"Did
a 2-day festival in Mansfield, MO at the Baker Heirloom Seed
Fest, and the peach version was a huge hit. Object lesson: Whenever
you give samples of something, make sure you have a lot of that
item to sell... I was out of the peach version in less than two
hours and I still had 2 days to go." - Dawn McPherson
Peach
or Pineapple Cucumber Marmalade
- 2 cups finely-chopped
cucumbers
2 cups peaches, blanched to removed skin, then seed removed*
or 2 cups shredded/chopped pineapple (canned okay).
- 6 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup of lime juice,
(about 3 limes, juiced).
- 2 tablespoons grated lime
peel (if necessary, lemon will serve)
- 1 bottle liquid fruit
pectin
- Paraffin for sealing
- In big saucepan combine
cucumbers, sugar, juice and peel. Mix well, add coloring, boil
one minute over high heat, stirring constantly.
- Remove from stove, stir
in pectin.
- Skim off foam, stir and
skim 5 minutes to cool a bit.
- Ladle quickly into jelly
glasses and cover with 1/8 inch hot paraffin.
Makes about five jelly
glasses.
*I put them in a bowl and
squish them with my hand and through my fingers so the pieces
are small and there is just the right amount of smoosh.
Tip: Peaches and pineapple
are hard to set up and you have to be sure they do, so here's
what you do. Take a small saucer and put it in the freezer for
at least 1 hour. After the mixture has boiled for 1 minute, reduce
your heat and add your pectin. Mix thoroughly and let sit for
1 or 2 minutes. THEN, take a spoonful and put it on the frozen
saucer and replace in freezer for 1 minute. Remove from freezer
and drag you finger through the mixture. If it leaves an open
path, not closing quickly, your jell will set. If not, you need
to add another packet of pectin and retry set-up testing. When
it is ready to put in your hot jars, skim foam from top. Invert
lid-tight jar on tea towel and do not touch until completely
cooled. Test top for seal by touching center of lid, it should
not pop back.
Recipe submitted by Dawn
McPherson.