Yellow Squash and Lemon Marmalade

By BobLongo

Ingredients

• 3 lbs of Yellow Squash (About 6 cups of coarsely chopped squash leaving peels intact)
• 3 Lemons sliced paper thin (Use organic if you can find them)
• 6 Cups Pure Cane Sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• 4 Tablespoons finely minced Lemon Balm

Details

Servings 1
Adapted from friendsdriftinn.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Day 1, wash Yellow Summer Squash and scrub lemons. Coarsely grate 6 cups of squash in a food processor. Place in a non-reactive (I use an enamel stockpot) stockpot with tall sides.
2. Slice lemons paper thin and add to squash.
3. Add 4 cups of water and let set overnight. (Note: If you use green zucchini, it has less moisture…increase water to 6 cups)
4. Day 2. Start water bath canner boiling. Sterilize 5 8 oz. jelly jars and one of those little half jars if you have it.
5. Simmer rings and lids on low heat.
6. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil and line up the jars on it for filling.
7. Bring the Squash and Lemon mixture to a hard boil.
8. Add ginger and sugar.
9. Bring back up to a hard boil. You will reduce the volume by almost two thirds. Stir frequently. This took me about 20 minutes on a power burner.
When the texture of the liquid becomes quite thick, you are close. Dip a metal spoon in the boiling mixture and let the marmalade run off the back of the spoon. At first, it will just drip. As the mixture thickens, you can almost see it “make” into marmalade. Dipping the spoon back into the mix, the product should not drip but “sheet” off the back of the spoon.
10. Once you have reached this “gel point” boil for one more minute.
11. Skim foam. Throw in lemon balm.
12. Use a canning funnel and ladle to fill the jars, to ¼ inch from the rims. This is called “headspace”.
13. Wipe jar rims. Add lids and rings, tightening only finger tight.
Process in water bath canner for 10 minutes.
14. Remove from heat. I cool these 10 minutes upside down, just to make sure the lemon balm does not float to the bottom. Then I set them upright, and let cool overnight. Ping is music to my ears.
Jars are sealed when there is a slight indentation in the middle and you cannot pry the lid off with your fingernails. If a jar does not seal, refrigerate and use immediately.