‘FRIENDLY FRUIT’

Q: Hi Bill, my friend’s mom from Louisiana always had what she called “friendly fruit” sitting out on the counter. Fruit was added to it and mixed in every so often. I think it had alcohol in it to persevere the fruit. My friend and I were kids, so we couldn't have very much of it. But it sure was good! Have you ever heard of “friendly fruit”? Any idea how to make it? Thanks, Cindy T.

A: Hey there, Cindy. What did you say was the name of your friend’s mom’s mail-order business?

Nope, I never had heard of “friendly fruit” until you wrote, but merely reading between the lines of your question is both plenty delicious and fun. It’s fruit—either dried fruit such as raisins or fresh fruit on the order of cherries or peach segments—soaked in alcohol. The likker acts as a preservative so that moms can keep a big bowl of it open on the countertop without the fruit spoiling or becoming dangerous—save, perhaps, for little girls.

I do not know how to construct a mess o’ “friendly fruit” myself, but there are plenty of online suggestions that go into what sorts of alcohol-y liquids to use (spirits, especially, or wines), the kinds of fruits that do best in which to soak them and, most important, I’d think, how long each concoction remains both tasty and safe to consume.

The online experts tell that fruits soaked in alcohol, depending on both the kind of alcohol used and the fruits chosen, will last from “several weeks” to, well, “indefinitely.” (I’m skeptical of the claim of “indefinitely.”)