How to Soak Fruit For Christmas Cake

Learn how to soak a medley of dried fruit using my non alcoholic method for your alcohol free Caribbean rum cake or black cake during the holiday season.

When the holiday season is near, from a Caribbean perspective the discussion about cakes (fruit/rum or black cake) is usually on the horizon.

Like many island people, I grew up in a household where black cake was an extremely crucial aspect of the Christmas tradition.

Before we actually made the cake, provisions needed to be put in place, one of those was to soak the fruit.

Soaking the fruit was mandatory and also a hot topic. I would hear grandmothers and aunties boast about soaking their fruit in advance.

It was almost like a competition "I've been soaking my fruit for 2-3 years now" while others would say "I've soaked my months ago" and so fourth.

The concept of soaking fruit

A medley of dried fruit (prunes, cherries, cranberries, raisins, sultanas, mixed peel, currants, dates) are added to a large jar or container.

Then topped with a mixture of rum, wine and/or brandy is more commonly used). The brand of rum,wine and brandy would vary depending on the island.

Some people would kick start the soaking process by parboiling the fruit in water so it softens a lot quicker but that's not something I saw my family do.

The most common thing people would do is combine the dried fruit with the alcohol, store it in a container/jar and leave it in a cool place/refrigerator for month/weeks or years in advance.

During the given time, the fruit would soften and the flavour would intensify.

Keeping a watchful eye on the fruit, shaking and mixing the jar/container was very important.

If the fruit looked too depleted and/or excessively absorbed, you would need to "feed it" with alcohol throughout the year to replenish.

To make the perfect black cake, the fruit needs to be very soft so soaking the fruit is a must.

If you don't soak the fruit, the results will be very dry and be rendered a disappointment which further explains this fruit soaking frenzy.

The non alcoholic way

Even though I fully respect the traditional method which uses alcohol. I am fully aware that many omit alcohol from their lives.

I know many people especially the older Caribbean generation, who have been diagnosed with various ailments, religious people and people who just don't care of a black cake that is laced with alcohol.

Outside of my website, I have been catering to the needs of the above, it is a growing trend and even people who consume alcohol are beginning to have a mutual understanding and respect for the non alcohol options.

I wanted to share a way that I soak my dried fruit. I have used this method for cakes and ice creams with success and positive feedback.

The use of rum essence/rum extract

This throws people off, so I'm going to make this statement to clear things up.

Rum essence/extract is made from the compounds of rum concentrate without the high alcohol concentrate in other words, it won't make you tipsy or intoxicated.

However, not all rum extracts are created equally, some of them don't contain any alcohol at all.

If the small percentage of alcohol in rum essence concerns you, use a rum alternative instead.

Recipe preparation

Similar to the traditional method, you will need a selection of dried fruit. Choose fruit that you enjoy, but don't go too heavy on one specific ingredient.

I like to use a variety of fruit, so I purchased a couple of bags of dried mixed fruit and add some of the missing ingredients such as dates, cranberries and prunes separately.

One thing to note, in fact this very important is that this alcohol free version should be used no later than 3 weeks in advance (this is updated longevity).

For those of you who want something more short term, maybe you forgot to feed the fruit with liquid or get flustered nearer to Christmas, this method should ease some of that stress.

As the fruit won't get a chance to meld like it traditionally would do, over a course of months or years, it won't soften on the same scale.

 What I like to do is part blend some of the fruit, about a quarter with some of the fruit juice, this serves as a helping hand for softening the fruit and intensifying the flavour.

I prefer to use red fruit juice, with red grape juice being my favourite choice. You can use cranberry juice or a mixture of white grape juice or apple juice.

Just do be sure to use at least one part red fruit juice for best results.

Once you have blitzed part of the dried fruit and juice mixture, add that along with the rest of the dried fruit to a container of your choice.

You can add add-ins such as rum essence (a concentrated rum flavour without the HIGH alcohol content) if you want to.

The steps

• Place the mixed dried fruit in a large container or a jar.
• Combine about ½ cup of the red grape fruit with the prunes and add to a blender (I used the wet container of my spice grinder).
• Blitz into a coarse/slightly chunky puree.
• Mix the coarse puree with the red grape juice.
• Pour the red grape juice into the jar or container of your choice, use a spoon to make sure all of the fruit is saturated.
• Finally add the rum essence (if you're using) and mix into the fruit using a spoon.
• Refrigerate and use accordingly.

Notes and tips

• Feel free to use whatever dried fruit that you prefer.
• This is a quick soaking method, you will need to use the soaked fruit within 3 weeks of making it.
• Make sure to use a combination of dried fruit to meld the taste, don't go heavy on one dried fruit i.e raisins, cherries etc..
• I used a large jar that is one litre (UK) which is roughly one quart (US), you will want a container/jar that is of a similar size.
• You can use a combination of red grape juice/white grape juice or cranberry juice.
• For best results, I highly recommend adding some rum essence/rum alternative (a concentrated rum flavour without the HIGH/ if any at all alcohol content).
• Make sure to shake the jar every 3 days and add more grape juice, if required.

Some recipes to try the soaked fruit with

• Sorrel Cookies
• Jamaican Rum Cake
• Sorrel Cake
• Jamaican Fruit Cake (Black Cake)
• Caribbean Coconut Rum Cupcakes

More recipes to try

•  Sorrel Jam
• Turkey Neck Soup
• Orange Cranberry Oatmeal
• Bean Pie Recipe
• Vegan Nut Roast
• Air Fryer Chestnuts
• Gluten Free Shortbread Cookies
• Jamaican Turkey Patties

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