The old-fashioned way is to make this in a crock in a
cool (not above 45 degrees), dark place... Start it by
putting the first fruit of your gardening (de-pitted and cut
into chunks) season into the crock with equal amounts of
brandy and sugar. (Apples are rather too hard for this;
avoid too-mushy fruits too, like bananas!) Stir it briefly
with a wooden spoon, cover the crock with a cloth, and leave
it be! As more ripe fruit comes your way (whether via garden
or store), add equal amounts of fruit and sugar to the
crock, stirring well each time.
It "brandies" itself as it works through the
few months until December, when you can distribute it in
jars as gifts. (Or use it to make fruitcakes with.) If you
take fruit out along the way, you can replenish the mixture
with an equal amount of fruit and about a quarter the amount
of both sugar and brandy (kind of like with a sourdough
starter!).
