marlingardener
Central Texas, zone 8
Posts: 2389
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| Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2011 1:03 pm Post subject: Does fruitcake compost? |
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Each year we receive the "perpetual fruitcake" from a relative. The fact that we don't eat fruitcake, don't like fruitcake, and can't get rid of the fruitcake doesn't deter our relative a bit.
So, my question is, will fruitcake compost? I think that if I chop it up there may be a slight chance it will decompose sometime during the coming year. If left whole, I'm sure it won't decompose during my lifetime.
The chickens won't eat it--I tried that last year. My husband is suggesting that we use it to fill a low spot in the driveway.
What do you suggest?
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eileen
 Forum Moderator
Scotland
Posts: 18528
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| Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2011 1:06 pm Post subject: |
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If there are any dairy products in the 'lump' cake then I wouldn't compost it. Maybe you could use it as the foundation brick for a wall or paint it and use it as a doorstop. 
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Jerry Sullivan
Regular Plants Contributor
Chelmsford MA
Posts: 3063
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| Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2011 1:13 pm Post subject: |
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Hang it outside in a suet feeder for the birds to eat.
Jerry
P.S. I'm sure some lucky squirrel would not pass it up.
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Donna S
Virginia
Posts: 592
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| Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2011 5:25 pm Post subject: |
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Jerry is right. It is for the birds.
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Coppice
SE-OH USAian
Posts: 300
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| Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2011 5:29 pm Post subject: |
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Your micro-herd in the compost, or birds, or other fauna will love the fruit cake you don't
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toni
Administrator
Plants Moderator
Regular Plants Contributor
North Texas, Zone 8a
Posts: 11712
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| Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2011 5:58 pm Post subject: |
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If you flatten it out to the correct thickness and dimensions it would make a great head gasket for your car engine and save you a lot of money since fruitcakes are like Twinkies and never deteriorate.
Or smooth out the sharp edges to make it a cylinder shape to replace one of the pistons in the engine in an emergency
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cuatro-gatos
Southern California
Posts: 401
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| Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 4:19 am Post subject: |
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Cut it up into squares or interesting shapes, shellac it and make funky, tongue in cheek Christmas jewelry or magnets.
Or, hang on to it until next year and give it back to the same relative. Or, perhaps use it in a White Elephant gift exchange.
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toni
Administrator
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Regular Plants Contributor
North Texas, Zone 8a
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carolyn keiper
northern ohio
Posts: 2644
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| Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 10:18 pm Post subject: |
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OH Jane!!!!! send it to Calin.
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Jerry Sullivan
Regular Plants Contributor
Chelmsford MA
Posts: 3063
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| Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 10:47 pm Post subject: |
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Mind you this is only a rumor. Some fruitcake has a shelf life of many decades. and stories have been told of the same fruitcake being passed down from generation to generation as it makes the rounds from relative to relative. But it is only a rumor. 
Jerry
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dooley
Texas
Posts: 5369
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| Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2011 12:01 am Post subject: |
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There are some very good fruitcakes out there. If they use real fruit and not the citron pieces. It's the little cheap hard ones that people don't like. We used to buy one every year but it was a butter cake with lots of real candied fruit and raisins. Flavoring was good, too.
dooley
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mart
NE Texas
Posts: 743
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| Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2011 2:11 am Post subject: |
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LOL ! Actually I love fruitcake but I agree that those hard bits are for the birds. My aunt used to soak all the candied fruit and afterwards the whole fruitcake in a bourbon soaked cloth and let it sit in the fridge a couple of weeks before Christmas. As the cloth dried out,,more bourbon! I think thats where I learned to love fruitcake. Hers were fantastic!
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marlingardener
Central Texas, zone 8
Posts: 2389
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| Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2011 1:03 pm Post subject: |
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Mart, of course you loved her fruitcake--actually you were learning to love bourbon!
Cal, fruitcake is the bane of the holiday season. And Jerry is right--it has no "shelf life" it has a "half-life" kind of like certain types of radioactive materials.
I like the doorstop idea.
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Desert Rat
Texas
Posts: 667
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| Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2011 3:07 pm Post subject: |
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Pour ketchup on the fruitcake to disguise the flavor. Ketchup was designed to disguise the flavor of otherwise inedible products. Under no circumstances however should you buy or use ketchup from an upside down bottle.
dr
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