Tag Archives: Key lime

Key Lime Marmalade

Garden, Kitchen, ,

Because I had a little over 1 pound 8 ounces of key limes from our tree in the back yard, I decided to make some key lime marmalade.

DSC08010  Key limes at various stages of development.   This is the first year that I saw yellow key limes on the tree and on the ground.  I thought they must be ripe, and a quick online check revealed that ripe key limes are indeed yellow.

So I found some online sources, and followed directions for what looked like the most efficient method, which did not involve peeling the white pith off of the limes.   DSC07994 I sliced them, food, processed them, and soaked them in the requisite amount of water overnight, and brought the lime slices and water to a boil, after which I added the proper amount of heated sugar.  and boiled some more.

DSC08002 Here is my recipe from food.com.

DSC08000   I oven sterilized the jars in a 220 degree Fahrenheit oven, and boiled the lids. because they were lined with a rubber-like material.

DSC07995 Sterilizing the jars.  I left them right side up.

DSC07998  I boiled the lids with their soft plastic or rubberized liners.

DSC08005  After the least straight forward part, putting the lids on the jars, here are some refrigerator marmalades.   All told, it took me about four plus hours to make five and a half small jars :

  • 1 hour  Prepare the fruit
  • 1 hour  Clean the jars
  • 1 hour  Tend the boiling and congealing fruit
  • 1 hour  Sterilize and fill the jars

 

Summer Kitchen Garden

Garden, Kitchen, Plantains, ,

DSC06624 Trimmed plantains at the beginning of the summer.  I like their filtered light.  We have just two small clusters so far this year.

DSC06617 A lime growing on our key lime tree.  Last year we did not get any limes.  The tree has grown quite tall, so we will not be able to reach all of them from the ground.  They will become available starting in about six weeks, if all goes well.

DSC06628 Our garden, in which the herbs of the spring are going to seed.  Still I could get parsley, oregano, and some pictures.  This is along the lines of what I originally wanted, a kitchen herb garden.  Right now it is rather hot, and these kinds of things do not grow so well here.  I haven’t planted anything here.  Some things came up from self seeding last year, and  I expect some will re-seed themselves for next year: cilantro, marjoram, parsley, dill, even oregano, and maybe carrots and parsnips.   The sorrel leaves are not really usable, because now the “hungry, hungry” caterpillars can eat them.