Easy Marrow Jam Recipe – With Ginger And Lemon
Making marrow jam is the best way to use those overgrown garden courgettes! I was skeptical when my mum first suggested using a vegetable to make jam, but now I look forward to marrow season!
Rest assured, it doesn’t taste at all like there are vegetables in it. The marrow becomes a silky carrier for a sweet lemon and ginger flavor that is divine served with cheeses or slathered on hot, buttered toast!
This is one of my all-time favorite jam recipes, and I only wish I had made more before the growing season was over!!
What exactly is a marrow?
Marrows are just overgrown courgettes or zucchini. They can be really heavy, weighing several kilos, and the skins of marrow can be quite thick and have a slightly bitter taste. This is why they are often overlooked and are often a less expensive alternative to zucchini or courgettes.
Their significant size can make them a bit of a challenge to handle, particularly if you’ve allowed them to grow unchecked.
Ingredients
If you have a huge marrow, you can easily double the recipe. Remember to use the same ratio of preserving sugar to marrow.
- 2 Pounds/ 1 kg Marrow – I used one giant marrow, but you can also use several smaller ones or even courgettes/ zucchinis if that’s what you have.
- 2oz/ 60g Fresh ginger root (about 2.5 inches) -Root ginger adds a delicious yet delicate warmth that complements the tangy lemon flavor. You can adjust the amount to suit your preferences.
- 4 Lemons – Some recipes call for using the whole lemon. Lemon seeds contain high levels of pectin, which can help the jam to set. They can be placed in a muslin bag, which is placed in the pot while the jam cooks, and then removed before the jam is transferred to jars. However, I find that gelling sugar is more effective in this case, so I only use the juice and zest of the lemons.
- 2 Pounds/ 1 kg of Jam sugar / Gelling sugar – you can also use caster sugar and add pectin; marrow is naturally low in pectin.
Equipment
- Jam jars with lids to hold roughly 1 quart / 1 liter of jam
- A large saucepan, or heavy-based pan.
- A jam thermometer or food-safe thermometer
- A small saucer or plate to do a wrinkle test
Method
1. Place a small, clean saucer in the fridge; you will use this later to do the saucer test, which will help ensure that your jam has reached setting point.
2. Wash jars and lids in hot, soapy water and place them in a warm oven at 210°F/ 100°C to dry. You can also sterilize them by placing them in a pot of boiling water for five minutes before carefully removing them with tongs.
3. Wash and dry your lemons before using a fine grater to remove the zest. Juice the lemons and remove any pips from the juice.
4. Peel and finely grate the ginger.
5. Peel and chop your marrow into small pieces, about the size of sugar cubes, and place them in a large saucepan over medium heat together with a few tablespoons of the lemon juice.
6. Cook the marrow until it has softened, and most of the liquid has evaporated.
7. Add the rest of the juice, ginger, lemon zest, and jam sugar or sugar mixture if using. Mix thoroughly until the sugar dissolves, then bring to a full rolling boil.
8. When the mixture has reached 105°C / 220°F, it will have reached the setting point. It usually takes about 10-15 minutes to reach setting point.
Cold Saucer Test
You can also test for a good set by placing a spoonful of the jam mixture onto the chilled saucer. Let the jam cool in the fridge for a minute and then drag your finger through. If the jam wrinkles, your jam has reached the setting point and can be removed from the heat. If not, you can return it to the heat and try again in a few minutes.
9. Use a jam funnel or carefully spoon the jam into the jars while still hot. Fill to the top and secure the lid.
Serving suggestions
The best thing with this jam is that it’s so versatile! I’m planning to bake a Victoria sandwich cake for my birthday this year and will definitely use this jam between layers!
The delicate flavour of marrow jam makes it a perfect addition to a charcuterie board, but it’s also delicious served with cream cheese on freshly baked scones or simply hot, buttered toast!
Storage
Store in a cool place for up to a year.
