Soaking fruit for Christmas cake.... how long is too long?

[TaffyandTeenyTaffy]

I began making my Christmas cake a week or so ago - but my oven packed up. Great timing. The mixed fruit, cherries etc have been soaking in alcohol in a covered bowl in the fridge whilst I've been waiting for my new cooker to arrive. Looks and smells ok. New cooker is finally being delivered on Sunday - so I am wondering whether the fruit would be ok to use or whether I should bin it and start again? (or rather sit and munch my way through the fruit and start again!)

Thanks

i reckon you could leave it months and it'd be fine. hooray for booze!

I always soak my fruit for at least a week in a large lidded tub - the alcohol will preserve it. Just don't leave it within reach of small children who like dried fruit

Small children would not like the strong alcoholic taste and smell, so no worries there.

The Pink Whisk Boozy Christmas cake says 6 weeks, stir it every day. I've just baked mine and they look bloody lovely!

I had a big Kilner jar full of dried fruit soaked in brandy which was well over a year old. I made a Christmas cake with it last year (and fed it with more brandy) and it was amazing.

Longer the better. Minumum 2 weeks good.

my oven broke a few weekends ago just after i had soaked my fruit too...

my fruit was soaking for 15 days, and seemed fine when i eventually got round to baking the cake in my nice new oven

Thanks everyone ..... will use the fruit - (I now have to come up with something else for tea!!!)

8 weeks here, and my sil (who kept dipping into the mix) slurred said it tasted great!

MUMMY2BOOKIE You'd think that wouldn't you? Turns out that my kids like jameson soaked raisins - don't know where they get it from