ok, i was going to wait until i actually started this project to tell you about it
but then i realized booze was involved,
and i better speak with you about it first.
confiture de vieux garçon (jam of old boy, or bachelor) is a traditional french method of preserving a season’s worth of fruit in alcohol. in certain circles north and east of the siene, it’s also known as rumtopf (rum pot).
it’s usually made with a mixture of either summer or fall fruits, and sometimes both. along with sugar and either kirsch (summer fruit) cognac (fall fruit) or brandy (both or either). for the austrian & german traditions, rum is the traditional liquor of choice.
traditionally, the making of it starts with the first fresh fruit of the season.
for me that would be:
i’m starting my very first confiture de tigresse (jam of tigress-cat) this month and i’m so excited! (yes i know i changed the name, and you can to…)
if you would like to make your very first confiture de __________.
then let’s do it!
’cause really, can you ever have enough fruit in alcohol layin’ around?
to start you need either a fermenting crock with a lid to keep air out like the one i just ordered
from here. (which as far as i can tell is the best price around the web) or you can use a european glass canning jar with gasket & lid
you want a vessel that is pretty much airtight but that will also allow for the venting of fermentation gases. size matters too; if you really want to get through the summer adding as many different types of fruit as you can, then try to get at least 1/2 gallon, or even a gallon or more. finally, you should keep the fruit in the dark
i mean if they ask, you can tell them what’s going on.
but if you’re using a glass vessel keep it in a larder or pantry during the making of. if you are using a ball jar with screw cap, do not screw the cap on too tight because you need to allow gas to escape.
confiture de vieux garçon
start with a layer of fruit, then cover with a layer of sugar. the traditional recipe requires an equal sugar to fruit ratio, and i’ve seen recipes that require half the weight of sugar to fruit. i’ve also read that it works with less as long as each layer of fruit is covered with sugar when added. i’m going to go with covering the fruit and not bothering with weighing. the sugar should be a fine-grained sugar so the grains are sure to dissolve.
then cover well with your chosen kirsch, cognac or brandy (you could also use rum) put the lid on and store in a cool place. repeat this process with each newly in-season fruit throughout the summer (or fall). when the final fruit is added, fill the container with alcohol to 3/4 inch from the top and let sit in a cool place for at least 3 or even 6 months before eating.
to avoid spoilage or mold it is important to use top-quality fruit free of bruises or sore spots, and dried completely before adding to container. place each new layer on top and never stir, making sure sugar & alcohol cover the fruit completely.
traditional fruits used are:
berries of all kinds; strawberries, raspberries, cherries, gooseberries, currents and grapes too.
if you know where your fruit’s been, do not wash raspberries, currents or gooseberries. remove stems, stalks, and tails respectively of strawberries, currents, grapes & gooseberries, but leave the cherries be with their stems and pits intact.
if you can find very small plums & gages you can leave them whole and add them with their stones and all. otherwise quarter them and remove the stone. quarter also apricots and always remove their pits.
skin, stone and quarter peaches & nectarines. pears should be skinned, pitted and thickly sliced.
any combination of fruit will work, but citrus is a no-no. i’ve read not to over-do the strawberries or they will dominate and i’ve also read not to add ‘exotic’ fruit. which i’m assuming means things like papayas, mangos and the like.
after stewing for at least 3-6 months the fruit is traditionally enjoyed over ice cream, topped with cream or yogurt, eaten with cheese, over waffles, and even over toast (!). i can imagine it spilling over a simple almond or yogurt cake, or cream scones. and the strained liquid can be enjoyed sipped on its own as what i imagine must be the ultimate cordial.
i’m still waiting for my crock to come in & the strawberries to come out to play. i cannot wait to start my very first confiture de tigresse!
i’ll report back when i do & throughout the making of.
but today i’m here to say: if you’re the type that enjoys a little fruit on your liquor then whadya waiting for?
let’s get this party started!
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Hmmmmmm. I have never mixed fruits when I have made this kind of beverage. I made a spectacular apricot cordial last year using vodka, apricots, sugar, a cinnamon stick , and a few cloves. Very nice for sipping on cold winter night.
I might have to try a batch all mixed up this year.
You've reminded me that I still have some Drunked Cherries kicking around from last year. I should get on those. The previous year's blueberies in vodka (aptly named Veruca's Soused; I liked to see who got it) are long gone.
For a really low-tech way to cover your fermenting jars, you can prick a small hole in a child's balloon (or use a small Ziplock like I do) and affix to the rim of your jar with an elastic. Keeps most air and stuff out, while allowing gases to escape.
Over Christmas I made quick, similar version with dried fruit soaked in brandy for a day, then drain the brandy, add vanilla extract and sugar (and water if necessary) and cook until it's a syrup. Then pour the syrup over the fruit. It's amazing as an ice cream topping.
Do you think the quality of the alcohol matters?
Oh yum! I am doing this! I love fruit, I love booze, I love boozey fruit. Fun summer-fruit bounty project!
super cool! i just started my own fermenting project making mead ( http://www.twitvid.com/ ) and as i started reading about it i got totally obsessed with all the things i could ferment. and here you have another one! can't wait to see how it turns out.
(and, ps: that keeping the fruit in the dark line made me spit up my butterscotch pudding, which was made with actual scotch, so i'm a little mad at you!)
I love fruit and booze like nobody's business. Not sure if I am ready to jump into the fermenting jar. I think I will wait and see how your fruit comes along. We have not seen any berries yet and with the last two weeks WAY cooler than normal, I think I have time to decide.
