Sometimes, when we were kids, my cousins and I got to have boozy fruit on our pudding (those must have been days that Oma REALLY needed a bit of rest). The big stone crock would come up from the Keller, and when Oma opened it up we would peek inside to see the soaking fruits. mmmmmmmm. Germans don’t like waste, so fruit that wasn’t eaten or turned into jam or stuck in the deep freeze might have ended up in there. Strawberries, Cherries, peach slices, and more…all macerating in sugar and rum. Learning how to make a Rumtopf is EASY!

How to make a Rumtopf

A Rumtopf is a clay jar (or sometimes glass) that gets filled with fruit, sugar, and then RUM. The whole mass sits for 4-6 weeks, and then you can enjoy the augmented fruits on your puddings, ice cream… or just straight out of a dish. It is a delicious way to preserve fresh fruit.

Traditionally, you start preserving the fruits in summer time, to be enjoyed during the holidays. You can go ahead and start a Rumtopf in May or June with fresh Strawberries… then keep adding more fruits as they ripen. Or stick with just one fruit (maybe make a few Rumtopf to get different flavors.)

Thanks to the abundance of fresh fruits in our Grocery Stores and Farmer’s Markets, it is never really too late (or too early) to start a Rumtopf. That way, even on the dreariest days of Winter, there is a bit of sunshine in your dessert. Just make sure your fruit is RIPE. It tastes better if the fruits are at the peak of sweetness.

How to Make a Rumtopf- A Delicious Way to Preserve Summer Fruits!

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Course Dessert

Cuisine German

Ingredients

Stoneware Pot with a Lid
Fresh Fruit
Sugar 1/2 pound for each pound of fruit
100-110 proof Rum not spiced or flavored

Instructions

Put the fruit in the Pot with the sugar. For each pound of fruit you want to add ½ pound of sugar.
Add enough Rum to the pot to cover the fruit by 1 inch.
(You can add the fruit all at once, or add layers of fruit as you get them… even weeks later. Just remember to add more sugar and more rum to cover. Remember, if you add more later, you get to add 4 more weeks. )
Cover the pot with plastic wrap (to prevent evaporation) then top with the lid.
Store in a cool dark place… the refrigerator is ok.
Wait 4 -6 weeks for the flavors to ripen (yes, it’s ok to taste from time to time to see how it’s coming along)
Eat!

Notes

**Note- The best Rum to use is 100 -110 proof, but this can difficult to find. Most places carry the 80 proof or 151. It’s ok to combine 80 proof with 151. Use a ratio of 3 to 2 (3 parts 80 proof to 2 parts 151)

151 alone is too strong.

Keyword Rumtopf, summer fruits

Best Fruits for Rumtopf

Cherries
Grapes
Strawberries
Raspberries
Red Currants
Gooseberries
Pineapple chunks
Pear Slices
Nectarine and Peach slices
Plum and Apricot halves.

Peaches are best without the peel, but don’t worry about peeling apricots and plums

Remember to remove stems and pits before adding fruit to the pot!

Don’t Use these Fruits in your Rumtopf

Apples (they get a funny texture),

Melon (too watery)

Rhubarb (sour)

Black or Blue berries (will turn everything purple)

Citrus (too sour)

and especially… NO BANANAS (mushy yucky).

Serve your fruits over ice cream, pudding for Nachtisch, on waffles or even as a side dish for game.

Buy Vintage German Rumtopf Pots…

The Rumtopf pots come in an incredibly variety of shapes and styles. The most important is that the lid closes, and that the contents be kept dark (if you use a glass jar, it must be kept in a dark place). You can find more Rumtopf pots here

Vintage Ceramic Rumtopf Vintage Rumtopf Crock Blue Ceramic Canister with Lid Made in Germany Vintage Ceramic Rumtopf Vintage West Germany Scheurich ceramic rumtopf wgp 826-36 Vintage German Rumtopf Jar