Variations
There are many variations of this recipe. I’ve added lemon zest to the jam to enhance the lemon flavor, so it almost tastes like a lemon marmalade with a hint of ginger. Though marrow is the main ingredient of this jam, it adds no noticeable flavor to the jam so you can play around with different flavors!
- If you like marmalade, you can finely slice the lemon peel instead of using zest.
- Of course, you can use courgettes or zucchinis for this recipe, but marrows are often less expensive.
- Marrow is low in natural pectin, but this jam is helped by the pectin content of the lemon rind and pectin in the jam sugar. Some recipes call for adding the whole lemon skins and pips to a muslin bag and boiling them with the jam. In my experience, the pectin in the jam sugar was sufficient.
- I enjoy this as a chunky jam, but you can easily purée the cooked marrow in a food processor or using an immersion blender if you prefer a smoother consistency. For both versions, cook the marrow first to remove most of the liquid and check the setting point before pouring it into your jars.
If you love lemons, then you won’t want to miss these Salted Lemon Shortbread Cookies or this Lemon Salt – With Fresh Lemons And Sea Salt!
Easy Marrow Jam Recipe – With Ginger And Lemon
Equipment
- Jam jars with lids to hold roughly 1 quart / 1 liter of jam
- Large saucepan or preserving pan
- A jam thermometer Or food-safe thermometer
- A small saucer or plate to do a wrinkle test
Ingredients
- 2 Pounds/ 1 kg Marrow You can also use several smaller ones or even courgettes/ zucchinis.
- 2 oz/ 60g Fresh ginger root You can adjust the amount to suit your preferences.
- 4 Lemons – Some recipes call for using the whole lemon but I found it unnecessary and included only the juice and zest.
- 2 Pounds/ 1 kg of Jam sugar / gelling sugar You can also use caster sugar and add pectin; marrow is naturally low in pectin.
Instructions
- Place a small, clean saucer in the fridge; you will use this later to do the saucer test, which will help ensure that your jam has reached setting point.
- Wash jars and lids in hot, soapy water and place them in a warm oven at 210°F/ 100°C to dry. You can also sterilize them by placing them in a pot of boiling water for five minutes before carefully removing them with tongs.
- Wash and dry your lemons before using a fine grater to remove the zest. Juice the lemons and remove any pips from the juice.
- Peel and finely grate the ginger.
- Peel and chop your marrow into small pieces, about the size of sugar cubes, and place them in a large saucepan over medium heat with a few tablespoons of the lemon juice. Cook the marrow until it has softened, and most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Add the rest of the juice, ginger, lemon zest, and jam sugar or sugar mixture if using. Mix thoroughly until the sugar dissolves, then bring to a full rolling boil.
- When the mixture has reached 220°F / 105°C, it will have reached the setting point.
- You can also test for a good set by placing a spoonful of the jam mixture onto the chilled saucer. Let the jam cool in the fridge for a minute and then drag your finger through. If the jam wrinkles, your jam has reached the setting point and can be removed from the heat. If not, you can return it to the heat and try again in a few minutes.It usually takes about 10-15 minutes to reach setting point.
- Use a jam funnel or carefully spoon the jam into the jars while still hot. Fill to the top and secure the lid.
Notes
The delicate flavour of marrow jam makes it a perfect addition to a charcuterie board, or for filling the layers of a sponge cake.
It’s also delicious served simply with cream cheese on freshly baked scones or slathered on hot, buttered toast! Variations:
-If you are a fan of marmalade, you can finely slice the lemon peel instead of using zest.
-Courgettes or zucchinis can be used instead of marrow, but are often more expensive.
-If you prefer a smooth consistency, you can easily purée the cooked marrow in a food processor. For both versions, cook the marrow first to remove most of the liquid and check the setting point before pouring it into your jars.
Nutrition
Please note:
This nutritional information is an estimate and values may vary. It is for guidance only and should not be considered dietary advice.
If you have any questions you can ask them here and I’ll try to answer them as best I can! Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!
Our kids wanted to eat this jam with a spoon!