Italian Language Blog
Menu
Search

Halloween Jam Posted by on Oct 8, 2014 in Uncategorized

Halloween is getting closer, and with it the pumpkins season arrives. What to do with so many pumpkins? Some time ago I wrote a traditional northern Italian recipe for tortelli di zucca (pumpkin tortelli). Today I’m going to give you a recipe from Sicily in the very south of Italy: la marmellata di zucca (pumpkin jam). This has become one of our favourite jams, and I can’t wait to get my hands on some of this year’s pumpkins to make a new batch.

arcimboldo_450
Spot the pumpkin! Vertumnus , the Roman god of the seasons, by Giuseppe Arcimboldo (1526 – 1593)

Here’s the recipe in English and Italian:

Ingredienti: Ingredients:
1 kg di polpa di zucca 1kg of pumpkin flesh
800 gr di zucchero 800 grams of sugar
1 arancia non trattata 1 orange, untreated
1 limone non trattato 1 lemon, untreated

Preparazione (Preparation):

Step 1.
Sbucciare la zucca e privarla dei semi così da ottenere 1 kg di polpa. Tagliarla a cubetti piccoli di circa 1 cm per lato, e metterli in una pentola capiente.
Peel the pumpkin and remove the seeds until you have 1 kg of pumpkin flesh. Cut it in small cubes of about 1 cm square, and put them in a big saucepan.

Step 2.
Aggiungere un po’ di acqua ai dadini di zucca, coprire e far cuocere a fuoco gentile finché la zucca non è morbida e sfatta, e l’acqua è quasi tutta assorbita.
Add a little water to the pumpkin cubes, cover with a lid, and let them cook on a gentle heat until the pumpkin is soft and mushy, and most of the water has been absorbed.

Step 3.
Far raffreddare la zucca e poi schiacciarla con lo schiacciapatate o passarla al passaverdure così da ottenere una purea. Rimetterla nella pentola.
Leave the pumpkin to cool down, then mash it with a potato masher or with a sieve for vegetables in order to make a puree. Put it back into the saucepan.

Step 4.
Grattugiare finemente le bucce sia dell’arancia che del limone e aggiungerle alla purea di zucca. Quindi spremere l’arancia e il limone e versarne i succhi nella pentola. Mescolare bene e portare a bollore.
Finely grate the rinds of both the orange and the lemon, and add them to the pumpkin puree. Then squeeze the orange and the lemon and pour the juice into the saucepan. Mix well and bring it to boiling point.

Step 5. 
Quando la purea di zucca comincia a bollire, aggiungere lo zucchero e far cuocere senza coperchio finché non è ben densa, mescolando spesso con un cucchiaio di legno perché non attacchi.
When the pumpkin puree begins to boil, add the sugar, and let it cook without the lid until it has reached a nice thick consistency, stirring often with a wooden spoon to prevent it from sticking to the saucepan.

Step 6.
Invasare la marmellata calda in barattoli di vetro ben puliti e caldi. Sigillare i barattoli e lasciar riposare per alcuni giorni prima di assaggiare. Una volta aperto, conservare il barattolo in frigorifero. 
Pour the hot jam into warm sterilized jars. Seal the jars and leave the jam to rest for a few days before tasting. Once opened, keep the jar in the fridge.

Tags:
Keep learning Italian with us!

Build vocabulary, practice pronunciation, and more with Transparent Language Online. Available anytime, anywhere, on any device.

Try it Free Find it at your Library
Share this:
Pin it

Comments:

  1. LuLu:

    Yummy! I love pumpkins, especially in risotto or al forno.


Leave a comment: