With the summer approaching, that means it’s marrow season! Marrow is an overgrown courgette, and if you grow your own courgettes - you know how fast they grow!
They grow so fast that many don’t know what to do with all that extra marrow. Luckily, this marrow jam recipe is the perfect way to use marrow!
This marrow jam recipe is the perfect way to use those overgrown courgettes. With its relatively simple taste, it soaks up the flavours of the lemon and ginger beautifully. You may not have thought about using marrow in jam, but it really is wonderful!
Need more marrow recipes? Try out this Marrow Chutney recipe or this Roast Marrow recipe.
Enjoy this jam with a nice slice of Chia Seed Bread toast.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Refreshing recipe for the summer heat
- Great way to use leftover marrow
- Accessible ingredients
- Can make it in advance
- Lasts for a long time
Special Equipment Needed To Make This Recipe
- Jam thermometer - Also known as a candy thermometer. Using this thermometer will give you the most accurate temperature reading of your jam, but it’s optional. You can do the wrinkle test instead.
- Jars - Feel free to use jam jars or mason jars for storing the jam. Either one you choose to use, make sure to sterilise jars by leaving them in boiling water for about 10 minutes.
Special Ingredients You Need For This Recipe
- Lemons - make sure to wash them well before using. The best way to clean it is by leaving it in hot water for a few minutes to remove any wax from the lemon.
- Marrow flesh - fresh marrow is better in this recipe. If you decide to use frozen marrow, let them thaw before cooking it in the marrow ginger jam.
- Jam Sugar - also known as fruit pectin, jam sugar is a thickening agent in the recipe. There aren’t many good replacements for jam sugar. However, you can add a fruit with high pectin into the recipes (i.e. cooking apples).
- Fresh Ginger Root - root ginger adds a nice kick to the jam. Don’t substitute it with ginger powder.
How To Make This Recipe
Step 1: Prep the lemon water
Juice the lemons and cut the lemon peel thinly. Try to avoid adding in the white part of the lemon.
Add the lemon juice, peels and water in a small bowl. Set aside to soak for 8 hours or overnight.
Pour the mix into a saucepan and gently cook covered for 1 hour. Take off the heat and set aside.
Step 2: Prep the marrow
Tip and chop the marrow pieces. Place into a large saucepan.
Step 3: Cook the marrow ginger jam.
Cook the diced marrow for 30 minutes, or until it’s cooked and liquid evaporates.
Pour in jam sugar. Stir on low heat until the sugar dissolves. Add 60ml (4 tbsp) of lemon water into the marrow and sugar. Add in the fresh ground ginger.
Increase to medium heat and let the contents go up to a rolling boil. If using a jam thermometer, it should reach 104°C (220°F).
Or, use the wrinkle test to test for setting point. Place a saucer in the freezer for 5 minutes, then put a dollop of jam on it and place it in the fridge. After a minute, gently push the jam with your finger. If the liquid crinkles, it’s ready.
If not, boil the contents again for a few more minutes and do the test again.
Step 4: Sterilise and fill the jars.
The jars should be sterilised by leaving them in boiling water for about 10 minutes. When the jars have cooled down and are warm, fill them with the marrow jam and seal them quickly. Label and date the jars, then enjoy! Jam making can be easy!
Top Tip: When peeling the lemon, try not to get the white part of the lemon peel (pith) in. The pith is quite bitter and could make your jam have a bitter taste.
What to Serve and Pair with Your Marrow Ginger Jam
Sides
There are many sides that you can enjoy with this delicious marrow ginger jam.
- Fresh made Chia Seed Bread.
- Pour over greek yoghurt for a refreshing and healthy boost of energy in the morning.
- Pair it with a salty cheese to create a beautiful cheese board vibe.
Fruits
Marrow is a great base that doesn’t significantly affect the jam’s flavour. Try using different fruits instead of lemons for different types of jam. Some great options are:
- Citrus: use orange or grapefruits instead of lemons for a sweeter citrus flavour.
- Apples: for a warm, autumn flavour. Pectin added into the recipe happens naturally, as cooking apples releases more pectin than lemons.
- Peach: great for the spring. Nice and sweet and pairs well with ginger.
- Pineapple: will add a boost of sweetness.
Cocktails
Add in a splash of bourbon and bitters to the mix when cooking. It balances well with the lemony notes of the jam. Gives off a bit of “heat” and subtle warmth, which perfectly blends with the grated ginger.
Popular Substitutions For This Recipe
Marrow
marrow are overgrown courgettes, so you can definitely use regular courgettes if that’s what you have access to. Feel free to use frozen marrow if you want to make it when it’s not in season. Just make sure to thaw it before using.
Lemon
Use a different citrus fruit like orange or grapefruit. It may have a sweeter taste, but will still have notes of citrus.
