Brandy Fruit Pot Food

FRUIT POTS

Steps:

• Tip the madeira cake and nuts into a medium bowl. Drizzle over the brandy and stir well. Divide the mixture between 6 large tumblers, then top with compote and custard.
• Break the bars of nut brittle into a food processor and blitz until crushed quite finely. (You can prepare to this stage up to two hours before serving.)
• When ready to serve, sprinkle a thick layer of crushed brittle on top of each tumbler.

BRANDY FRUIT POT

Steps:

• Combine fruit and sugar.
• Let stand 3 hours.
• stirring once or twice. Tie cinnamon in cheesecloth bag.
• Add to fruit and brandy.
• Cover loosely and let stand at least 1 week, stirring once a day.
• To keep pot going, add 1 cup sugar and 2 cup fruit to replace every 2 cup removed.
• The fruit pot may be started at the beginning of the summer with strawberries, oranges and grapes.
• Add more fruit and sugar as they come into season - e.g.
• raspberries, peaches, pears, melon balls.
• Keep refrigerated or in a cold room.
• You can keep one going all year round in your refrigerator.

SIMPLE BRANDY

Steps:

• Enough fruit to somewhat fill a gallon jar, (cherries, apricots, crabapples, etc.).
• Place fruit, any kind, into glass jar -- pits and all, just cut off the yucky parts.
• Add sugar and vodka.
• Set on your kitchen counter and flip it every day for three months. (If you put it away you'll forget about it!)
• The first few days I place the jar into a bucket in case my lid leaks, that way I can pour it back in and go hunt for a new lid. I put a sticker on it indicating the date it will be ready and "Up on even" if I happen to start it on an even day, you wouldn't believe how many times I've thought to myself "did I turn the brandy today?")
• In three months strain it through cheesecloth or a clean dishcloth or what have you, if you want it even clearer then strain it again through a paper coffee filter.
• Bottle it and wowee it's delicious! I do up a nice label on my computer and bottle it into smaller than micky bottles to tuck into my Christmas baskets.

FRIENDSHIP BRANDY FRUIT STARTER

Steps:

• TO START: Combine all ingredients in a clean, large glass jar.
• Stir gently with wooden spoon.
• Cover and let stand at room temperature for three weeks, stirring at least twice a week.
• Fruit is fermented when it is translucent.
• CARE AND FEEDING: Stir mixture daily.
• Every two weeks add one cup sugar and one cup of fruit and stir gently. Alternate fruits each time.
• Cover and let stand at room temperature at least three days before using.
• Do not add fruit more often than once every two weeks.
• Do not delay adding fruit for more than one or two days past schedule.
• IMPORTANT: To keep the starter going, retain at least three cups at all times.
• SHARING: Whenever you have more than six cups of fermented fruit, you may divide it into two portions, being sure there are at least three cups in each portion.
• Do this just before you would do a normal feeding.
• Feed each portion.
• Give one portion to a friend (with Care and Feeding directions) and keep one for yourself.
• Search on "friendship fruit" to find recipes that use this.
• There is also a Friendship Sourdough Starter (Recipe #647936) - yum!

APRICOT BRANDY

Steps:

• Use only fully ripened, unblemished fruit.
• Wash and remove pits.
• Chop and mash fruit.
• Place in a plastic container or large glass bottle.
• Dissolve sugar in the vodka or brandy.
• Pour over the fruit.
• Cover and let sit for 4 to 6 months in a cool, dark place.
• Strain out the fruit, and bottle.
• Your fruit brandy is ready to drink!

BRANDIED DRIED FRUIT

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the currants, cranberries, cherries, pears and apricots. Zest the orange and add the zest to the bowl. Add the lemon, ginger, anise seeds, black pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon and cardamom.
• Juice the orange and add the liquid to the bowl. Add the brandy and stir to combine. Transfer the mixture to a jar, cover and refrigerate. (If you don't have a jar that's large enough, keep the mixture in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap.) Allow the fruit to sit in the liquid for 2 to 14 days before using. The flavor of the fruit, spices and brandy will improve with time. At least once a day, turn the jar upside-down (or thoroughly stir the mixture if it's in a bowl) to make sure all the dried fruit gets coated in the brandied liquid. The mixture keeps in the refrigerator for months, stored in an airtight container.

BRANDIED FRUIT TOPPING

Steps:

• In a large saucepan combine raisins, mandarin oranges, prunes, sugar and water to cover. Simmer over medium heat until syrupy, about 10 minutes.
• Stir in peaches, pineapple and brandy. Store in refrigerator.

PEACHES IN BRANDY

Steps:

• Prepare peaches (dip peaches into boiled water, then into ice-cold water--skins will slip off; then halve and twist to remove the pit).
• Make a syrup with the sugar & water in a large sauce-pan; stir mixture until it boils.
• To the boiling syrup, add peach halves and extract.
• When fruit is cooked (5-7 min), remove pan from heat, drain (reserve); cool fruits and spoon carefully into prepared jars.
• Half fill jars with reserved syrup, run a butter knife down the jar to remove air bubbles; fill jars to the top with BRANDY.
• Seal jars with lids, shake gently to mix syrup and brandy.
• Store in a cool dark place--use within six months.
• I've also added a pinch of cinnamon and cloves with VERY good results.