Rum Pot Revisited

Happily, I just scored a genuine German Rumtopf on eBay so I've been doing research. Strawberries are fine. They'll probably be the first fruit that goes in if you use seasonal fruit. Citrus is out, although many people appear to use pineapple. Fruit with seeds such as blackberries can be used if they don't bother you.

As you can see, there is no one recipe. Have fun. I can't wait for December.

Citrus is out, but soft summer fruit such as strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, are in. However, if memory serves, the rule is to put them in, but take care not to use too many because they are so soft.

Peaches, apricots, plums, nectarines.. all good. Some sources say that apple and pear are no nos, as they are too hard. That might be the case with apple, but slices of perfectly ripe pear, I think would work nicely.

Pears are tricky as some varieties can go from perfectly ripe to over ripe in as little as an afternoon.

As Bob pointed out, there are no hard and fast rules to rum pot, mostly it boils down to personal preferences.

Abby

How about cooking apples briefly in the microwave to soften them up first? Sort of like the beginning of making applesauce, but leave 'em in slices...

Gene

I just reviewed about five recipes and they warn against apples and blueberries. None of the recipes I saw contained apples. I had planned on using them because we have an apple tree, but for this first year I think I'll omit them. We also live in Maine and have blueberries all over the back yard, but I'll leave them out, too.

A question about rumpots...

It appears that some people here have experience with rumpots. Some of the recipes I have indicate that the fruit inside is actually fermenting. I was under the impression that yeast can't exist when alcohol gets toward the 20% mark. Rum is generally around 80 proof (40%). Does the juice from the fruit dilute the run enought that actual fermantation can start, or is the recipe wrong?

Thanks for any insights.

So far, my nascent (one month old) rumpot is a bit under two inches deep in a ten-inch wide glass jar. The jar has a lid that is not air-tight so I covered it with Saran wrap to seal it. The plastic is not bulging so I'd say it is not fermenting. The contents are: pineapple, grapes, prunes, raisins and 151 proof rum.

Thanks for the reply.

Somebody said earlier that the darker the stronger the better.... :)

A rum pot is not supposed to ferment. The fruit is supposed to macerated in the sugar and rum over time, allowing the flavours to blend.

Abby

You are doing it right! A rumpot is technically a method of preserving fruit for the winter, or in this case, a christmas treat. If it is fermenting, there is something wrong.

Abby