Cucurbits for the July edition of the Tigress Can Jam! In addition to learning a new word, I thought how much fun that’s going to be. I have wanted to can something with melon but I bet that our first local melons would be coming in just at the end of this month’s Can Jam. Think August for that. Of course, I always make cucumber pickles and vowed to try something new this year (as you’ll see in another post). But I wanted to try something altogether new and one thing you can always count on in July is zucchini. Plus, I had made a batch of apple pectin in June and put off the berry concoction I had planned. I was eager to experiment.

And experiment I did. I completely winged this with good results. Most recipes for zucchini jam use up the bat-sized giants at the end of the season, peeling and seeding them and melting down the flesh. Not this one. I had golden zucchini, the school bus yellow version (not summer squash, which is pale and delicate), so I used it skin and all. I expected the skin to melt down too, but it held its own, and turned out to have a consistency – and color — like lemon marmalade.

I thought my pectin might be weak since I made it with over-wintered green apples, so I added more than I normally would, having now seen other proportions. (Plus that’s the amount I had and would have tossed the rest.) I wanted to keep the sugar content relatively low, so I figured the extra pectin would make up for that. Also, I added lime juice and rind, which contributes to the pectin content, plus ginger for a kick of flavor.

Golden Zucchini Marmalade with Ginger and Lime

2 lb golden zucchini, grated (8 cups)

2 1/2 c sugar (could have used 2)

3 oz ginger root, grated (1/2 cup)

4 limes, juiced (1/2 cup)

Grated zest of one lime – could have uses more and next time I will try 2

¾-1 c homemade apple pectin (less if it’s strong)

Let the grated zucchini, ginger, lime zest and juice macerate in the sugar for about an hour. Bring the mixture to a vigorous boil, add the pectin and continue to cook until the mixture reaches the gel stage, about 20-25 minutes (less or longer depending on the moisture content of the zucchini – mine were young).

Pour into prepared jars and process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove the lid and let sit for 5 minutes, then remove to a counter to cool undisturbed.

Makes 4-5 8-oz jars.

Categories: Preserving, Tigress Can Jam, ZucchiniTags: Zucchini ginger marmalade, Zucchini jam