I haven't tried this but it sounds great.

Traditional Rumtopf

Traditionally this is made in a large crock and fruit is added as it ripens during the growing season. This can be made in a large glass jar.

1 1/2 cup (375 mL)strawberries, whole or halved if large
1/2 cup (125 mL)sugar
3/4 cup (175 mL)light rum

Add 3/4 cup (175 mL) of any or all of the following: red currants, pitted sweet cherries, raspberries, blueberries, sliced peaches, sliced nectarines, quartered apricots, quartered blue or yellow plums

Granulated sugar
Rum

Place strawberries into an 8 cup (2L) container and layer with sugar. Allow to stand 30 minutes. Slowly pour rum over so that it is about 2 inches over fruit. Cover loosely with plastic film. Store in a cool location (basement or cool room) for about 2 weeks.
Combine next choice of fruit and 1/4 cup (50 mL) sugar. Add to jar, top up with rum so that fruit is covered. If the fruit floats, place a small plate on top of fruit to keep it covered. Otherwise stir every few days.
Repeat with other fruits as they are available. Add 1/4 cup sugar with each addition and top with rum.
When fermentation is complete, fruit is no longer bubbling, transfer to clean jars with tight fitting lids. Store in regfrigerator.

nettle, it is indeed a rumtopf. Rumtopf is actully the pot that the fruit is put into to steep in the liquor.

Here are some pretty concise instructions, although the "recipe" isn't really mine. My aunt always makes a rumtopf, but uses brandy (or occasionally vodka) in place of the rum. It's probably not traditional, but in the grand scheme of things I don't think it makes a darned bit of difference. Aunt Lulabelle's rumtopf always contained strawberries, cherries, plums, peaches, raspberries and pineapple. The pineapple was always added last and it would be ready by Christmas, never before (much like the family fruitcake, LOL) Sometimes she put in blackberries but it made an ugly color. I didn't care a lot for the raspberries either, they were too "seedy". Anyway.....

START MAKING IT IN JUNE or JULY!! It has to "work" for about 5-6 months to eat.

Ingredients

Suitable Fruits:
Strawberries
Raspberries
Blackberries
Sour Cherries, whole
Pitted apricots, unpeeled
Peach halves, unpeeled peeled
Pears, quartered unpeeled
Pineapple, peeled and cut in chunks

Other Ingredients:
1 bottle good quality rum
4 to 5 liter stoneware crock or porcelain pot (not glass).
Sugar
Preparation
Wash and drain well 1 pound of fresh, ripe strawberries.
Add 1 cup (225 ml) sugar, mix gently, let stand 1 hour before placing into crock.
Place fruit in pot and add 1 bottle rum.
Place a saucer on top of the fruit and let stand in cool, dark place.
Stir very gently once or twice over the next two weeks.
Every two weeks add another in-season fruit, some sugar and rum as needed, as an example: 1 pound washed and drained fresh fruit, plus 1 cup (225 ml) sugar and enough rum to cover by 1/2 inch.

Although Advent is the traditional time to begin sampling the Rumtopf, it can be used at any time and the ingredients refreshed with the addition of more fruit, sugar and rum.
Remember, however, that after the addition of the fresh fruit it takes AT LEAST 2 weeks before fermentation is well under way again. The longer you allow the mixture to stand and ferment, the richer the Rumtopf.

THAT is why the Rumtopf is traditionally begun in May or June and eaten during the Christmas season, giving it a full 6 months of blending, fermenting and richness.
Serve over ice cream, pound cake with whipped cream, or simply scrumptious ladled into individual parfait glasses with lady fingers and sweetened soft whipped cream.

To add nuts, remove the amount of Rumtopf you are going to use, place in a glass bowl or jar and add the desired amount and types of nuts, toasted nuts are especially good, and let stand and soak up the flavors for at least 4 hour prior to serving. Nuts are low acid, so don't add them to your crock, they can only be added when serving the rumtopf.
Since my Uncle Paul (Lulabelle's husband) passed away last year, it has become my responsibility when picking the strawberries, etc., to make sure she has the ingredients she needs for the rumtopf. I'd be the family pariah if I neglected THAT job.

Annie

Funny, some of the ladies took me on a shopping expedition to Aachen today. At an antique shop there was a rumtopf pot. It literally said rumtopf on the side. I mentioned to them I could get them directions on how to make one from the forum. And here they are.

Annie,
what kind of rum? Spiced rum like Capt Morgan's, light rum, dark rum? Thanks, TIM

Yeah, my mom has a jar that says "rumtopf" on it. We used to think it was disgusting stuff when we were kids, but I rather like the sound of it now! Thanks for the ideas. I think I might start one, but it's not June!

Elk River, Aunt L uses the cheapest light rum she can find, she says it keeps the color "fresher". Personally, I like it better with vodka.

Annie

When I read the other post I saw the word rumtopf and I had no idea what you all were talking about.
Now that I read this, we used to call it a trashcan years ago. I remember eating spiked fruit, we had great times!
I like this recipe above better. Wish I knew about it before, I would have started it in the summer for Christmas this year. Will print out for next year!
Thanks

If you're inclined to spend the money, here's the real thing from Germany.

Carol

Here is a link that might be useful: Fantes Rumtopf

"Traditionally served over ice cream, yogurt, waffles or cake during Advent or on Christmas morning, Rumtopf is an old traditional preparation of fermented rum-soaked fruit aged in a crock pot"
Think I will skip the ice cream, yogurt and waffles and just eat the fruit plain..LOL
After the canning I did this year, I think I deserve it!
Thanks for the link though, I have learned something.
How interesting!!

I wonder why you can't use glass (she asks with a rum pot in her kitchen soaking in a glass container)....is it the light?

