Rumtopf Recipe – Fruit Soaked In Spiced Rum

Table of Contents

• Started in the summer, this traditional European recipe is ready in time for the end of year festive season
• What is a Rumtopf?
• How to make German Rumtopf
• Rumtopf sugar to fruit ratio
• What rum should I use for a Rumtopf
• Spices for a Rumtopf
• How to store Rumtopf – Does Rumtopf need to be airtight?
• What fruit goes in a Rumtopf?
• How to serve Rumtopf – Rumtopf uses
• Like this recipe? Then you might also like these related recipes on flaevor.com
• Recipe: Rumtopf Recipe – Fruit Soaked In Spiced Rum

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Started in the summer, this traditional European recipe is ready in time for the end of year festive season

A traditional Rumtopf begins in the summer months. It is a long-term project in which leftovers or the last of the summer fruits are soaked in rum in an attempt to preserve their use. In Germany, Austria, Denmark and some parts of Italy, rumtopf was once an annual tradition for many families. After soaking for many months, the mixture is ready to be eaten at the end of the year. It can be served as a dessert or given as a gift.

What is a Rumtopf?

Rumtopf means ‘Rum Pot’ in German. It is a fruit compote made with strong alcohol of over 50% proof.
Sugar, fruit and spices are combined with rum and then stored in a ceramic or earthenware pot.
The pot is then kept in a cool place for many weeks or months until the fruit is completely soaked in the rum. If started in the spring or early summer, a rum pot is likely to always contain strawberries and other seasonal fruit. As the weather changes and the months pass, more autumn and winter fruits are added to the pot, creating many layers of fruit flavour.

How to make German Rumtopf

The process is very simple. Cut the fruit of your choice into bite-sized pieces. (If using berries, leave them whole). Cover with sugar and rum and store in a dark, cool place for at least 2 months and up 6 months. After 2-3 months the flavour will be lighter and after 4-6 months it will be rich, thick and absolutely delicious. It’s important to get the ratio of sugar to fruit to alcohol right, otherwise the fruit will rot. Too little sugar will result in dry, sour, inedible fruit. Too much sugar will remove the balance of flavour.

Rumtopf sugar to fruit ratio

As a general rule, using 500g of sugar to 1kg of fruit will produce a beautifully sweet fruit rum, with the flavour of the rum still present but not overpowering. There will be a balance of spice, fruit flavour and enough sugar to make the whole experience very pleasant (and very boozy).

Important note: Each time new fruit is added to the pot it will need to be weighed with the correct ratio of sugar added along with it.

What rum should I use for a Rumtopf

To prevent the fruit from starting to ferment, a minimum of 54% ABV is required (this can be found in many supermarkets and online). A rum of this strength will help the sugar to be absorbed, keeping the fruit edible for many months. In the past, Rumtopf was famously made with Austrian Stroh and overproofed with 80% rum. It’s still available today, but there’s not much point in using a rum of this strength, as it requires at least twice as much sugar to remove the pungent taste, and it’s a little too strong (which could ruin a good dinner party pretty quickly!)

Spices for a Rumtopf

As rumtopf is heavily connected with the festive season the spices should have a warm Christmassy feel and taste. Cardamom, cloves, star anise, cinnamon, juniper berries, nutmeg, ginger and orange peel are all classic spices found in many Christmas drinks (mulled wine) and cakes.

How to store Rumtopf – Does Rumtopf need to be airtight?

A traditional rum pot is made of ceramic or porcelain, with a non-airtight lid that can be easily removed and replaced. Leaving room for some air to get in is no problem at all – if it’s airtight, there’s a chance that gases could build up, leading to bubbles and fermentation, which is exactly what you don’t want. To find an original rum pot, search websites such as Etsy and Ebay (the one pictured below was bought on Ebay). If you think you’ll end up being a dedicated rumtopf maker, it’s worth investing in one. Otherwise, you can use a glass or plastic jar, just make sure the lid isn’t airtight.

What fruit goes in a Rumtopf?

In theory, harder fruits should be at the bottom of the pot and softer fruits such as raspberries should be added last so they sit on top (and not be crushed by other layers of fruit). However, this isn’t always possible when adding seasonal fruit. Below is a list of the best fruits for a Rumtopf.

Strawberries – After soaking in rum sadly the strawberries will lose some colour and may appear white. But this is normal.
Raspberries – Make sure the raspberries are firm otherwise they may turn to mush
Apricots – Remove pit and leave the skin on
Nectarines – Remove pit and leave the skin on
Peaches – Remove pit and leave the skin on
Cherries – Remove pit and stem and leave the skin on
Apples – Remove core and leave the skin on
Plums – Remove pit and leave the skin on
Blueberries – Add whole
Grapes – Add whole
Figs – cut into bite-sized pieces
Pineapple – remove rind and centre core and cut into bite-sized pieces

Fruit to avoid is:

Bananas – too soft and mushy
Oranges and grapefruit – too sour (although a little peel can be added along with the spices for flavour, as seen in the recipe below)
Melons & Watermelon – their water content is too high

How to serve Rumtopf – Rumtopf uses

Rumtopf is traditionally served over ice cream, sponge cake, poured over Bratapfel (German for baked apples), and in more modern times over pancakes, crepes and waffles. Once the fruit has run out there might be a considerable amount of spiced rum left which can then be drunk as a schnapps.

For an impressive and easy Christmas or festive dessert, try this Passionfruit No Churn Ice Cream and Rumtopf Recipe in the photo below. Start by making the rumtopf recipe feature below in this post (scroll down) at least 2 weeks before you want to serve it, along with this super simple 4 ingredient homemade Passionfruit No Churn Ice Cream recipe here:

Like this recipe? Then you might also like these related recipes on flaevor.com

• Trinidad Rum Punch
• Crepes with Spiced Plum Rum Compote
• Passionfruit No Churn Ice Cream

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Recipe: Rumtopf Recipe – Fruit Soaked In Spiced Rum