Bachelor’s Jam | Rumtopf | Confiture de Vieux Garçon
Print recipe| Meal type | Beverage |
Bachelor's Jam (aka Officer's Jam, aka Rumtopf, aka Confiture de Vieux Garcon) is a wonderful layered mix of summer fruits, soaking up a blend o sugar and brandy (or rum). Makes for a delicious cordial.
Ingredients
- Brandy or Rum
- Seasonal fruit as it ripens
- Sugar
- Patience
Note
I'd stay away from some fruits that may overpower the mix making things bitter, sour, or overly diluted, such as gooseberries, rhubarb and melons, respectively.
Directions
| Step 1 | |
| Use a large crock or preserving jar with lid to hold and store Bachelor's Jam. | |
| Step 2 | |
| In a separate bowl, add seasonal fruit and sugar in a ratio of 2:1, e.g., 1 cup of fruit for every half cup of sugar. Let it rest overnight. | |
| Step 3 | |
| Gently mix the the fruit and sugar slurry until combined and add to the crock one layer at a time. Pour in enough brandy or rum to keep the liquid one inch above the fruit. You may need to add a weight like a small plate to keep the fruit from floating up to the surface. | |
| Step 4 | |
| Cover with lid and set in a dark place until the next fruit type becomes available. | |
| Step 5 | |
| Say you started with 2 cups of strawberries than two weeks later raspberries are in season. Just repeat Step 3 using raspberries, and continue in the following weeks to add more fruit, say cherries, as they become available. | |
| Step 6 | |
| Always add more brandy or rum to cover the sugared fruit. | |
| Step 7 | |
| Add more sugared fruit and liquor in the weeks to come until you reach the top of the jar. | |
| Step 8 | |
| If using a clear glass jar, cover it with paper bag to keep light out. The longer you let the "jam" sit, the better it will be. Wait at least three months before using. | |
| Step 9 | |
| Sip the liquid like a cordial and use the booze-infused fruit as a compote, or ice cream topping, or in cakes, breads, or with cheeses and roasted meats. | |