Storing baked fruit cakes

Isn't that how everybody does it? Although some would say it doesn't matter, no one will eat the fruitcake anyway. :lol: (I don't believe that; I love the stuff, especially if it's been soaked with enough brandy or rum.)

Anyway, some folks wrap them in cheesecloth before putting them into the containers. Then they make sure that the cheesecloth is always damp with the liquor.

I always do mine at the end of October, they will be fine. They can drink more with the extra time. One year I had one that got lost in the shuffle, it looked fine when I noticed it, so I started adding the rum to it when I did the current years batch. Some folks thought it was the best I had ever made; but I thought the lopsided grins on their faces impeached their credibility. :roll:

I always understood that the real old-fashioned way was to make them one year for the next (bake before christmas 2006, eat for christmas 2007) (this was before any kind of preservative was used except the sweetness of the mixture, the air being sealed out somewhat by being buried in powdered sugar and any alcohol added. This is from old cookbooks. If the dough is sweet, lots of fruits, the cake should last.

Neat idea about the cheesecloth. I'm going to try that this year.

Don't worry about storing them.. I've kept mine three and four years, just well sealed in with bourbon, rum, brandy, or what you like. No need to refrigerate, even.

Open the wrap a few days ahead, re-moisten, close up again until ready to serve.

Mine are about 85% fruit and nuts, with just enough very dark batter to stick 'em all together.

Make good door-stops, too. :roll:

Mike :cool:

Don't worry about keeping. I've let mine ripen for three or four years. Bake and then store them in small disposable aluminum loaf pans. Soak well in the booze of your choice, wrap tightly in Saran and then aluminum foil (or cheesecloth and a plastic airtight container) and use as a doorstop until you are ready to eat. :D They don't even need to be refrigerated.

Mine are about 85% dried/candied fruit and nuts and 15% very dark batter - just enough to hold the goodies together. I like to decorate the tops with halved red and green candied cherries, strips of Australian candied apricots, and pecan halves. They make nice, personalized gifts, too.

Open the wrap a couple days before you eat, pour in some more booze and close up again while it re-soaks the cake.

Great with eggnog, sherry, or just a nice bourbon highball.

Happy Holidays!

Mike :chef:

Just goes to prove what I always suspected: fruitcake has a half-life that exceeds that of nuclear waste. I believe it's probably more environmentally toxic than nuclear waste too.

Toxic?! Only to your blood sugar level. I LOVE fruitcake, so long as it's well-made. Being Jewish, they're not part of my tradition so I wasn't put off by them from childhood; I was just ignorant of them. I got a few from colleagues over the years once they knew my peculiar attraction for them! Parents sometimes gave them to the teachers at Christmas time. The teachers figured the parents didn't like them. :lol: