Call Me In The Morning Marmalade

You put the lime in the coconut and drink it all up

Put the lime in the coconut and drink it all up

You put the lime in the coconut and drink it all up

Put the lime in the coconut, you’re such a silly one

You put the lime in the coconut and drink ‘em both together

Put the lime in the coconut and then you feel better

Put the lime in the coconut and drink ‘em all down

You put the lime in the coconut and call me in the morning…..

We’re thick with jam recipes here on the Mountain Feed website. We’re sticky with ‘em! We weren’t planning on adding another anytime soon…but then we were issued a Marmalade Challenge! Well, actually we just ran across it on the web, from our friends at Food In Jars. And it got us thinking…

What would make a marmalade truly special? True to the essence of marmalade, but with a twist all our own? We came up with this delicious riff on a classic Scotch Marmalade. Peaty Islay whiskey is a classic ingredient in certain of our favorite orange marmalade recipes; often a little splash of booze gives some subtle undertones to a recipe. But the world is full of orange marmalade recipes…what about lime? And not only Bearrs lime, but the heady essence of Thai Lime? White rum could replace the whiskey…it sounded like a tropical vacation in a jar. So we threw in a couple kinds of ginger, and a smidge of coconut, to set the scene for our taste buds. It just so happened that it fit in beautifully with the theme of the journal this month: exploring bitter, the forbidden flavor.

This jam is incredible on a cheese plate, paired with cream cheese and crackers, or used in any number of pairings beyond the usual carbohydrate topping. It’s truly special with cold white meats or used as a glaze for roast pork or fowl. It can also be made into one heckuva hot toddy or lime smash.

And one more note, about the limes…

The recipe calls for 2 leaves from the Thai Lime tree, Citrus hystrix. This Lime has also been sold over the years as Kaffir Lime, Keiffer Lime, and Makrut Lime, among others. The term kaffir, however, is now widely understood as a racial slur, and efforts are being made to encourage the use of the name Makrut or Thai Lime. (Keiffer was an attempt to retain the approximate sound, but not the actual meaning, but it didn't stick, either.) Whatever name you know it by, it’s the strange, lumpy lime whose fragrant leaves have 2 distinctive doubly lobed sections. Wildly aromatic, the leaves are used extensively in Thai cuisine; the round, lumpy fruits are used less often, though a single lime can perfume a room for days. If you do not have access to fresh leaves, dried ones will do; they can be found in the dried herb section of many specialty grocery stores.

If you are not familiar with the water bath canning method watch our water bath canning video workshop. Always make sure you are following all safety guidelines outlined by the USDA

Directions

1) Prep your ingredients

Scrub the limes well.
Remove zest in thin strips with a citrus zester. Alternatively, use a vegetable peeler to cut the peel into strips, then stack the strips and cut into fine matchsticks.

Cut the ends off of each remaining lime, and slice the peeled limes into the thinnest rounds possible (a mandoline works well for this.)

Place the peel, sliced limes, and a single Makrut Lime leaf into a canning kettle, and
cover with the water. 

2) Cook your limes

Bring the lime mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it is reduced to about 6 cups.

3) Add additional ingredients

Add the sugar, ginger, coconut, and crystallized ginger, stirring to combine.

4) Get set with the gel point

Boil, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches the gel point, about 20 minutes. 

Remove the marmalade from the heat and allow it to cool for 20 minutes. This serves the dual purpose of not evaporating all the alcohol from the rum, and ensuring that the lime pieces are evenly distributed through the marmalade.(If the marmalade is too hot when it goes into the jars, the fruit pieces will float.)

5) Prepare a water bath canner

While the marmalade cools, prepare a water bath canner and 6 half pint jars.

6) Add final ingredients

Add the second Makrut leaf and the white rum and stir well to combine. 

7) Pack your hot jars

Ladle the marmalade into hot, clean jars, leaving 1/4” headspace. (Leave the 2 lime leaves behind.)

8) Process your jars

Secure the lids and process in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes.

 

9) Let jars cool and store 

Place the processed jars on a kitchen towel and let cool. If all of your jars have sealed they can be stored in a cool, dark place for up to year. Jars that have not sealed should go into the refrigerator or be enjoyed immediately.

Stay tuned to future issues of the journal for bonus cocktail recipes featuring this marmalade...

Ready for the Next Step?

Check out our Video Workshop: Learn all About Water Bath Canning and our article  Finding your Perfect Jam Setting Time.

Over to You

It’s part of our mission here at Mountain Feed to help you make delicious, sustainable, homemade food more often. Stop by and say hello on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest. Or, as always, you can do it the old fashioned way and come by the store to speak with one of our in-house experts.

If you are not familiar with the water bath canning method watch our water bath canning video workshop. Always make sure you are following all safety guidelines outlined by the USDA when canning anything. Keeping a great journal leads to delicious results! Get inspired by new recipes, expert articles and homemade food adventures in our Monthly Journal.