Fruit cake????? - Page 7

Rajun Gardener · October 31, 2018

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

Hmm, I wish I could say I was drinking, but did several threads become one?

I started that other thread not to hijack this one but Barb asked to keep it here, She hasn't deleted it yet.

Quote:

Originally Posted by coronabarb

I saw your post come through, Worth. Don't know where it went. Off into the vortex? Rob, I would rather that you just keep your posts here. Anyone can start a thread but that doesn't make it "their" thread, so you are not hijacking anything. I can move it tomorrow, as I'm so busy baking tonight.

Worth1 · October 31, 2018

Saw several recipes and videos where people soaked not only the fruit but the nuts.
Not a good idea to me.
Who wants soggy nuts?
Another very good celebrity chef doesn't soak her nuts just the fruit in Makers Mark.
Lots of Makers Mark.

AlittleSalt · November 1, 2018

Thanks Rajun. I understand yours being incorporated with this thread. The Herman cake thread I started has nothing to do with fruitcakes - well, the cake part. I don't mind, it just surprised me a little.

Worth, about soaking ingredients before cooking. I'm not sure about that? I know my thoughts on this are opinionated, but I like for each ingredient to have it's own individual taste in a fruitcake. I can't imagine biting into a date and it tasting like rum.

I did a search on dates, and found this site to be very interesting. Jujube http://www.texasgardener.com/pastiss...08/Jujube.html

Worth1 · November 1, 2018

Raised up eating fruit soaked in alcohol.
Mostly brandy.
Where I grew up people always had a giant container of brandied fruit on the table.
Instead of getting in the cookie jar we were always in the fruit.

By the way the dates are in bourbon not rum.

If you have never had real rum raisin ice cream it is to die for.

Worth1 · November 1, 2018

How is the friendship cake fruit coming along.

Rajun Gardener · November 1, 2018

It's doing good, I added the 2nd can of fruit and sugar last night. It was a day earlier than the recipe but it totally stopped fermenting so the yeast ate all the sugar. I also added some yeast energizer from the wine supplies I bought and that kicked up the yeast activity. It smells like cheap wine when you open it up.

I also have 4 jugs of wine going too. I started 3 using bread yeast and the 4th with wine yeast trying to do it right.
The first pic is the cake ferment this morning and a blackberry and cranberry wine I started 2 days ago. The others are doing good except the apple, it must have something in it not listed on the label to stop the year because I can't get it to ferment right and I've added 2 cups of sugar and a whole pack of yeast and the yeast energizer. The Welsh's are all working right.

AlittleSalt · November 1, 2018

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worth1

How is the friendship cake fruit coming along.

The only reason why I looked it up was because it was bothering me that I couldn't remember the details. I don't intend to make a friendship cake.

I have written this here before, so I'll rewrite it in a very condensed form. From the year 2000 through early 2010 - the pain specialists had me taking so many opioid medicines and morphine that my memories are hazy at best about things that didn't matter during that time and before. When I quit taking the medicines - it was like starting a new life in-a-way. Gardening is a big part of how I got away from those medicines. It didn't change the fact that I have a nerve disease, and when I found out the soil I was gardening in has RKN and FW3 ...

I have been living gardening life vicariously through all of you at Tomatoville since then. I have not given up on gardening, but I need to see better results in container gardening.

I also need to read about how your fruitcake is coming along.

Worth1 · November 1, 2018

Salt I was asking Ragun how his fruit was doing.
I read practically everything you guy put up I just dont reply sometimes.

Worth

AlittleSalt · November 1, 2018

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worth1

Salt I was asking Ragun how his fruit was doing.
I read practically everything you guy put up I just dont reply sometimes.

Worth

Oops

It felt good writing it out though.

Worth1 · November 1, 2018

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/13923...h.htm#Page_282

This is a link to fruitcakes in the White House Cook Book we have a thread on here.

**coronabarb** · November 1, 2018

Just to clear up some possible confusion, the Harvest Time areas were originally conceived as recipe sections. They morphed into conversation areas, which is great. Always love to read how others cook. I don't see an advantage to individual threads on the same topic, such as cake. That's why there are so many sticky threads that both Mischka and I set up. I was hoping topics would go under those threads as they apply. Keeps from having dozens of pages of individual topics. That's why I asked Durgan to keep his juicing chronicles in one thread instead of individual threads for each time he juiced something. Soon, the first page was almost all his threads. Trying to keep some organization to things. ;-)

Worth1 · November 1, 2018

Oh my this is like nothing before.
All the soaking fruit mixed up juice and all.
The only spices are nutmeg and allspice so far.
I also think my homemade colored pineapple came out nice too.
Worth
IMG_20181101_4397.jpg

oldman · November 1, 2018

Some thoughts on fruitcake....

