eldriwolf

So, the apples have begun to fall, summer is fading. The time of storing food for the winter is with us. Skunks and bears are seeking food to fatten up with.
The bear broke our pear tree.
Has been eating apples.
The skunk dug up the yellow jacket nest.


Back in Berkeley, the Myers lemons are hanging ripe on the trees, and pumpkins are beginning to appear in the stores.
Most people who live in Berkeley know Someone with a tree, & can get lemons for free...

It is approaching time to make marmalade.
I don't really have a recipe for this.
(but, thus far, it has always turned out
well). This is a Good-sized batch,you could probably scale it down to one Small pumpkin and, like, six or eight lemons, a couple of knobs of ginger? Never done that, it ought to work, though..


***Pumpkin Ginger Marmalade***

This is Crude, one pot marmalade, no pectan, no peeling, no pureed anything,no separate cooking.

Wash up the canning jars, find a Big pot, and a paddle to stir things with. Sharpen your knives, if they need it.

Get a *Bunch* of citrus,(Lemons, Oranges, whatever you have) like, a large bag.
A big hand of Fresh Ginger, (if you haven't got any, or hate it, leave it out) One largeish pumpkin, or several small ones, Sugar, too much sugar (Five pounds?? more?) Honey might work?

. Gut the pumpkin, cube the thing,don't peel it (if the skin is Very thick,I do cut the cubes into slices.) Put the pumpkin into the pot, pour the sugar over it.
Let that sit, while you attack the bag of lemons. Rinse them. Discard rotten ones, and juice any who have funky skins you would not want in the jam.(You can put the juice on the pumpkin now)
When they are clean, slice them thin. Chop anything that looks like it needs it.
(You might want to put the cutting board in a shallow tray)... if you hate the idea of seeds in your marmalade,pick those out now. ( They Do have pectin, and help the stuff set, using less sugar, and cooking time. )

When the pile of lemons is bigger than the pumpkin pile, you probably have enough. Put them, and the captured juice,in the pot.

Break the hand into pieces,slice each one thinly, across the grain, put in pot.

The sugar should have pulled moisture from the pumpkin, and the lemons, and extra juice ought to give you enough liquid to start with... If you think you need to add water, (Or more lemon or orange juice),you may do so, but we want jam, not soup.(*) Taste as you go, correct for flavour.
Heat and stirr...
(*)**Though Ginger,Lemon,Honey,tea is awesome, and worth making.)***

Cook it forever, stirring often, till it is *Done* . (Coats the spoon, you know..)
Pumpkin will begin to dissolve, lemon peel will get soft.

Pour into Jars...put Lids on


PS Sugar about the same size pile as pumpkin.. unless you think it Needs More as you are cooking