The Care And Feeding Of A Fruitcake

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A fruitcake needs care and feeding for a period of time as it ripens and matures. When you go to the expense and effort to make a really good homemade fruitcake, they often forget that fruitcake is supposed to be aged and cured just like a fine wine. Fruitcakes DO taste better with age! Aging is sometimes called 'ripening', and allows the ingredients in the fruitcake to mellow and blend as the tannins in the dried fruits are released. As the fruitcake matures, the skins of the dried fruits, which contain the same tannins that age fine red wines, create similar, complex flavors and aromas. The key then, is to use lots of high quality dried and well marinated fruits for proper aging. The density and high sugar content of homemade fruitcakes prevents bacterial growth and spoilage. Another handy thing about aging is that it allows a busy cook to prepare fruitcakes well in advance of the busy Holiday Season. Feeding or curing is the process of the adding alcohol to the fruitcake to preserve it for long-term storage and give it that unique flavor associated with the best fruitcakes. Besides adding moistness, and flavor, the alcohol also minimizes the sweetness of the ingredients and makes the fruitcake incredibly rich. So how long will a fruitcake keep? When asked that question, the cooks' accepted response is always, "’Till it's all eaten." From its earliest history, fruitcakes were made to have a virtually unlimited shelf life, remaining moist and flavorful for years. By custom, fruitcakes might be kept a year in advance of the grand reveal at the holiday table. After the fruitcake has cooled completely is ready to prepare for storage. Fruitcakes intended for short-term storage are handled differently then the ones that are going to keep for several months or longer. To prepare a fruitcake for short-term storage you'll need a square of cheesecloth large enough to wrap around the fruitcake and a bottle of good quality brandy, rum, cognac, bourbon or whiskey. Pour enough liquor into a small bowl to soak the cheesecloth until it is completely saturated. To prepare the fruitcake for longer storage, you'll need a piece of unbleached muslin to wrap around the cake. Muslin is better for long-term storage because it retains more moisture than cheesecloth. Soak the muslin in liquor until it is wet through. The purpose of this liqueur soaked cloth is to protect the surface of the fruitcake and keep it moist as the alcohol is slowly absorbed into the cake.

While the cloth covering for the fruitcake is soaking, slowly pour a jigger of the same liquor over the top of the fruitcake, adding it drop by drop without causing any wet spots. Lay out a sheet of plastic wrap on the counter and place the soaked cheesecloth on top. Center in the fruitcake in the middle of the cloth. Wrap the well saturated fabric around the cake, tucking the ends and to the hollow center. Wrap the plastic wrap around the wrapped fruitcake sealing it completely and then cover tightly with a sheet of aluminum foil. Put the packaged fruitcake in a sealable freezer bag or an airtight plastic container store it in a cool dark place, but not the refrigerator. For best results, a good fruitcake needs to be ripened for at least four to six weeks prior to serving. During this stage, liquor is regularly brushed over the surface of the cake. Do not apply more alcohol than the fruitcake can absorb, if it begins to pool around the bottom of the fruitcake invert the cake and wait until the excess soaks in before applying any more. If the cloth wrapping becomes dry, soak it in liquor before rewrapping the cake. The fruitcake will continue to ripen and improve for several months. The ingredients as well as the temperature and humidity will affect the condition of the fruitcake. The fruitcake should remain moist at all times, take care that it does not dry out during the curing process.

A well wrapped and liquor cured fruitcake that is kept in tightly closed containers will keep for months or even years. For VERY long storage, 'bury' the liquor-soaked fruitcake in confectioners' sugar in a tightly covered tin, and store it in a cool dark place. Generally, I use the following rule of thumb for applying liquor: 1.For short-term storage, use a basting brush to brush more liquor on the surface of the fruitcake every 2-3 days. Rewrap the cake and repeat the process for four to six weeks to ripen the fruitcake. After that time, the cake can be frozen until serving time. 2.For longer storage of fruitcakes that are made two or more months in advance, add one jigger of liquor to the fruitcake once a week for the first month, and then brush liquor once a month thereafter, alternating between the top and bottom of the fruitcake for every application. Repeat this process until the fruitcake is served.