Starter for Friendship Fruitcake

Step 1

In a 1-gallon glass jar with a wide mouth and lid, combine the peaches, pineapple, maraschino cherries, sugar and yeast (make sure the yeast is well mixed with syrup).

Step 2

Stir mixture two times the first day.

Step 3

Stir once a day afterward.

Step 4

Do not refrigerate this mixture.

Step 5

Keep loosely covered.

Step 6

Two weeks after starting the starter, add 1/2 cup peaches and 1/2 cup pineapple with syrup.

Step 7

Wait for several days, stirring daily, and drain 2 cups of mixed fruit and use to make cake as directed in the cake recipe.

Step 8

Reserve 1 1/2 cups starter juice and leave in glass gallon jar.

Step 9

Count this as Day One, and start the process for renewing the starter and making the cake.

Step 10

DAY 1: To reserved 1 1/2 cups starter juice (or to starter juice given you by a friend), add 2 1/2 cups sugar and a 2-lb can of peaches with syrup.

Step 11

Stir daily.

Step 12

Keep loosely covered.

Step 13

Do not refrigerate.

Step 14

DAY 10: Add 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar, a 2 pound can pineapple chunks with juice.

Step 15

Stir daily.

Step 16

Keep loosely covered.

Step 17

Do not refrigerate.

Step 18

DAY 20: Add 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar and 8 to 10 oz drained and halved maraschino cherries.

Step 19

Stir daily.

Step 20

Keep loosely covered.

Step 21

Do not refrigerate.

Step 22

DAY 30: Drain fruit, reserving 1 1/2 cups juice for renewing starter.

Step 23

Use drained fruit to make 3 cakes (see recipe), give excess starter juice to friends, and start a new batch of fruit (repeat aforementioned process).

Step 24

At the end of 30 days, you will have enough excess starter juice to give to about four friends.

Step 25

Be sure to keep enough juice (1 1/2 cups) for your own starter.

Step 26

At the end of 30 days, there will be enough fruit to use 1 3/4 cups fruit in each cake, which makes the cake better and doesn't waste the fruit.

Step 27

The cakes can be frozen.

Step 28

It is not necessary to bake all three cakes the same day, but stir the remaining fruit mixture every day until it is used (this fruit mixture can be refrigerated until used).

Step 29

The drained fruit can be frozen until you are ready to bake the cakes.