Judy Youngdoff in Kansas and I were chatting via email about things we used to do. I asked her if she remembered the "Friends' Brandied Fruit" that was a rage in the '70s in our area, and if she still had a recipe for it around. She didn't at hand, but she started burrowing through her large recipe and cookbook collection. She found one. Here it is.
Brandied Fruit
1 pt rum or brandy
2 c sugar
fruit in season
Pour one pint (2 c) of rum or brandy into a large-mouth glass or ceramic jar or pot (not metal). A 3 qt container works nicely.
Add fresh fruit in season. You can also used frozen fruit, but keep it to a minimum. Fresh fruit works much better. For each 2 c of fruit, add 2 cups of sugar. Do not use apples or pears, they get too mushy. Do not use citrus fruits, as they retard the fermentation.
Cover the jar loosely, as the mix must have air to work properly. Keep it in a cool place. It should age 3 months before giving any away to others for starters. But you can use it yourself before then.
Use the fruit over cake, ice cream, pudding, yogurt, cheese, or ham— wherever your imagination takes you. Brandied fruit is colorful and pretty. It makes a nice gift.