Forgive my ignorance, but I have a couple of questions (and if it's made in a crock . . . I'm in!). If it is made in a crock, do you cover the crock with like plastic and a big rubber band or does this stuff ferment and produce "C2H2OH" related gases? What is the consistency of the finished product (is it syrupy)? Can it be stored somehow if it's not eaten immediately when it's ready? Is this something you would serve to young kids (regarding the cake and ice cream)?

Tim, ours is made in a traditional stone crock, much like the one I use to ferment sauerkraut but smaller. It must be covered tightly to ferment, we use plastic wrap tied with cooking twine because we break a zillion rubber bands trying to get them around the mouth of that crock. We keep it in the root cellar while fermenting, which is cool and dark but doesn't freeze and never warms up.

When Aunt LulaBelle decrees that the rumtopf is "ready", the fruit is dipped out and the juice consumed much like a cordial. It is a little "thick", but I wouldn't exactly say "syrup-y". I think all the rum keeps it thinnned down. LOL

Stored? No need to "store" it, although I guess you could put it in the refrigerator. Just add another fruit, some sugar, some rum and keep it going, although it does need a "cool" place (like the root cellar). It's been sitting for months, remember, with judicious "quality control sampling" going on throughout. (grin)

Children? Um, that would be a big NO. The fruit is as potent as the liquor, having been soaked in rum for months. Let them have hot fudge on their ice cream.

Annie

I have just the crock for the job and will try that next year. I have around 15 -20 friends (and growing) show up at my place for Christmas. Deep fried turkeys, a whole prime rib, and a bunch of liquid refreshments. The guys will think the rumtopf is a joke since we always make a bunch of moonshine soaked fruit for the ladies to eat when we do our pig roast party. I know your stuff will become an instant hit.

The godsons (5&6) are in and out of my crocks (pickled corn, etc.) all of the time so I will have to keep an eye on that one. I guess I was just thinking of some of the Flambe desserts I make for them, but of course the alcohol would be burnt off (not like the rumtopf). Thanks. TIM

How do you pronounce Rumtopf? Rum top, rum tof? Lori

Well, being Irish and Native American, not a lick of German that I know of, I can't guarantee the pronunciation. However, Aunt LulaBelle has always pronounced it "Room Taupe fff". And roll that "r", will you? LOL

Annie

Annie,
My concise German dictionary (bought for traveling purposes, I don't actually speak German) says that pf is pronounced as in the pf in the english word cupful. Seems to jive with Aunt LulaBelle. I just love that name.
Melly

FERMENTATION?!?!?

I thought I've made Rumtopf in years gone by: fruit, sugar, dark rum, leave it in the fridge indefinitely. But there was by no means any fermentation going on---far too much alcohol for that.

Hmmm...

I guess I need a cabana boy to come help me. If there's going to be fermentation, I want someone on the premises at all times to keep things under control.

Nah, Victrola, we like things totally out of control. The cabana boys are strictly for towel fluffing, drink mixing and lotion applying, no control at all. :-)

According to Aunt L, the fruit ferments because of the sugar and that if you don't cover the crock tightly it won't "work" correctly. Is that true? Darned if I know, but I sure am not going to argue with the woman who controls the rumtopf every Christmas.

Annie

Gourmet Magazine, many years ago, had a marvoulous article on the rumpot. Told by the author in the first person, it detailed when and what went lovingly in, month by month. And had an incredible description of what it tasted like.

I kept it for a long time, but it finally disintergrated. What the heck, it was so long ago, Annie was just a babe in arms.

Annie, I think you need to change the recipe to read "at least 2 bottles of rum." One for the rum pot and the rest to drink while your waiting for the flavors to develop. :)

That's me, GardenLad, a mere child. I am old enough to drink, just barely. LOL However, I figure control of the rumtopf will be passed down to my generation soon enough.

Gourmet magazine, huh? Wow, the humble rumtopf has been elevated in stature. As for the history in my family, I am told that the very first rumtopf was the result of my Aunt LulaBelle marrying a man from Germany. He was her first husband (number 5 just died last year!) and it was a tradition for his family to have a rumtopf yearly. He taught Aunt Lulabelle and a family tradition was born. Being heathen Michiganders we have used everything from vodka to brandy to rum, but the basic construction of the rumtopf is the same: fruit, sugar, booze.

As for the ingredients, we just add whatever is ripe and we can get our hands on that might be compatible with the rest of the "pot".

Annie

This sounds really yummy! How cool does it have to stay? We don't have a cellar and to keep electric bills down, we keep it about 78 in the house. Will this be cool enough? I would guess that refrgeration would be too cool for the fermentation.

Thanks for any tips

I started the rumtopf this summer ...followed the recipes ...added only the recommended fruits .. yet, my peaches,pears and apricots all turned red from the colors of the strawberries,the cherries,raspberries(now too soft and seedy) . I guess I thought that the fruits would've retained more of their color (I knew they'd lose some). Frankly, the strawberries look unappetizing(kinda greyish). The flavor is fantastic!!! The fruit is alittle mushier than I expected though...Regarding the 'fermentation' uh oh...cuz I didn't have any either ...was I supposed to? Anyone have the same observations?

A couple of questions: I live in the south Louisiana (think hot country) and though we have air conditioning, my rum pot would not likely stay especially cool. Maybe as another contributor said, maybe the high 70's. Would that be a problem?

My other question is don't the soft fruits like strawberries turn to mush after six months in the pot? It seems to me like firmer fruits would be better. Also, do you cut the fruit up into small pieces? Thanks

Oh wow! I'm going to look for a Rumtopf when I go to Austria this Christmas. I'm going to try making it next summer.
:)
Astrid