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Fermented fruit is an easy to make, slightly alcoholic fruit mix that is great on pudding, ice cream, pound cake, and just by itself. It’s based on rumtopf, a traditional method of preserving the yearly fruit harvest.

If you want to start your own fermented fruit pot in class, below is the list of items you’ll need to have available. Or feel free to just come and join the conversation

What you need:

• Sugar: I usually use white sugar. Any sugar is good and different sugars will provide different tastes in the finished project. To keep things neater in class, let’s NOT try honey just now.
• Drained Canned Fruit: I usually use peaches, pears, pineapple, and sometimes maraschino cherries. Any canned fruit will be great. It doesn't have to be drained dry, just get rid of the juice. *To make class quicker and easier, please drain the fruit before hand*
• Spices/Herbs: I sometimes use mint leaves. Any spice or herb you think will be compatible is good *HOWEVER* NO ground spices and make sure what you use was grown for consumption, no pesticides!
• Yeast: I usually use baking yeast (Red Star, Fleischmann's, whatever the store has). But you are welcome to use your favorite brewing yeast instead. Different yeasts impart different flavors and different levels of alcohol to the finished product..
• Jar: You need a *loose lidded, wide mouth, glass jar* This is VERY important, fermentation means that Carbon Dioxide will need to escape. A glass sun tea jar with a pour spout in the lid works, as does an apothecary type jar where the lid sits inside the neck. A jar with a *Plastic* screw on lid will work if you put a *small* hole in it. But don’t use a metal lid, it will rust.

How much you need:

• Jar: At least a mayo size jar, 1/2 gallon is a good size.
• Fruit: Bring enough drained fruit to fill the jar about 3 quarters full when the fruit is loosely put in, not packed.
• Sugar: An amount equal to at least the amount of fruit. A 5 pound bag is plenty.
• Yeast: 1 package of dry yeast.
• Spices/Herbs: Less is better to start with, you can always add more later if you like the taste.

Links:

Regarding Rumtoff and Fermented Fruit

• Recipe & Documentation    
• Care and Feeding    
• Photo Essay: The Process of Fermentation

• Brewing with Tim & Deb

Tim's brewing sales website

• Brown Owl Brew Shop