People who don't like fruitcake have never had good fruitcake.
Good fruitcake isn't cheap.
There's a lot of bad fruitcake out there.

If the only fruit cake you've ever has was $3 at Walgreens and was baked in the paper it was wrapped in you probably don't like fruitcake. I qualify this because there are people who love hamburgers but only eat at MickeyD's. The "candied fruit" in those doorstops is closer to parrafin than it is to food, and the other ingredients were probably the lowest quality available too. Also, booze would probably have been represented by imitation brandy flavor at best and at worst by imitation rum or a total disregard of tradition.

If you're making your own fruitcake you don't want to buy the same cheap ingredients bulk manufacturers use. A recipe is good to have, but not essential. And if you do work with one you can use it as a guideline, not as a divine mandate. I have yet to see any recipe carved in stone.

The batter is basic, kind of a combination of shortbread and pound cake. The batter makes up about 1/3 of the cake, but it's the glue (metaphorically) that holds the cake together, both In terms of flavor and physical structure. While it's the mortar for the cake you don't want it that dense. You also don't want it too strongly flavor or too sweet. Shortbread and pound cake, basic and balanced. But you can still add you own touches. A moderate amount of fresh orange or lemon zest or a few tablespoons of a favorite spiced rum. But don't overdo it. It's always easier to add flavor than it is to remove it. And one flavor is more predictable than a blend of them.

Fruits, nuts, and spices are a matter of personal preference. Secret recipes often hinge on something as simple as adding a 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper or a few dashes of orange bitters. So don't be afraid to incorporate flavors you like in other foods into your batter. Don't add spice after you've incorporated the fruit thought. It's both difficult to mix and difficult to sample at that point. Other things not to add to the batter are lots of liquid (there's a reason we want dry fruit), candy of any kind (not even Michigan cherries and definitely not chocolate) and anything that with change the uniform consistency of the batter (cookie pieces shouldn't be added to some things and not everything is better with bacon). What you do add is a variety of fruits and nuts. Black walnuts are a no because they're too strongly flavored but English walnuts and pecans are standards, almonds are acceptable, and I think macadamia and hazelnuts are marginal due to fat content. Peanuts should be used only by people who didn't take my advice about the bacon. For the fruit candied fruit and peel is often used because it adds color and lower quality fruit is less noticeable after it's candied. Unless you're making your own or have a supplier at a farmers market you trust I'd recommend just using dried fruit. Use well dried fruit with good structure. Strawberries, bananas, raspberries, mulberries, pawpaw, and similar fruits will fall apart, discolor your batter, and generally speaking not do well in fruitcake. The key is to get fruit that is dried but not rigid. You want the fruit to have some moisture, like raisins, but not more moisture than the batter or so little that it immediately starts absorbing moisture from the batter. Some recipes call for soaking the fruit in liquid. This is what's referred to as a shortcut. It's used by people who try to make fruit cake for Christmas after Thanksgiving. As with most shortcuts your mileage will vary. But if you must use it don't soak the fruit in too much alcohol. You'll ruin the flavor of the fruit. Use a few tablespoons of alcohol to aid absorption and give some flavor to the liquid, but use a few cups of white grape juice or coconut water to get the additional flavor into the fruit without overpowering it. And if you soak the frit for an hour, drain it for at least four hours before using it in fruitcake (which means get the fruit ready before you start the batter. You bake the cake before you need to worry about the last ingredient.

The cake will bake longer than most cakes, raise less, and need a lower temperature. It's like cheesecakes in that your target is the proper moisture content offset by good color. Golden brown, nor dark, and firm but not dry. Pan shape and size will impact the final product. I prefer a round pan. 9 or 10 inches in diameter and 4 inches deep if doing one large cake or 4 inch springforms if doing smaller trial runs or making gift basket sized fruitcakes.

Fruitcake starts drying out as soon as it is baked. Not only is moisture lost as the cake bakes but the fruit will absorb liquid from the cake during baking and release it only slowly after the cake is cooked. If you soaked the fruit your cake will be moist and the fruit with be plump. Good if you want to eat it right away, but not ideal for fruitcake. Lasagna is always better the second day. Fruitcake can take weeks for the flavors to marry. And of course it's the cook's job to facilitate the marriage with sugar and/or booze.

After your fruitcakes have cooled for a couple hours you're ready to glaze with a mixture of sugar, water, and booze. Mixture, not a sugar syrup with booze added. The water adds moisture. The alcohol adds flavor and helps the flavors blend, and the sugar helps maintain moisture while discouraging bacteria and makes you fruitcake shiny without hiding its color. Let the glaze dry for about an hour and then store the cake in an airtight container at cool room temperature. Repeat every five to seven until you're ready to eat it. Glazing too often can result in a sticky or too moist cake. If you've got that just leave the lid on the container loose for a day or two to allow it to dry. Too much rum or brandy in you glaze can give you a cake that tastes like an Old Fashioned rather than a cake. But that can work for people who like cocktails more than they like fruitcake.

And even if your first attempt at fruitcake isn't magazine cover worthy it will likely still be well above average. Because there's a lot of bad fruitcake out there.

GrowingCoastal · November 1, 2018

Nice colours in the fruit, above.

And
A great write-up on how to put a fruitcake together that almost has me wanting to make one again though I couldn't eat it anymore. Bacon with some fruitcake sounds good!

rhines81 · November 1, 2018

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldman

Some thoughts on fruitcake....

People who don't like fruitcake have never had good fruitcake.
Good fruitcake isn't cheap.
There's a lot of bad fruitcake out there.

One fruitcake in particular, I keep in the trunk of my car just in case I have a flat tire and need a spare to get me home. I think this particular one is speed rated at 65 mph. I believe I am the 9th recipient of it as it has been re-gifted through the years!

November 1, 2018	#94
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Raised up eating fruit soaked in alcohol. Mostly brandy. Where I grew up people always had a giant container of brandied fruit on the table. Instead of getting in the cookie jar we were always in the fruit. By the way the dates are in bourbon not rum. If you have never had real rum raisin ice cream it is to die for. Last edited by Worth1; November 1, 2018 at 06:14 AM.

November 1, 2018	#100
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	http://www.gutenberg.org/files/13923...h.htm#Page_282 This is a link to fruitcakes in the White House Cook Book we have a thread on here. Last edited by Worth1; November 1, 2018 at 01:56 PM.

November 1, 2018	#101
coronabarb Tomatoville® Recipe Keeper Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Roseburg, Oregon - zone 7 Posts: 2,821	Just to clear up some possible confusion, the Harvest Time areas were originally conceived as recipe sections. They morphed into conversation areas, which is great. Always love to read how others cook. I don't see an advantage to individual threads on the same topic, such as cake. That's why there are so many sticky threads that both Mischka and I set up. I was hoping topics would go under those threads as they apply. Keeps from having dozens of pages of individual topics. That's why I asked Durgan to keep his juicing chronicles in one thread instead of individual threads for each time he juiced something. Soon, the first page was almost all his threads. Trying to keep some organization to things. ;-) __________________ Corona~Barb Now an Oregon gal

