The jars of rumtopf that I started back in beginning of summer are coming along nicely. All the berries are accounted for and they are ready for stone fruits. You can see in the photo that there are layers of strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and Bing cherries. Apricots are going in tonight. I adore these small ones about the size of a walnut with deep pink blush. The peaches are the market are still semi clingstone. It must be a good year for Niagara peaches. Every single one I purchased in the last couple of weeks was honey sweet and dripping with juice. As soon as the freestone peaches arrive, I’ll add some to the rumtopf too.
You may remember that as a measure of risk management, I have four smaller jars fermenting. Two of them contain dark rum and the other two vodka. I could easily distinguish between the two when I first started but now I can hardly tell them apart without taking a whiff. The berries stain the spirit to deep burgundy.
Christmas cannot arrive soon enough when I can share the rumtopf with friends and family. Now that I think about it, making four smaller jars is a great idea. Two litres of rumtopf is still a lot of drunken fruit and liquor. Definitely enough to share with a group. With four jars, not only do I have a couple of ready-made gifts, I can also bring them to more than one party.
Last weekend I travelled to St Paul, MN for a race. I had every intention to buy more rum or vodka at the duty-free store. Unfortunately, I was a little too tardy during my connecting flight and missed the shopping opportunity. It’s amazing how much alcohol this project requires and I really ought to take advantage of the cheaper price. Alas, my next trip to the US is not due until mid September and I’m certain I’ll need to top up the rumtopf way before then.
Have you been stocking up your pantry with homemade preserves? It’s not too late! It was only a year ago when I started with my first batch of apricot jam and I haven’t stop since. I would love to hear about your experience with preserving!
