How to make Rumtopf aka Rumpot with Summer Fruits

Rumpot, or rumtopf, is a German fruit, rum and sugar concoction dating, apparently, from the eighteenth century when they first imported rum from the Caribbean. (Sometimes the term Rumpot is used as a derogative term for an alcoholic but that is not what I am dealing with here!)

I recently opened a bottle of Rumtopf that’s been hidden away for a couple of years, I thought it might have gone mouldy or evaporated but it’s absolutely gorgeous!

So, it being The Time of Summer Fruits again, here’s how to make it! 

Rumtopf aka Rumpot

The first stage of this recipe must be started at least two months before you want to drink it but the good news is you can do something else while you are waiting. Often this was used, by patient German people, as a way of storing summer fruits for Christmas.

You add fruit, sugar and rum to the pot everytime you come across some more fruit. Each time you need …

2 parts of perfect fruit – see below for which fruits are suitable
1 part caster sugar
rum – light gold rum is best, not too weak (57% ABV 100% or higher)

~   Select a glass or ceramic jar with a really good seal – I used a Kilner jar – and make sure it is clean and dry.
~   As fruits come into season, so starting with strawberries, de-stem them and wash and dry thoroughly.
~   Weigh the fruits, slice or dice as appropriate, and put into your jar. Add half their weight in sugar.
~   Cover with rum (or brandy in which case I believe you will have a Brandytopf!) to a depth of half an inch (1¼ mm). It is essential that all of the fruit is always submerged so place a small saucer or similar directly on top of it to stop any random pieces floating to the surface.
~   Cover tightly and store in a cook dark place till the next fruit comes along.
~ Continue throughout the summer till,say, the start of October.
~   With the second and all subsequent additions repeat the procedure topping up with the spirit and reseal.
~ Leave for 2-3 months before going for it, which makes it ideal as a Christmas drink, but it does keep indefinitely if you keep it in the cool and dark, well covered and don’t drink it.

Best Fruits for Rumpot / Rumtopf

Berries ~ strawberries, raspberries, blueberries
Redcurrants
Stone fruit – these should all be pitted and peeled ~
peaches – flat peaches are good, nectarines, apricots, plums, cherries – no need to peel cherries, I lied about them, don’t bother peeling!
pears – peeled, don’t put the core in!

Don’t use these fruits …

DEFINITELY NOT BANANAS!
melons – they go mushy and make the rumpot watery
citrus fruits – acidic
rhubarb – too strange and stringy, just wouldn’t fit in!
apples don’t seem to do very well
blackberries – too seedy
Some people use pineapple but not me – also too acidic

A few points when making Rumpot

 ~    Always use perfect fruit – no bruises, no overripe or under ripe fruit, no blemishes, just perfect.
~    Don’t stir when adding additional fruits, just layer up.
~    At the end of the summer, after the last fruity addition, forget about it for really nice surprise later on.
~ If, on first tasting, it tastes a little too strong, the sugar may have sunk to the bottom of the jar in which case give it a gently stir to re-distribute. Retaste (sorry about that!) and if still too strong add a little more sugar.

How to Serve Rumpot aka Rumptoft

The liqueur makes a truly delicious sipping liquor, the fruit is powerful but good. Here’s some ideas …

~   Drink it – straight, as it is, yum!
~   Add sparkling water
~   Add wine and sparling water and make a Rumpot spritzer
~   Go the whole hog and top up with Champagne
~   Add to milkshakes and smoothies
~   Top ice cream or yogurt with a little of the fruit – not too much, it is very powerful, or …
~   Add a spoonful of the fruit to fruit salads
~ You can even easily make Rumpot Ice Cream using my very flexible and easy no-churn ice cream recipe.

Cherry Bounce 

This is exactly the same sort of thing but using just cherries and brandy. I can’t find mine – must have drunk it!

Both Rumpot and Cherry Bounce  make superb ice cream using the super flexible recipe in my book Luscious Ice Creams without a Machine which gives over 100 delicious no-churn ice cream recipes plus every bit of useful ice-cream making information I can think of!

If you like this sort of thing see here for Blackberry/Damson/Sloe Gin/Vodka, here for Blackberry and Apple Vodka and here for Limoncello.

Cheers!

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