While you are of course free to rename your confiture as you please, you should keep in mind that the operative word here is "vieux garçon", or as you said, "bachelor". "Confiture" is any kind of preserve/jam, but the "vieux garçon" is there because it's a preserve that involves no cooking skills and that can thus be made by even a bachelor (who is sure to have some of that liquor lyin' around).
tara – your apricot concoction sound ambrosial. let me know how it goes if you do try a mixture.
kaela – that is a wonderful tip! thanks for that one.
anduin – i am not an expert on this but i would imagine the quality does matter. i mean, i bet it makes not so great alcohol better, but if you start with the good stuff you'll have a superior product.
meg – do it!
innbrooklyn – i'm sorry about the spit up pudding! but i'm glad i made you laugh! i am sooo obsessed with fermenting and mead is on my list. can't wait to hear how it goes.
terri – keep checking in, i'll report back.
a french reader – welcome! and thanks so much for the name clarification! the name for my confiture is fitting then because generally speaking tigresses lack cooking skillz too!
I have often thought of starting a "rumpot" may be this is the time to get to it. I do have a question what size pot did you decide on? If I could see the pots I would have a better idea but doing it through the internet is hard. I do have a Ball 1/2 gallon jar so may be I will start with it.
jane – i purchased the 5 liter crock, which is 1.3 gallons. i went this route because i will eventually use the pot for other things also, such as sauerkraut. i think 1/2 gallon jar is a great size to start with if that is what you have for sure.
Tigress,
I bought the 5 liter crock also. I did it yesterday. I have problems with a husband taking things out and by the time I see them….well you get it. I will be using it for sauerkraut also….I got the weight also. Can't wait to start!
Thank you for your help.
I have the spendy harsch fermenting crock and love it. I saw this one come on the market just in the last year and haven't heard much about it yet – I'd love to hear how you like it. It comes with the weights already, no? I was using the Ohio crocks but I can't find a plate the right size to fit the top and the wood cover I bought with it swelled with water and we had to drill it out then throw out all the lovely smelling kimchee inside. And then as soon as my harsch came in my 20#s of olives arrived and they are still in since Halloween so I've been using it since but still nothing to eat.
I am also curious what the brand is since I have been trying to find the distributor – when you get it could you look at the literature and email me? No one who sells them seems to want to share their source understandably.
Can't wait to read about these!
Oh! This sounds yummy! Can't wait to hear how this goes. Love that crock. I may need to try this myself sometime.
unrelated to your very interesting post…are those sour green plums in that shot before the pears? i found some this past week at my local market. they have been hanging out in my fridge. today i bought another few pounds that are completely red. i would like to pickle them or something-any ideas?
sustainable eats – it came in yesterday and it looks great. i am actually not home now, but when i get back i will look at booklet and share the brand.
cathy – do it!
the cosmic cowgirl – the green plums are greengages. they are actually fully ripe. i've pickled plums before and they are not my favorite. personally, i don't like the texture. but then again, if you actually have unripe plums the texture would be better. more firm. i love plum jam, especially with lavender. you could preserve them in a honey syrup with a warm spice, perhaps cardamom?
After making limoncello I am ready to infuse more booze. I have jars similar to those you linked to (the Le Parfaits)–I use them to store grains and beans, but they are not canning jars. I am pretty sure they are not airtight, do you think it would be okay to just leave the top unsealed? (I think the Container Store has Bormioli Rocco Fido jars in large sizes if that would be more prudent.)
I can't believe it took me this long to read this! (Been soo busy!) I've been fantasizing about rumtopf all winter. You have inspired me to jump on the rumpot wagon. I love it! Gorgeous pictures, btw, the gooseberries especially!
valhalla – the le parfaits you have will work. they should not be totally air tight so that the fermentation gases can release. just clip them as normal.
julia – thanks! – and yes girl, you better get that pot o' started! i will be starting this weekend and reporting back. and sustainable eats, i will have more info on crock.
haa! "if they ask, you can tell them what's going on" That you're going to get them wasted and take advantage of them…oh, gorgeous fruits! Lovely post TigressMiss.
I've done them many years with brandy and like you plan, less sugar. If you can get them apricots are a must (quartered if large, halved if small). We basically went with a couple of different berries, cherries, apricots and plums.
Yummm, I remember my mom making something similar (in the '70s) called rum topfen (rum pot). Maybe I'll give this a try. It would be an unusual Christmas gift.
Kirsch is a great idea, Tigress! It's that or rum!
Following your inspiring rally call I have bought a vintage rumtopf jar on ebay. I've never like the look of those traditional German jars, they look so blobby and ugly with embossed fruit on them. Think I've found one I approve of and will no doubt put a picture on my blog when it arrives. Can't wait to get started and rumpot along beside you.
hipgirl – that's right!
anne – thanks for the apricot tip, i do think i can find some locally.
eleanor – would be a great christmas gift!
sarahbhood – i think kirsch it is! as long as its 80 proof we're good!
gloria – this is going to be fun!!! can't wait to see the photo of your new pot!
Hi- I had a question about this. I am starting mine off w/ strawberries and you said to cover the fruit w/ the sugar and booze completely. And they were covered….but now are floating. Am I missing something or is that ok do you think?
Yum!
meg – i just started mine also and plan to get a follow-up post up soon. since this post, i've looked up a few more sources, some say to place a plate on top to keep them from floating. i too started with strawberries and they were floating until i placed a weight on top – it came with the crock. but a plate will be good if you can get one inside your vessel.
Thanks! The "floaters" were worrying me!