An Early Summer Tradition

Forty years ago on a trip to Branson,

I bought this crock

About five years later I painted the strawberries on it

after

I took a tole painting class

And for years and years, it's been my tutti fruit crock

What's tutti fruiti you may ask,

Why it's the best fruit sauce to use on ice cream or pound cake

And it's homemade!

A pint of "good" brandy

(you notice recipes never say "cheap" or "average" --

it's always "good"!!!

Then . . .

We add two cups of halved strawberries

Local strawberries make the best tutti fruiti

Then . . .

We add two cups of sugar

And stir

And it sits on the kitchen counter so we can stir it every day

with a wooden spoon

Until the sugar is all dissolved

Then we put it in my "tutti fruiti" crock!

As fruit comes in season, we'll add equal amounts of fruit and sugar 

peaches, cherries (both tart and sweet) , apricots, blackberries and even pineapple!

Once all the fruit is added, we take it back down cellar
to age!

The sauce is wonderful on plain vanilla ice cream and plain pound cake
And by the time strawberry time comes again,
the crock is empty!

The sauce also makes great Christmas gifts for special friends.
But only special friends.

Try your hand at tutti fruiti -- you won't be disappointed!