November 1, 2018	#103
oldman Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Kansas 5b Posts: 198	Some thoughts on fruitcake.... People who don't like fruitcake have never had good fruitcake. Good fruitcake isn't cheap. There's a lot of bad fruitcake out there. If the only fruit cake you've ever has was $3 at Walgreens and was baked in the paper it was wrapped in you probably don't like fruitcake. I qualify this because there are people who love hamburgers but only eat at MickeyD's. The "candied fruit" in those doorstops is closer to parrafin than it is to food, and the other ingredients were probably the lowest quality available too. Also, booze would probably have been represented by imitation brandy flavor at best and at worst by imitation rum or a total disregard of tradition. If you're making your own fruitcake you don't want to buy the same cheap ingredients bulk manufacturers use. A recipe is good to have, but not essential. And if you do work with one you can use it as a guideline, not as a divine mandate. I have yet to see any recipe carved in stone. The batter is basic, kind of a combination of shortbread and pound cake. The batter makes up about 1/3 of the cake, but it's the glue (metaphorically) that holds the cake together, both In terms of flavor and physical structure. While it's the mortar for the cake you don't want it that dense. You also don't want it too strongly flavor or too sweet. Shortbread and pound cake, basic and balanced. But you can still add you own touches. A moderate amount of fresh orange or lemon zest or a few tablespoons of a favorite spiced rum. But don't overdo it. It's always easier to add flavor than it is to remove it. And one flavor is more predictable than a blend of them. Fruits, nuts, and spices are a matter of personal preference. Secret recipes often hinge on something as simple as adding a 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper or a few dashes of orange bitters. So don't be afraid to incorporate flavors you like in other foods into your batter. Don't add spice after you've incorporated the fruit thought. It's both difficult to mix and difficult to sample at that point. Other things not to add to the batter are lots of liquid (there's a reason we want dry fruit), candy of any kind (not even Michigan cherries and definitely not chocolate) and anything that with change the uniform consistency of the batter (cookie pieces shouldn't be added to some things and not everything is better with bacon). What you do add is a variety of fruits and nuts. Black walnuts are a no because they're too strongly flavored but English walnuts and pecans are standards, almonds are acceptable, and I think macadamia and hazelnuts are marginal due to fat content. Peanuts should be used only by people who didn't take my advice about the bacon. For the fruit candied fruit and peel is often used because it adds color and lower quality fruit is less noticeable after it's candied. Unless you're making your own or have a supplier at a farmers market you trust I'd recommend just using dried fruit. Use well dried fruit with good structure. Strawberries, bananas, raspberries, mulberries, pawpaw, and similar fruits will fall apart, discolor your batter, and generally speaking not do well in fruitcake. The key is to get fruit that is dried but not rigid. You want the fruit to have some moisture, like raisins, but not more moisture than the batter or so little that it immediately starts absorbing moisture from the batter. Some recipes call for soaking the fruit in liquid. This is what's referred to as a shortcut. It's used by people who try to make fruit cake for Christmas after Thanksgiving. As with most shortcuts your mileage will vary. But if you must use it don't soak the fruit in too much alcohol. You'll ruin the flavor of the fruit. Use a few tablespoons of alcohol to aid absorption and give some flavor to the liquid, but use a few cups of white grape juice or coconut water to get the additional flavor into the fruit without overpowering it. And if you soak the frit for an hour, drain it for at least four hours before using it in fruitcake (which means get the fruit ready before you start the batter. You bake the cake before you need to worry about the last ingredient. The cake will bake longer than most cakes, raise less, and need a lower temperature. It's like cheesecakes in that your target is the proper moisture content offset by good color. Golden brown, nor dark, and firm but not dry. Pan shape and size will impact the final product. I prefer a round pan. 9 or 10 inches in diameter and 4 inches deep if doing one large cake or 4 inch springforms if doing smaller trial runs or making gift basket sized fruitcakes. Fruitcake starts drying out as soon as it is baked. Not only is moisture lost as the cake bakes but the fruit will absorb liquid from the cake during baking and release it only slowly after the cake is cooked. If you soaked the fruit your cake will be moist and the fruit with be plump. Good if you want to eat it right away, but not ideal for fruitcake. Lasagna is always better the second day. Fruitcake can take weeks for the flavors to marry. And of course it's the cook's job to facilitate the marriage with sugar and/or booze. After your fruitcakes have cooled for a couple hours you're ready to glaze with a mixture of sugar, water, and booze. Mixture, not a sugar syrup with booze added. The water adds moisture. The alcohol adds flavor and helps the flavors blend, and the sugar helps maintain moisture while discouraging bacteria and makes you fruitcake shiny without hiding its color. Let the glaze dry for about an hour and then store the cake in an airtight container at cool room temperature. Repeat every five to seven until you're ready to eat it. Glazing too often can result in a sticky or too moist cake. If you've got that just leave the lid on the container loose for a day or two to allow it to dry. Too much rum or brandy in you glaze can give you a cake that tastes like an Old Fashioned rather than a cake. But that can work for people who like cocktails more than they like fruitcake. And even if your first attempt at fruitcake isn't magazine cover worthy it will likely still be well above average. Because there's a lot of bad fruitcake out there. Last edited by oldman; November 1, 2018 at 09:20 PM.

October 31, 2018	#92
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Saw several recipes and videos where people soaked not only the fruit but the nuts. Not a good idea to me. Who wants soggy nuts? Another very good celebrity chef doesn't soak her nuts just the fruit in Makers Mark. Lots of Makers Mark.

November 1, 2018	#93
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	Thanks Rajun. I understand yours being incorporated with this thread. The Herman cake thread I started has nothing to do with fruitcakes - well, the cake part. I don't mind, it just surprised me a little. Worth, about soaking ingredients before cooking. I'm not sure about that? I know my thoughts on this are opinionated, but I like for each ingredient to have it's own individual taste in a fruitcake. I can't imagine biting into a date and it tasting like rum. I did a search on dates, and found this site to be very interesting. Jujube http://www.texasgardener.com/pastiss...08/Jujube.html

November 1, 2018	#102
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Oh my this is like nothing before. All the soaking fruit mixed up juice and all. The only spices are nutmeg and allspice so far. I also think my homemade colored pineapple came out nice too. Worth IMG_20181101_4397.jpg

November 1, 2018	#104
GrowingCoastal Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Vancouver Island Canada BC Posts: 1,253	Nice colours in the fruit, above. And A great write-up on how to put a fruitcake together that almost has me wanting to make one again though I couldn't eat it anymore. Bacon with some fruitcake sounds good!