Yummy, rummy, fruity goodness???!!!

[Ripple]

Help!
One of my fondest childhood food memories was this gorgeous concoction that my Mom always had sitting on the kitchen counter in a glass canister. There were maraschino cherries and grapefruit and oranges and possibly a few other fruits and it would sit there for weeks and ferment. It turned into a gorgeous vanilla ice-cream topping or great to just eat out if a bowl but had an alcohol content of about 1000! The end result was a flavor that I now recognize as rum. Is anyone familiar with this? I want to make a huge batch of this but not sure where to begin. What ingredients do I use? Any help would be most appreciated! Thank you from a new "hound"!

[MURPHSMOM1]

I remember this as well from the 70's.
My mother had it on the counter for a long time.
I only remember eating it with vanilla ice cream and I am happy to know
that there is cake made with it.
My only concern is someone on AllRecipes.com said that the glass jar they used
blew up.
Should it be in a tight fitting glass jar?
Could I use a large rubbermaid container?
Any ideas would be welcome. Thanks

[Bluemax]

This sounds a lot like "Rum Topf". I had my first taste of it when I lived in Germany. Friends of mine served it over ice cream and I remember having seconds it was so wonderful. I stayed at their house that night because I couldn't drive after that! They made it, as I do now, with local fresh picked fruit and berries that are added to a stoneware container in layers as they ripen in season. Some years I have made it out of just strawberries, which was very pretty. To that sugar and rum is poured over and let sit until Thanksgiving - or at least cold weather. It's amazing that you can hardly taste the rum when the flavors blend. The alcohol draws the juices out and mingles for that delicious syrup. It's a simple recipe, it's just hard to wait so long, It makes wonderful Christmas gifts if you are willing to share : ) All you need is a crock with lid, fresh fruit, dark rum and sugar and a bit of patience.

[ivahays]

We always called it "Cheer" and wow, what a blast from the past !

[vencogirl]

Rumtopf! German or Austrian (my family is primarily from Germany) and we always had some of this on the counter. Right next to the avocado green fridge. My ex husband (whose mother is French) made a similar concoction but used brandy instead of rum which is apparently why you see it done either way--just depends on if you are going french or German.
I can remember picking out all the cherries one afternoon and having a hell of a headache the next day. Aw, my first hangover. At age 10...

[mamachef]

This is almost certainly Tutti-Frutti, which may come by another name but that's how I know it. Here's an instruction list: best I can give you. Ive used this almost to the letter.
Have a 2-gallon glass or stoneware crock available, with a gasket ring.
It starts w/ a pint of brandy and two cups sliced strawberries in crock. Add two cups gran. sugar atop and stir gently. Cover; allow to marinate a week. Next, 2 c. each fresh pineapple chunks, black AND red cherries, pitted; 2 c. raspberries, blackberries, apricots, and skinned pitted peaches. Keep topping off w/ brandy and stirring in sugar. Cover w/ cheesecloth and set aside. Needs to marry a month, but stir gently daily w/ a wooden spoon. It will be syrupy and preserved, and not taste "raw."
Now eat a bowlful of ice cream with it, and set your breath on fire.
Definitely not okay for kids.

[kattyeyes]

A WHOP BOP A LOO WHOP, A WHOP BOMP BOMP! Gotta match? :) Hey, now! The winners of the Harvest Moon contest, no less! Let's hear it for drunken fruit!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFq5O2...

Speaking of...tequila-soaked pineapple is a real shot in the mouth as well. Tried it this winter. HOO-AHHH!

[mamachef]

OOOOOOOOH girl. Whoa.

[jeanmarieok]

Ya, I can't wait to start this!

[Kajikit]

Mama made a HUGE bottle of that stuff for her christmas cakes. She wouldn't let us eat any on its own because it was about 1000% booze... but it made incredible cakes. She kept the jar going for about five years in a cool dark cupboard.

[benbenberi]

The rumtopf! I used to know someone who'd had one going for years -- super scrumptious! Google rumtopf to find a lot of versions. Good stuff.

[kattyeyes]

No grapefruit and oranges, but many good ideas here:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/714514

I'm a big fan of boozy fruit myself and find it especially funny boozy fruit is a childhood memory for you! ;) CHEERS!

[Ripple]

Oh this was SOO "back in the day". I remember getting to eat a bowl of ice cream and catching a buzz. Not sure I am willing to do that for my kids now, but when you get a taste for something.....

[Terrie H.]

My grandmother always had this going as an ice cream topping. If you google Friendship Fruit, you'll see quite a few variations of what you are describing. I need to revive this one, too.

[jeanmarieok]

I love boozy fruit. I googled, but the only thing I saw that didn't look like a children's fruit salad is this recipe -

http://baking.about.com/library/weekl...

Is this it?

[Terrie H.]

I can guaranty that my grandmother never put yeast into her fruit. Canned fruit with some sugar and brandy. And any recipe that says it's Amish and calls for 12 oz. Of brandy is just silly.

[frannieface77]

Another big fan of boozy fruit here. :) In fact, I love eating the fruit from the bottom of Sangria, or the orange slices from a mulled wine my friend made...yum yum.

[PotatoHouse]

My first ex-wife (don't ask. LOL) used to keep starter for Friendship Cake around. It used the what you describe as Friendship Fruit.

[Ripple]

As soon as I get done thanking you I will check this out!! :D