Marrow & ginger jam.

(Makes about 3 x 200g jars)
Remember:
- Setting point is 104.5°C.
- A marrow is a cucurbit, which means it’s from the same family as the melon, cucumber, squash and courgette.
- Size matters - a huge marrow is best reserved for a horticultural competition.
Hunt out the smallest marrow you can find- it should be no bigger than your forearm.
Large marrows will taste bitter and have a watery consistency.
- Marrow is a blank canvas so works well with strong flavours- pile on citrus, chilli, garlic, bacon, spices and robust herbs like rosemary and thyme.

Prepare it:
Weigh the marrow/courgette first and adjust the recipe proportionately:
1 lemon and 30g unpeeled ginger to 40-45g vegetable.
The weight of sugar should be the same as unpeeled marrow/courgette.
The quantities below are those specified in the original recipe.

700g marrow or courgette (peeled, deseeded and in small dice)
700g white sugar
1.5 lemons
45g fresh root ginger (peeled and grated)

- Peel the marrow, remove the seeds and cut into small dice.
Place in a large saucepan.

- Remove the lemon zest using a zester, if available, or the large holes of a grater (being careful not to remove any white pith) and set aside.
Cut the lemon in half and squeeze into a jug.
Place the empty lemon shells and pips into a small muslin bag (or foot section of a clean pair of tights).

- Add a small amount of the lemon juice to the pan, cover with a lid and gently cook the marrow until transparent.
If necessary add some more lemon juice to stop the marrow sticking.
Spoon the marrow and any collected liquids into a blender and liquidise until smooth.
Alternatively the mixture can be mashed for a slightly coarser texture or, providing the dice are very small, left as it is.

- Peel the ginger, grate using the large holes of the grater and add to the lemon zest.
Add the ginger peelings and any very fibrous pieces to the small bag with the leftover lemon pieces.

- Return the marrow mixture to the same pan, add the remaining lemon juice, the lemon and ginger.
Stir in and dissolve the sugar.
Knot the bag of bits and add it to the pan.

- Bring the mixture to the boil and then turn down to a rolling simmer.
Stir regularly, pressing down on the bag of bits occasionally and reduce until the mixture has reached setting point.
Test for a set by putting a half teaspoon of jam on a saucer from the freezer.
If, once it has cooled a little, it wrinkles when pushed with a finger, it should be ready to pot.
If not ready then leave for 5 minutes and try again. (This took about 25 minutes for two-thirds of the full amount above.)

- Put the jars in an oven set to 100C for 10 minutes.

- Remove the small bag of bits, scraping the jam from the outside and squeezing it with tongs and place it on a saucer.
Any extra juices that collect on the saucer should be stirred back into the jam before you start potting.

- Pot into the prepared jars.
Cool and label.

Based on:
- Marrow & ginger jam recipe | BBC Good Food:
- Surprise Lemon & Ginger Jam | Meanderings through my cookbook:

- A Green and Rosie Life: Marrow and Ginger Jam: "Recipe of the Week"
Ingredients
450g/1lb marrow (weighed after peeling) - peeled and cut into small cubes
450g/1lb sugar
1tsp ground ginger or 45-60g crystallized ginger, chopped finely
Juice 1 large lemon
Method
1. Sprinkle the sugar over the marrow, cover and let it stand overnight in a cool place.
2. The next day put the sugar and marrow in a preserving or large pan and warm gently until the sugar has dissolved.
3. Add the ginger and lemon juice then boil steadily until the cubes look transparent and the syrup has set.*
4. Pour into hot, sterilised jam jars and cover at once.

* to check if the syrup has set place some thinly on a cold plate.
Allow it to cool and then push it gently with your finger.
if a skin has formed on the syrup that crinkles up slightly when you push it then setting point has been reached.
If not continue to boil until you do reach setting point.

Occasionally my syrup won't set.
Don't worry if this happens to you.
If this is the case simply call it marrow and ginger sauce and eat it with ice cream, pancakes etc.

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