Rumtopf

On my 'To Do' list for quite some time has been the entry 'Sort the Rumtopf'. I don't remember when it was purchased but it was used at least twice to make delicious brandied fruits, long since consumed; there is still half a bottle of the resulting sweet and potent liquor clearly dated 1999. 

The rumtopf has been sitting quietly in a dark corner of the kitchen for about five years. At that time I hoped to make Elderberry Rob for the first time and, among the results of a  Google search for recipes was one for Elderberry Tincture, which indicated steeping the berries in the cheapest supermarket vodka for a couple of months. I had picked plenty of berries and thought the rumtopf would be an ideal substitute for the demijohn in the recipe.

I didn't need to buy any vodka. On a wonderful holiday in Switzerland in 2008 we stayed at a B & B near Lucerne, where the owners made their own kirsch so dutifully we bought a litre bottle. Once home we discovered it rather more like paint stripper so consigned the bottle to the back of the cupboard. It seemed perfect for an experiment with elderberry tincture, so the berries were placed in the pot, the kirsch added and a piece of cling-film stretched cross the top followed by a couple of layers of wax paper to seal it, then the lid, and the pot put in the corner, where it has remained undisturbed all this time. 

Today I rolled up my sleeves put on an apron and tackled that item on the To Do list. Expecting to find a thick layer of mould covering some purple-brown sludge, I was pleasantly surprised to find perfectly preserved intact berries and a strong smell of alcohol. Proceeding to strain the contents I now have seven bottles (approximately 1300ml) of the tincture. It must be said the flavour leaves something to be desired but, as the suggested dose is one teaspoonful at a time throughout the day, I am sure we can thole it...or we might mix in some of that original fruit brandy.