Saturday, August 23, 2008

(un)seasonal



I've been making marmalade, with my dad.

Its a bit of a family "thing" - liking and making marmalade. Except for my sister who's not keen. Which seems downright unBritish, as well as genetically nonconformist.

It is a funny time of year to be making marmalade, distinctly unseasonal - it should be strawberry jam really this time of year, but we're not great jam eaters. Seville oranges are briefly in season in January/February, but when my order arrived I was too busy to contemplate a day of kitchen stickiness, so they went straight into the freezer.

And there they have remained.....

until yesterday.





There are some who prefer their marmalade without peel.

But that, of course, is rather like having steak and kidney pie without the kidney; eel pie without the liquor; toad in the hole without the hole; bubble and squeak without the squeak; dripping without bits. Downright unBritish and not to be countenanced.

Despite that, I did pot one jar almost shredlessly for a special friend





So thats my unseasonal activity.


I hope soon to be engaged in the highly seasonal activity of making elderberry syrup.

Yesterday dad and I took a walk around the local park where I usually pick the berries but I was very distressed to see that a lot of the elder has been pruned back hard and has no fruit at all. Some ripe berries had already been eaten by the birds, and there are just a couple of more shady areas with some fruit, which is still very unripe .....

so, I will be monitoring closely over the next week or two and hoping to out-manouvre the birds in competition for the few berries still to come.


A whole winter without elderberry syrup is also not to be countenanced.

18 comments:

Akelamalu said...

I like marmalade with bits :)

I hope you get enough elderberries for your syrup.

Queenie said...

That thick slice of bread and the marmalade look delicious. I take it as it comes, with or without bits. I've a load of raspberries and I'm going to have a go at making raspberry vinegar with any I have spare, never done it before so wish me luck...

Unknown said...

Marmalade? Ooh er, I think I'll pass but if you find those berries, I'm definitely up for elderberry syrup!
Now I wish I could just think what to do with all the lemons on my tree! (Yes, I know, I know, lemon curd - made that last year but it didn't get eaten. Made lemon syrup this year - not bad but it doesn't keep for longer than three weeks... Any suggestions?!)

IntangibleArts said...

I can't speak to the Britishness of it all (only being such by ancestry and not by personal experience), but marmalade without peel would be a crime against nature. Like Avengers without (Emma) Peel.

Trac said...

Hey! I'm back and in the words of The Three Degrees...

"When will I see you...again?"

(hehe - I actually sang that)

Oh and if you just so happen to have a jar with a blank label on it, my name is Trac! :O)
x

Trac said...

p.s. this is for Absolute Vanilla (and Atyllah)

Lemons - Drinks lots of Gin and Tonics!
x

Barbara said...

I had never before thought about how marmalade happens. The picture show is excellent. I can almost taste that tartness of the peel, which in my mind is essential to the marmalade. Great job!

lettuce said...

Lamalu i hope so too, we all like it and its excellent for colds and flu

good luck queenie, raspberry vinegar... yum! i'm just picking autumn raspberries too

Vanilla, i think Trac had the perfect suggestion for you
:-)
but i'd also make lemonade - makes concentrated, keeps well in the fridge/freezer. I'll pop over to yours and leave my recipe

IntArts - plenty of brits would disagree with me ofc but thats also in the nature of britishness. Yes, the Avengers was never the same without her

yay! trac is back. I'll pick out a nice looking jar for you. [only 5 month till sevilles are in season again, i can afford to give lots away :-) ]

it was fun barbara, and it is delicious.

dennis said...

Dennis Loves Marmalade -- his whole family are addicted. Thick cut is most popular here, but we will, in dire circumstances settle for any marmalade... jam is not our thing at all. Marmalade Rulz! Dennis is quite jealous.

dennis said...

Dennis says Tom Collinses for lemons!

The fabric of my life said...

Gorgeous orange jars Letty. Can't stand marmalade myself but I am sure Luce will be delighted with her rindless pot. What a lovely friend you are :-)

mouse (aka kimy) said...

sounds like a wonderful activity to do with your dad....although I'm not much of a jam eater, I do love orange marmalade...perhaps it's because of the association with that certain adorable bear...

however, if it comes down to marmite and marmalade, I will have to go with the marmite....

best of luck beating the birds out on the berries....

bubble and squeak...you guys do have the most delightful names for things....

tut-tut said...

I love marmalade; but I am so alone here in my devotion, that I get it all to myself . . . I love that pic of the buttered/marmaladed bread.

Steve Reed said...

Yum!

Peel MUST be present. :)

lettuce said...

dennis its a healthy addiction.

oh donna :-(

kimy thats a choice no-one should have to make.

tut-tut have you ever made it? theres nothing as good as home-made...

steve - i now know what to bring you next time i visit!

R.L. Bourges said...

Love marmelade. I make a version I learned in ... Israel, of all places where the whole fruit is put through a meat grinder - peel and all. Gives a jammy texture which is quite delicious. Like the slivered peel version too, though.

Anonymous said...

What a lovely way to talk to your dad, Lettuce.

:))

Betty said...

Oh, yum! And what beautiful pictures. That bread looks homemade, too.
My mum used to make fabulous marmalade - my favourite was grapefruit & lemon.