Hic Thanks Betty

I live in the heart of the Scottish berry growing country and dop something similar each summer by starting a rumtopft off when the berries are at their cheapest. You just put any soft fruit into a large jar or lidded pot (you don;t need a proper rumtopft), add half as much sugar by weight and pour in enough rum or brandy to completely cover the fruit. You can keep adding to it and then you just leave it for at least 4 weeks before straining off and bottling the by now transformed cheap booze.

You do ned to make sure that whatever alcohol you use that it is at least 40% proof - I came a cropper one year with brandy that was only 35% and didn't notice until the fruit started to ferment! And I've discovered that it doesn't work with red or blackcurrants. They too fermented but I think that this was probably because they have a far lower natural sugar content and perhaps need more sugar added. But it ahs always worked brilliantly with strawberries and raspberries etc as well as things like peaches and nectarines (stone and quarter them first) as well as the Victoria p[lums fromt eh tree in my garden.

I usually do it in such quantities that there is too much to eat in one go and so pack the strained fruit into jam jars and pour in just enough of the fruited alcohol to cover it. They don;t need any special - just a good screw top lid. These then make great gifts for giving away as presents or as donations for selling at Christmas gift fairs etc. And I've discovered that it will keep perfectly safely for years like this having once found a jar that was 5 yrs old lurking in the back of a cupboard! Out of curiosity I opened it up and found that whilst the fruit had turned really soft - it was more like a compote - it was still OK to eat and was if anything even tastier than usual. Mashed up well it into the 'juice' it made a really great tasting thick sauce for pouring over ice cream

SM

I have to say this all sounds lovely, i was kind of drooling as i read it, but I haven't got any gin or other normal bottles of spirits. Got a bottle of Absinthe that we have been frightened to drink incase it sends us dollally, wonder if i could do it with that.

Doe

doe wrote:

. Got a bottle of Absinthe that we have been frightened to drink incase it sends us dollally,

Doe :sun2

Doe the above quote has really cheered me up

Well I saw a film with johnny depp in it called From Hell and it sent him a bit bonkers. Also you seemed to need to do something with a bent spoon and some sugar and heat it up. Weird or what? All too complicated for my little brain

Doe