Spiking Summer Fruit in Order to Preserve It

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/22/dining/22appe.html

As much as I love the idea of a pantry full of homemade jams, jellies, pickles and syrups, I rarely have the patience for serious canning, with its macerating, simmering and sterilization of jars.

But there is another, easier way: boozy fruit. There are many incarnations but the basic premise is the same — simply mix fruit and sugar with enough hard spirit to keep the fruit well soused, and let it sit. You can sip the liquid as a cordial and eat the sweet, spiked fruit over ice cream or cake. Apart from freezing, it is about the simplest preserving method there is.

Oh yes, my mother always made rumtopf, starting in August. Funny I was thinking last evening that I should do it this year. Thank you for posting, Justin.

I wonder if this would be equally as successful with tomatoes.
Bloody marys anyone?

I wonder if this would be equally as successful with tomatoes.
Bloody marys anyone?

Kind of the same idea, more about flavoring the vodka vs. saving the tomatoes.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alto ... index.html

Ingredients
1 pound ripe tomatoes
1 (750 ml) bottle 80 proof vodka
Directions
Cut each of the tomatoes into 8 pieces and put them into a large glass jar. Add the vodka, stir to combine, and cover. Put in a cool, dark place for at least 5 days and up to 7 days, stirring every day. After 7 days, strain through a fine mesh strainer and discard the solids.

To store, pour tomato vodka back into its original bottle, and keep in a cool, dark place.