Jam Sugar
There aren’t many replacements for jam sugar. One way to get pectin into the jam naturally is by adding in a fruit with high pectin into the jam making process. Under ripe apples are a great fruit for this.
Variations To This Recipe
International
If you want to make this jam to have an international spin, use yuzu instead of lemons.
Yuzu is a type of lemon that is predominantly used in Asian cuisines. It has a sweeter taste than regular lemons. Citron is another option if you want to keep this twist.
Adult-only
Add a bit of bourbon to give the marrow jam a kick of warmth and booziness. It may not be for the kids, but it’s a nice treat for the adults. Don’t worry, it doesn’t make the jam making harder.
Extra Sweet
The lemon taste in this recipe can be quite strong. Feel free to mix the lemons with another fruit that is sweeter. Apples or strawberries could help balance out the acidity of the lemons in the marrow jam.
Top Tip
Use whole ginger in the recipe. Don’t substitute it with powdered ginger. The taste will not come out the same if you substitute it.
How Do I Store Leftovers?
Pour the jam into warm, sterilised jars. Store it in a dark place. The flavour will get stronger as it ages. It will be delicious!
How Long Will This Food Last In the Fridge?
After opening the jam, keep it in the fridge for about a month to two months to avoid it spoiling.
Can I Freeze This Recipe?
Let the jars of jam cool completely before placing the marrow ginger jam into the freezer. It’s a fantastic way to store marrow jam if you made a lot. To thaw the frozen jam, leave the jars in the fridge overnight before consuming.
Can This Recipe be Scaled?
Yes. The best way to scale the recipe is to keep the ratio of marrow to sugar used in the recipe. It’s important to weigh the marrow, so you use the correct amount of sugar in the jam.
Simply increase or decrease the amount of ingredients to make more or less marrow ginger jam.
The cooking time will likely be around the same, but make sure to focus on how the jam looks while cooking. The wrinkle test will help a lot when scaling this recipe.
Other Delightful Jam Recipes You’ll Love
- Damson Jam - a winter jam that has a rich, sweet flavour.
- Vegan Seedless Blackberry Jam - classic blackberry jam made vegan for the whole family to enjoy.
- Blackberry Compote - sweet and tart blackberries cooked down into a sauce that can be poured over yoghurt, porridge and waffles.
More ways to sterilize your jars
Food Safety
- Wash the lemons well. The best way to do this is to leave them in hot water for about 10 minutes to remove any wax.
- Sterilise and wash the jars. Place them in boiling water for a few minutes to properly sterilise the jars.
Don’t forget to let me know how your recipe turned out in the comments! You will be pleasantly surprised by this recipe!
Print
Marrow jam Recipe
- Total Time: 2 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 10 x 350g jars, 2 tbsp (40g) per portion, 175 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
With summer approaching that means marrow season is too. Marrow jam is quick and easy to make and also makes a great gift.
Ingredients
Lemon Water
- 2 lemons
- 125ml (½ cup) water
Marrow Jam
- 2kg (4½lbs) marrow flesh, chopped
- 1.5kg (3⅓lbs) jam sugar
- 60g (2oz) fresh ginger, grated
Instructions
- For the Lemon Water: Juice the lemons and cut the peel into thin strips.
- Place the lemon juice, peels and water in a small bowl and leave to soak for at least 8 hours, but preferably overnight.
- Transfer the contents to a small saucepan and gently cook covered for 1 hour. Remove from heat and set aside.
- For the Marrow Jam: Tip the chopped marrow pieces into a large saucepan.
- Cook the marrow for 30 minutes, or until the marrow is more or less cooked and all excess liquid evaporates. (Strain if necessary.)
- Tip in the sugar, then stir over a low heat until all the sugar has dissolved.
- Add 60ml (4 tbsp) of the lemon water to the marrow and sugar, plus the ginger.
- Turn up the heat and let the contents reach boiling point. Continue boiling for 10 minutes or until the setting point is reached. If you have a jam thermometer, it should reach 104°C (220°F). Alternatively, there’s the wrinkle test. Place a saucer in the freezer for 5 minutes, then put a dollop of jam on it and place it in the fridge. After a minute, gently push the jam with your pinky (or any finger!). If the liquid crinkles, it’s ready. If not, boil the contents again for a few more minutes and execute the test again.
- At this point, you’ll need warm, sterilised jars. Fill them and seal quickly.
- When the jars have cooled down, you can label them with name and date. Ready to eat whenever you are. Enjoy!
Notes
- I used a rather large marrow in this recipe. After you’ve topped and tailed the marrow, you should peel and deseed it. Only then you should weigh the flesh to learn the actual weight, as stated in the recipe. Make the necessary adjustments, according to ratios, if you have more or less marrow flesh as stated.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Jam
- Method: Boil
- Cuisine: British
Keywords: marrow jam, marrow and ginger jam, marrow and lemon jam, summer jam recipe, marrow glut recipe
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