Crocks and how to use them

[ORChick]

Vodka and orange juice is a screwdriver, and vodka and lemon is a vodka collins, but I don't know if citrus would be ok in those. Waddaya think of adding a layer of lemon slices?

I have kept lemon peel in vodka before. At the end of it the peel wasn't good for much, but I had a useable lemon extract. I don't think that I would want to add citrus to a Rumtopf myself, but again, why not give it a try?

 

[freemotion]

Was your extract bitter at all? If not, I think I might do that, and just discard the lemon after. Maybe layer some lemon slices, peel and all. Sounds like a great fruit salad. I wonder how it would work with honey, or if that would grow bacteria. I like to sweeten fruit salad with a bit of honey if using tart fruits.

I'd probably like it, I just don't want to poison anyone!

eta: keljonma, just saw your extract recipe on your journal....thanks!

 

[ORChick]

Was your extract bitter at all? If not, I think I might do that, and just discard the lemon after. Maybe layer some lemon slices, peel and all. Sounds like a great fruit salad. I wonder how it would work with honey, or if that would grow bacteria. I like to sweeten fruit salad with a bit of honey if using tart fruits.

I'd probably like it, I just don't want to poison anyone!

eta: keljonma, just saw your extract recipe on your journal....thanks!

It was a while ago that I did the lemon extract - back when I lived where I could have a lemon tree - and I think it may have been a bit bitter. It was just lemon zest and vodka, if I remember correctly. I don't use much lemon extract, so I've never repeated the experiment. Were I to do it again I might experiment with a bit of honey added. What I do do when I can get a decent number of unsprayed lemons (that is, when I return to California, and can cadge some from friends) is to soak the lemon zest strips in olive oil for several weeks. This makes a very tasty lemon oil for salad dressing, or bread dipping, or mayonnaise making. I don't do this with supermarket lemons because I believe (though I may be wrong) that the sprays etc used on non-organic lemons are concentrated in the peels. That is, however, just my opinion; others may think differently.

 

[FarmerDenise]

My family made "Rumtopf" and I still do on occasion. I come from a german/polish family and both the german and the polish side made this.

We used one part fruit, one part sugar and one part high alcohol content rum. We added to it throughout the summer. Sometimes we had to do some testing for quality control. The general family rule was that it was not to be drunk until Thanksgiving.

The fruit you can use is: strawberries and pitted fruit that does not have fuzzy skin. Whatever fruit you start it with is going to be the dominant flavor.
I have a friend who makes it with apricots and brandy, so I don't know why my family's rule of no fuzzy fruit. Maybe a grandparent somewhere way-back-when didn't like fuzzy fruit.
Blackberries and rasberries don't work well, because they fall apart.

It is good to use the same crock for this every year and don't use a crock that has been used for something not sweet. It will affect the flavor. If you use a crock that has been used for rumpot for several years, you will notice a much mellower flavor in your product. Very nice. I bought my pot when I was in college a looong time ago and it is used only for making rumpot.

 

[FarmerDenise]

ORChick, I like your idea of making lemony olive oil. I'll have to try it. We have lemons coming out of our ears, but we love them and use them for all kinds of things.
I don't bother with lemon extract, because we have the real thing.
We have two bushes and planted two more last year.

 

[gettinaclue]

FarmerDenise,

Thanks for the heads up on the Rumtopf!