National Brandied Fruit Day is observed annually on October 20.
Brandied fruit is fresh, sweet fruit that is soaked in brandy and sugar, which is then used as a topping on pies, cake or ice cream. Brandy, which has been around since about the 12th century, is distilled from fermented fruit.
Brandied Fruit has been a favorite treat for those who enjoy the delicious bite of fruit with the full-bodied flavor of Brandy. Brandy is perhaps the ultimate distillation of fruit, as it starts its life as a bountiful wine with a delightful bouquet, which is then distilled down into the spirit that is Brandy. From there, the addition of sugar, heat, and a select number of herbs, spices, and occasionally additional fruit is added to create this wonderful treat with the rich bite.
History of Brandied Fruit Day
The history of Brandied Fruit Day is, unfortunately, lost to the mists of time. But the tradition of creating this wonderful midwinter treat is not. Brandied fruit wasn’t just a delicious treat for those with the money and resources to make it, but was essentially a high-class method of preservation. Besides being delicious on its own, it also provides a long lasting way of enhancing your Brandy, and preserving fruits that could otherwise be lost for the winter.
- Brandy is distilled from fruits such as grape, apple, blackberry, apricot and so on.
- Based on the region and the fruit, brandy can be divided into several categories: Cognac, Armagnac, American Brandies, and fruit brandies.
- The word brandy originally comes from the Dutch word brandewijn, which means burnt wine.
- Long before the 16th century, wine was a popular product for trading in Europe. In the early 16th century, a Dutchman trader invented the way to ship more wine in the limited cargo space by removing water from the wine. Then he could add the water back to the concentrated wine at the destination port in Holland.
- Most brandy is 80 proof (40% alcohol/volume) and has been enjoyed for centuries as a cocktail and cooking ingredient.
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