Food Preservation
Summer Squash Recipes
Today’s Appalachian News Express features a recipe for Chocolate Zucchini Cake Recipe with Orange Zest, an indulgence that makes all the summer squash piling up here at the barn worthwhile. That recipe will appear on this blog Friday.
More Concentrated Flavor Than Jam
In case you are wondering, Yellow Squash and Lemon Marmalade is amazing! Truly, I looked at Charlie like he was nuts when he suggested this recipe. If you could see the pile of yellow squash on the kitchen table, you would know we are desperate for innovative summer squash recipes.
When I tell you we have picked bushels, and bushels, and then some more bushels I am not kidding. Jake says it a golden treasure. And this is only the “first flush.” For the uninitiated, that means there is more to come!
Poor Charlie has had zucchini soup, zucchini fried, zucchini stuffed, and zucchini grilled. He’s a good sport. He even made zucchini fritter pancakes, which we had for breakfast. (Don’t laugh, they were really good and I’ll post the recipe in a day or so) I am a walking encyclopedia of Zucchini Recipes.
As Charlie surfed the net, he happened upon Tigress. If you follow Tigress in a Jam, well you know she is definitely unusual. Giggles But she had this recipe for Green Zucchini Jam with Lemon. Charlie thought I could adopt the jam recipe for Yellow Squash, and he was right.
I knew I had a winner when Chef Jeremy Ashby posted a facebook photo of a jar of my jam spread served to his kitchen staff with fresh farmers cheese. YUM!
This winter, I think this squash marmalade may see some action as a cake or pastry filling. But until then, pass me a biscuit!
This is a two day process. Don’t fret. In the evening after you pick, go ahead and get the squash coarsely grated and the lemons finely sliced. The next morning, they will be ready for completing this recipe.
Summer Squash Recipes
Canning Projects
Yellow Squash and Lemon Marmalade Recipe
Inspired by Tigress in a Jam
Jams and Spreads, Marmalade, Summer Squash Recipe, Canning Recipe
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
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- 4 Tablespoons finely minced Lemon Balm
Method
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 doesn’t 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 doesn’t seal, refrigerate and use immediately.
Happy Canning!
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Friends Drift Inn Recipes Gardening and Hot Flashes
Home Canning
Zucchini Recipes
Summer Squash
Jams and Spreads
I live in a barn and cook up a storm. I am not a debutante. I have hot flashes. I garden in red high heels. I like fat rascals, tea, and bourbon. Welcome to Friends Drift Inn!
Wow! This is truly a MUST-DO for me! Wow! Thanks for sharing and THANKS to Jeanne (@FourChickens) for the tweet-tip!
I was a little skeptical, but as you, i was buried in squash. So I decided to try the Lemon-Squash Marmalade. Wow, it is great. Made a batch this morning and doing another one tomorrow. Also tried the squash fritters, they were great too. Thanks
I know it sounds wacky…but this is really good! And oh….the patty pan fries http://www.friendsdriftinn.com/recipes/patty-pan-squash-fries-recipe.html I wish I had grown more patty pans. I’ll know better next year. Thanks so much for stopping by Friends Drift Inn. Come back Friday, I’ve got a mystery guest blogger who is anti-pawpaws. Giggles
Joyce,
I tried this to use up an abundance of yellow squash given to me by a friend. I would never have thought of using them in marmalade but this is delicious. Such a wonderful sunny yellow color, too!
Fiona
This was delicious! What a great way to use up zucchini. I think I’ll make a full batch next and use it at our next Food Swap!