Can I soak dried fruit in sweet wine instead of liqueur for use in fruitcakes?
The recipes for fruitcake that I've looked at say to soak the dried fruit in brandy, rum, etc., i.e., something with a high alcohol content. I've been using liqueur which works well.
I was wondering if using a sweet wine would work; has anyone tried this?
Best Answer
A good quality ($20 or so) sweet Port, Madeira, or Sherry could be lovely, and add a delicious flavor note of its own. Make sure it's something that tastes good by itself, with a flavor that appeals to you, complimenting a piece of cake.
Note that these are so-called "fortified wines" — they are distilled to a higher alcohol content. Historically, this was done to achieve a long shelf-life without preservatives, so they're more like spirits. Unlike regular "corked" wines, an opened bottle of fortified wine can last a long time, so the cork is made as a stopper that can be easily resealed.
I don't think you'd get good results with a moscato or such. I also wouldn't skimp and buy a cheap (e.g.: Taylor) bottle of Port — that would be like using cheap, imitation vanilla extract! Spending $30 to get a high-quality flavor that you enjoy, is money well spent.
This kind of wine typically comes in both sweet and dry variants. If you're making an entrée sauce, you probably want a dry wine. For fruitcake, be sure to select a sweet variety. Sometimes, they're not specifically labeled "dry" or "sweet", so you need to read how it's described the label, or ask your vintner for a recommendation.
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Quick Answer about "Can I soak dried fruit in sweet wine instead of liqueur for use in fruitcakes?"
You can substitute wine or a fruit juice of your choice in place of brandy, or you can substitute another candied or dried fruit for citron if you don't have anything to substitute. You can substitute more chopped dates for the raisins if you do not like them.What can I soak dried fruit in instead of alcohol?
For a non-alcoholic christmas cake, soak the dried fruits in orange juice, grape juice or can use even mixed fruit juice and store it in the refrigerator. Soak the dried fruits only a week before you are ready to bake the cake. Soak only dry fruits in the liquor.Can dry fruits be soaked in wine?
Take all dried fruits and nuts in a bowl. Pour over wine or rum and mix well. Store this in a air tight container or glass jar in a dark place for a year. The fruits should be completely covered in alcohol if you are soaking it for longer time.What can I soak dried fruit in?
Put your dried fruit in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Let it steep for 10 to 15 minutes, and then strain the fruit and discard the water. The fruit will be plumper, juicier, and softer. To give your fruit some extra flavor, swap the water for fruit juice or a liquor, like rum, bourbon, or brandy.What do you soak dried fruit in for Christmas cake?
The one and only trick is to keep the fruits moist and juicy before baking. For that fruits need to be soaked in alcohol (preferable brandy; rum. sherry also works well) properly for 1 month or upto a year.HOW TO SOAK DRIED MIXED FRUITS FOR FRUIT CAKE | TWO VERSIONS - ALCOHOLIC \u0026 NON-ALCOHOLIC
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Answer 2
You can, but it will have a very different effect to your fruitcake. The booziness of liquor is what makes the fruitcake taste the way it does.
The fruitcake will probably still taste great, but it won't be what people expect from a fruitcake, which is the boozy mouth and nose feel of the cake.
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