Thoughts of Christmas don't usually enter our thoughts in August, but for those who give food gifts, they do. Rumtopf is a wonderful rum-soaked fruit topping that is great way to take advantage of summer's fruits and prepare for gift-giving. My mother-in-law used only strawberries, but other fruits--even mixed--work out great for this dish. (Apples, bananas, and certain other berries are not recommended). We only serve ours over vanilla ice cream--something to do with tradition--but you can certainly use it to "spice" up pork or chicken.
The basic "recipe" or method:
Take your washed, fresh fruits (cut into pieces) and add an equal weight of sugar to a large crock or glass container. (I inherited a beautiful Rumtopf crock from my mother-in-law, photo shown). Add rum--dark or white--or mixed to cover fruit and sugar; stir. If necessary, weigh down the fruit with a dish to keep them submerged, then cover the crock. Do not seal if using a mason jar. Periodically, stir the mixture, and you can add new fruits with the addition of sugar and rum. It takes at least 6 weeks for the mixture to be ready for serving.....longer is fine, and refrigeration is not necessary. Just keep covered in a cool place. Enjoy!
