Genip Harvesting & How to Make Genip Rum

Over the weekend we harvested genips from our big, beautiful genip tree that welcomes you at the driveway.  Genips are a staple throughout these parts and fruit I've grown up with all my life.  In cuban español we call them mamoncillos.  This year the harvest came late, but it came producing an abounded amount of yummy sweet, sticky and slightly tart pulp.  

Here's George going for the low hanging fruit.  He does the harvesting I make the drinks!

Every year I make genip rum ready just in time for the holidays.  This is a Puerto Rican speciality they call bili but I've adopted to our Cuban, Polish, American-VI household.

Here's the Genip Rum How To:

Container with tight fitting lid (I use airtight glass containers from Ikea designed to store flour, sugar & pasta)

About 30 genips (approx. 2 cups worth)

1 cup of brown sugar

1/2 nutmeg seed

1 750 mL bottle of rum (dark/white your choice I make batches of both)

1 vanilla bean split in half lengthwise (you can substitute vanilla extract but it really isn't as good)

1-2 cinnamon sticks

Throughly wash the container inside and out with soap and hot water.  I also like to do a final rinse with boiling water.  Let air dry completely.

Peel genips and place in a bowl.  Here are my leftover shells after a day of peeling.

Add the sugar and grate the nutmeg into the bowl.  Mix until sugar and nutmeg dissolve into the genips.

Place mixture into the container.  Pour the bottle of rum into the container.  I make several bottle's worth to keep and to give away as gifts. No sense in doing all that work for just 1 bottle! 

Drop the split vanilla bean and cinnamon sticks into the container.  Seal and give it a good shake.  Open it up and taste it to make sure your sugar & spice combo works for your palate.  Adjust accordingly.

Seal it up again and store in a cool dark place for 30 days.  I keep mine in a roomy kitchen cabinet.  Give it a good shake every so often.

After 30 days I'll strain it and pour it into dark wine bottles.  You can also keep your empty rum bottles for this purpose, but I think it ages better in a dark bottle.  Enjoy neat, on the rocks or with a mixer!  It's DELICIOUS and a nice change from the standard caribbean holiday favorite, Guavaberry Rum. It's always a highlight at our holiday parties.

Some interesting variations you might try are using vodka or gin instead of rum.  We are rum drinkers here so I can't comment on these.  Or different spice combos.  I've tried clove and pumpkin spice in the past (not my favorite but good if you like pumpkin pie).  I've been wanting to try one using ginger and bay leaf but didn't get a chance to this year.  Leave me a comment and let me know if you come up with any other interesting variations!  

I'll let you know in 30 days how this year's batch turns out!

CC