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National Brandied Fruit Day

Food · October 20

Fruit preserved in brandy and sugar, how it tastes, how people use it, and how to keep a homemade jar safe in the refrigerator.

National Brandied Fruit Day falls on Wednesday, October 20, 2027. That is 358 days away.

Brandied fruit is fruit soaked in brandy, usually with sugar or a syrup, until the two trade flavors. Cherries, peaches, pears and plums are common choices. The fruit takes on a warm, boozy depth, and the brandy picks up color and the taste of the fruit.

A good jar holds soft fruit that still keeps its shape, sitting in a glossy, sweet liquid. People spoon it over ice cream, pound cake or pancakes, tuck a piece into a cocktail, or set a small dish out after dinner. The leftover liquid is often treated as a second prize and poured into drinks or sauces.

Making it at home is mostly waiting, but the waiting has rules. Juice from the fruit dilutes the spirit, and a jar that is too weak in alcohol can spoil. Follow a tested recipe that calls for enough brandy to cover the fruit fully, use a clean jar, and keep it in the refrigerator while it steeps and after you open it. Fruit that floats above the liquid is the part most likely to go wrong, so weigh it down or top up with more brandy.

Check the jar before each use. If it smells sour, yeasty or simply off, looks fizzy or cloudy in a way it did not before, or shows any mold, throw the whole thing out rather than skimming it.

A well kept jar rewards patience. Cherries that went in firm and bright come out dark, tender and tasting faintly of almonds and oak.

Ways to celebrate

• Spoon brandied cherries or peaches over vanilla ice cream.
• Start a small jar using a tested recipe and keep it refrigerated.
• Add a spoonful of the syrup to a cup of tea or a cocktail.
• Serve brandied pears alongside a plain pound cake.

Dates

All national days on October 20

Also on October 20

• Office Chocolate Day
• International Chef Day

Categories: Food days