A rumtopf (literal translation is "rum pot") is an interesting earthenware container designed to hold fruit and strong rum (some add sugar, I don't) until the fruit is completely saturated with rum. The fruit along with rum is then spooned over vanilla ice cream (at least in my family history). Tonight I opened my pot to sample some of the nectar.
Here's my pot. 14 years ago (yes, that's not a typo), I filled the pot with strawberries and rum. Every 6 months or so (or maybe a few years), I top it off with more rum, depending on evaporation - the rum liquor actually seeps ever so slowly through the wall of the vessel. You can see the black seepage in the plate and on the walls.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-EXjFP9s26uk/UkeW_i6_85I/AAAAAAAAEII/pdG2ZzeVLqk/w586-h879-no/IMG_2138.JPG)
This is what it looks like inside the pot tonight - I have not topped it off in at least two years. The berries you see are 14 years old, as is at least some of the rum
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-xVQTJmcw2qU/UkeXAGn_IsI/AAAAAAAAEIQ/Qj8zkTUufQo/w1318-h879-no/IMG_2139.JPG)
I had to try a glass...
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-3RBdSmdL-5s/UkeXAkrwpgI/AAAAAAAAEIU/k4qLP4uwCoE/w586-h879-no/IMG_2140.JPG)
... with some Bradley smoked Gouda and extra crisp crackers...
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-dcByfP8CYYE/UkeXBjLIMkI/AAAAAAAAEI0/fyrbwFIJMbM/w586-h879-no/IMG_2143.JPG)
... and to finish the experience, a Toll House cookie baked in a 4-inch cast iron pan - nothing like a fresh, gooey cookie with a glass of fine spirit.
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-qbeZi7dKWyk/UkeXCZjDIkI/AAAAAAAAEIo/3YtK5aqtNp0/w1318-h879-no/IMG_2144.JPG)
This rum is like none other I have ever tasted - the fruity notes from the berries on the palate has developed over the past 14 years, subtle notes of honey, berries, and tropical fruits.
pz - that looks remarkable. My problem would be with my memory after a few years I would forget where I put it. ;D
;D that's why I still have it GusRobin! It is right on my counter, and because I am so accustomed to seeing it there, I forget to even think about it ;D
pz, that is WAY cool. I can't imagine how hard it's been to resist "testing" along the way. Is there a certain rum you would recommend? This sounds like a great retirement plan! Thanks for the idea.
lol, like GusRobin I mostly forget that it is there! As to rum, I simply use the bottom shelf kind - quality does not matter because it ages so long with the fruit. The color you see in the photo is entirely due to age and fruit - the rum was water-clear when it went in.
It is fun to play with it along the way, and works almost like a sourdough starter - you keep adding fruit and rum as you use it. Then the real fun is to play with it - the sky is the limit. You can use any vessel as long as it does not have any metal associated with it. For the first time, I put fresh cleaned strawberries into the vessel, and then filled it with rum intending to try it after a month (but forgot all about it for a long time). The original method was intended to infuse the fruit with rum, but I found that this long term method makes a yummy nightcap.
As the rumtopf matures, you can add better rum for a variation, but I've not really noticed any perceptible difference, however, if you blend the elixir with a good quality rum, you have a completely different taste treat - makes you feel kind of like a distiller blending rums. A while ago I posted a topic about Pyrat rum - I use the attractive empty bottles to store my finished elixir, then add more fruit and rum.
(http://www.drinkupny.com/v/vspfiles/photos/S0518-2.jpg)