Conference turris::cooks

  You can chop it up and use it between layers of cakes or in rolled
  cakes. You can also mix it (chopped) into fruit fillings for
  turnovers, tarts, and similar pastries. Or add it whole to fresh fruit
  salads. Or spoon it on biscuits or scones (with or without fresh
  fruit). Or add it to fruit relishes (like cranberry relish). Or add it
  to tart fruit sauces for roat duck or pork dishes. Probably a few
  other things, too.

make small meat balls from chopped sirloin and chopped turkey.  Add
spices, etc. as usual.  Brown well in a little oil or butter.  Add
some broth, cover and simmer until well cooked.  Remove lid from
pot, turn up heat, add generous dollup or two of fruit in brandy.
Simmer just until a nick thick glaze is formed.  Remove from heat.
Serve to adults only over noodles or rice.  Nice variation to
plain old meatballs.    

Roast chicken, make gravy from drippings, stir in a dollup of
fruit and sauce to gravy and simmer to thicken.  voila!  your
chicken is not the same old bird.

I find this type of fruit and liquor mixture is great with
meats, rather than sweets.

    I have some Brandied Fruit that I assume is similar to what you
    have, and you are right...it is potent. But I like it scooped onto
    plain Angel food cake or pound cake. It can also be used in "small
    quantities" in cocktails, such as Whiskey Sours. But, I know...
    who makes those at home!  I don't know if what you have is like
    mine, but I keep it in a large glass jar, and as I use it up, I
    refill it by adding sugar and more fruit. It's kind of like a Sour
    Dough starter in that you can just keep adding to it. I myself love
    it, but I know my friends and family are really skeptical about
    eating something thats been sitting on the counter for years....
    But as long as its' not refridgerated, it won't go bad... I only
    have one other friend brave enough to eat it with a spoon!!
    
     Anyway, enjoy it. Its nice for a change.
    
    Kathy

    Re: 4
    
    Kathy,
    
    I used to have this fruit when I lived in Connecticut.  Since moving
    to California, I haven't been able to find ANYONE who can give me
    a couple of cups to start.
    
    Does anyone out there know how to START this fruit???!!!
    
    I used to love the stuff.  "Great over a baked ham....yummmm"
    
    Sandie

    As promised, here is the starter recipe.
    
                          BRANDIED FRUIT STARTER
    
    
    1 - Lg. can pineapple chunks - drained but not rinsed
    1 - Lg. can sliced peaches -   drained but not rinsed
    1 - Lg. can apricots -         drained "            "
    1 - 10 oz. can Marashino cherries - drained  "      "
    1 & 1/4 cup sugar
    1 & 1/4 cup Brandy
    
    
    Combine all the ingredients in a clean, non-metal bowl; stir gently,
    cover and let stand AT ROOM TEMPERATURE for 3 weeks; stirring twice
    a week.
    
    To replenish starter, add 1 cup of sugar and one of the first four
    fruits. Do not give any away for two weeks after replenishing.
    
    That's it!  A couple of asides, though. I myself add only pineapple
    and cherries when replenishing, so if you don't care for one of
    the above fruit, omit it and add double the amount of the one you
    like. However, the cherries give the mixture a nice shade of pink,
    so try not to leave those out. Also, DON'T ADD BANANAS as they are
    too mushy for this. Also, DO NOT REFRIGERATE this as you will kill
    the fermentation process.  I leave my jar on the counter and have
    never had a problem. Also don't use fruits that may have been sitting
    in the can in the refrigerator. My mother did that and killed hers..
    
    Finally, to start a friend you need at least two cups worth.
    
    I hope you enjoy it.
    
    Kathy

    I'm not too familiar with liquor.  Is this just "plain old" brandy??
    
    Can you recommend a brand name?
    
    Thanx
    Sandie

  I'd think any cognac-like brandy would be fine, and it doesn't have to
  be expensive. Cognac and similar liquors are made by distilling wine
  and aging it in wooden barrels.

  Some rough definitions (there are exceptions, and various people will
  disagree on these):

  Distilled spirits - anything made by distilling low- and medium-
  alcohol liquids formed by the fermentation (by yeast) of something
  which contains sugar and/or other carbohydrates, and sold at
  concentration of typically 40% or more alcohol. After distillation,
  some are aged in wooden barrels, which turns them amber. Others pick
  up colors from their base ingredients.

  Brandy, schnapps - almost any distilled spirits made from a fruit,
  herb or spice base, such as grapes (cognac, armagnac, grappa, marc),
  apples (calvados), pears (poire william), plums (slivovitz), etc.

  Eau de vie (French for "water of life"), aquavit (assorted
  scandinavian and latin languages for same) - usually any brandy not
  aged in wooden barrels. Examples are grappa, marc, poire william, etc.

  Liquor - almost any distilled spirits, but typically those not
  classified as "brandy". Examples are various kinds of whiskey, and rum
  (from sugar cane), tequila (cactus), vodka (potatoes), gin (juniper
  berries and potatoes), etc.

  Whiskey (old Gaelic for "water of life") - a liquor made from grain,
  such as corn (bourbon), barley (scotch and Irish), rye (Canadian).

  Have I left out anything? Well, there's pastis (such as Pernod,
  Ricard, 51) and ouzo, which are sort of in a class by themselves. And
  the "medicines", like Fernet-Branca, Unterberg, Gamel Dansk, and a few
  other herb-based eaux-de-vie which are usually had "the morning
  after".

  OK, so after all that, I'd say that for preserving fruits (and
  anything else), the best candidates would be the ones which don't
  already have strong fruit flavors. The preferred ones are the
  cognac-like wine brandies, and vodka, but you could also use calvados,
  any of the whiskies, and certainly rum. You could even try tequila or
  grappa or even gin.

    RE 2440.10
    
    Yes, any plain old brandy would do. I guess I'd use what I have,
    which is Christian Brothers, but any generic kind is fine. But don't
    use a flavored one, such as coffee, peach or ginger.
    
    Re 2440.11 Thanks for the primer!
    
    Kathy

    Diane
    
       Like .4 I've had this Brandied Fruit. The recipe I have calls
    it Friendship Fruit. When you have accumulated enough you can split
    off a starter and give it to a friend.
       My mother has had one for several years and a friend of her
    has had one for over 5 years.    
       I look forward to the Holidays, that's when my mother gives out
    her Brandied Fruit Cakes. These are both delicious and potent (no
    driving after eating!). She uses a basic fruit cake recipe, small
    loaf tins and substitutes the brandied fruit. While the cakes are 
    cooking make a mixture of 1/2 rum and 1/2 brandy (1/8 +/- cup each. 
    use top shelf liquor it tastes better). AS SOON AS the cakes are done 
    remove from oven and spoon rum mixture along sides and over tops of each
    cake. Wrap each cake in cheese cloth (soaked in, if any, leftover rum
    mixture if preferred) then wrap in tin foil. Store in cool dry place
    until the holidays.
       She usually makes them sometime in late fall (early November)
    and stores them in the attic or on the porch. 
                                                                    
    Enjoy
    Alan