Start your baking journey with the enchanting 'Starter for Friendship Fruitcake,' a time-honored tradition that blends sweet, tangy, and vibrant flavors while fostering genuine connections. This simple yet magical recipe uses canned peach slices, pineapple chunks, maraschino cherries, and a touch of active dry yeast to create a rich, fragrant starter that ferments over 24 delightful days. Perfectly suited for making a moist and flavorful Friendship Fruitcake or for sharing with loved ones, this starter is a gift that keeps on giving. With minimal prep time and no cooking required, you'll enjoy the satisfying process of nurturing this blend into a delicious foundation for baking or gifting. Embrace the warmth of tradition with this fun, fruit-filled ferment!
Day 1: Begin by emptying the entire can of peach slices, including the syrup, into a large glass or plastic container with a lid (do not use metal).
Add 2.5 cups of granulated sugar to the container. Stir gently with a wooden or plastic spoon until the sugar is dissolved.
Sprinkle 0.25 teaspoons of active dry yeast into the mixture and stir well. Cover the container loosely with the lid to allow gas to escape during fermentation.
Let the mixture sit at room temperature for 3 days, stirring once daily with a wooden or plastic spoon.
Day 4: Add the entire can of pineapple chunks, including the syrup, to the container. Stir the mixture gently to incorporate. Allow to sit at room temperature for 10 days, stirring once daily.
Day 14: Add the entire jar of maraschino cherries, including the juice, to the container. Stir well to combine. Allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for an additional 10 days, stirring once daily.
Day 24: The starter is now ready to use in Friendship Fruitcake or to share with friends. Divide into 1-cup portions for sharing or baking, and reserve at least 1 cup for maintaining the starter.
Calories |
2693 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
% Daily Value* |
|||
| Total Fat | 0.7 g | 1% | |
| Saturated Fat | 0.0 g | 0% | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.0 g | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% | |
| Sodium | 51 mg | 2% | |
| Total Carbohydrate | 701.1 g | 255% | |
| Dietary Fiber | 5.2 g | 19% | |
| Total Sugars | 679.0 g | ||
| Protein | 2.8 g | 6% | |
| Vitamin D | 0.0 mcg | 0% | |
| Calcium | 46 mg | 4% | |
| Iron | 1.9 mg | 11% | |
| Potassium | 578 mg | 12% | |
*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.