm there is still enough liquid (always a fingerwidth above the fruit).

As soon as the next seasonal fruit is ripe, proceed as with the strawberries, but adding only about .2 liters of rum per pound of fruit.

Rumtopf calendar (obviously for the Northern Hemisphere)

 May/June:         .5 kg strawberries + .25 kg sugar + .75 liter rum

June/July:          1 kg unpitted sour cherries (pie cherries) + .5 kg sugar + .4 liter rum

July/Aug:            .5 kg each of apricots and peaches + .5 kg sugar + .4 liter rum.

Aug/Sep:            .5 kg plums (particularly Mirabelle – a yellow variety)+ .5 kg raspberries + .5 kg sugar + .4 liter rum

Sep/Oct:             .5 kg pear (peeled, cored, and sliced) + .25 kg sugar + .2 liter rum

Oct/Nov:            at the latest, four weeks after the last fruit has been added, add half a bottle of rum (no quantity given. How big is a bottle?)

 Let the Rumtopf sit for a few days.

 Nov/Dec:           Now you can enjoy the Rumtopf!

Comments

[sdi]

Thank you! This is quite clear and sounds very tasty! I bet this would be very good as a topping for shortcakes or the like! :)

I imagine that the measurements given are rough estimates and don't really matter: the goal is to make sure the fruit is always submerged so that it doesn't spoil. The last "half bottle" of rum is to get the now thick, syrupy mixture to the desired consistency.

[temporaryreality]

I think it would be good on top of vanilla ice cream. I’m debating the making of a minuscule batch for that very purpose:)

[sdi]

Yum!