I found my Rumtopf - Fruit and Rum Yum

Many years ago I bought a Rumtopf which is a German rum pot.  I used it for a few years making some really nice fruit soaked in rum for the respective festive seasons but then it got put in a box and when I moved it sort of left my memory.

A recent garage clear out and guess what I found? My old Rumtopf!  A Rumtopf is a posh jar for making fruit soaked in rum but if you don't have one a 1.5lt Le Parfais jar will do just as well.

This week I came across some small yellow plums (which I have been told might be Mirabel plums)growing wild and immediately thought how nice they would be soaked in rum for three months.

Today I mentioned my plan to my father-in-law and true to form he produced a couple of bottles each about 1/3 full of rum.  He also gave me some grapes to use that needed using up so we were ready to go!

Firstly you weigh the fruit and measure the same weight in sugar.  Put the sugar and the fruit together in a bowl and leave for an hour.

 

Pop this in the Rumtopf and cover with dark rum preferably but white rum will work too.  You could also try it with Brandy if you prefer.

Stretch a piece of cling film over the opening of the jar to stop evaporation and pop the lid on top.

Pop the whole thing away somewhere cool for about three months then in the depths of winter, nights drawing in and only ice cream in the freezer, you can turn it into a magical pudding. The fruit will be very boozy and the liquid will be a nice fruity syrup to pour over the top.

 

Of course you can add more fruit as you go and you only need to add sugar to half the weight of the fruit.