A little bit of effort in August will pay off during the holidays.  Liquor soaked fruit makes a great gift and is great for holiday entertaining.  Use the same quality of liquor you would use for mixed drinks.

For this recipe, you’ll need:

• half pint canning jars and lids
• stone fruits such as peaches, plums, nectarines or apricots – you’ll need 1 to 1 1/2 pieces of fruit for every half pint jar
• sugar – you’ll need 1 tablespoon for every half pint jar
• liquor such as brandy, rum or gin – you’ll need approximately 1/4 cup for every half pint jar

Sterilize your jars and lids.  Wash the fruit thoroughly.

Slice the fruit into eighths, removing the pits.

Pack fruit slices into a jar, fitting as many as you can while leaving 1/2 inch of space at the top of the jar.  Add 1 tablespoon of sugar.  Add liquor until fruit is just covered and add lid.  Store in the refrigerator for at least 1 month.

To serve, scoop out the fruit and spoon over desserts.  Use the liquor for cocktails.

Some of my favorite combinations are:

• Peaches or nectarines with dark rum
• Plums with gin
• Apricots with brandy or cognac

I spent less than $5 on each half pint jar using top-shelf brands of liquor.  What a bargain!

Enjoy!