The holiday season is now upon us. Crazy how time flies! Back in the heart of last winter, I had hoped to make enough gardening progress to be able to gift homemade jams/preserves/relishes to the neighbors, friends, and family who stop in this season. Sadly, that didn't work out. I just couldn't get enough out of the garden. I'm working on a plan now to maximize next years growth - and to accept that my family can easily eat through the produce we're growing, with little leftover.
Since I can't raid the food preservation shelf (with one exception, see below), I'm looking towards food gifts I can create. Cookies are traditional, but I'm trying to look at things that are a little different. I stumbled across a book the other day called "The Flying Brownie" by Shirley Fan. It was a staff pick at the local independent bookstore. The book's tagline "100 recipes for homemade treats that pack easily, ship fresh, and taste great." In addition to the recipes themselves, there are tips for packing care packages. The best part is that each recipe includes tips to increase the longevity of the goods and how long you can expect each to last. Really, that last detail is what convinced me to invest in this book. Even though I'm not planning on shipping any of this years gifts, I'm looking forward to trying out these recipes for holiday gifts.
One thing I did get to this year is Rumtopf. It's a berry infused rum liquor. Starting with the early season berries, fruit is layered in a jar and covered with rum (at least 90 proof). Pick fruit in season and use the best fruits. Use a clear glass jar so the fruit layers can be seen. If you have several fruits at the same time, try alternating color for a great look. Keep adding a layer of fruit as each comes in season. Finish when the jar is full, or with sliced apples. Between layering, cap tightly and store in a dark place. Once the final fruit has been added, leave the jar to sit for six weeks. This concoction is ready just in time for Christmas. The fruit gives the rum a very sweet, fruity flavor and thickens it similar to a syrup. The fruit in the jar is edible, but highly alcoholic. The syrup is great over ice cream, pound cake, or just about anything that sounds good to you. Small jars go a long way for gifts. Large jars are good if you're expecting parties (oh! I can use it as a mixer with seltzer for a great drink!) but for individual use large jars are just overwhelming. My rumtopf is on schedule this year. Can't wait to gift those jars!
Going homemade. Looking forward to every minute of it.
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