Suprise Packages and Tropical Treats

I don't think I've mentioned my sister yet (either of them) but I've got this one who broke with tradition and moved far away to a little tropical paradise she calls Northern Cuba, though technically, it's Florida.

And while we are here in the most confused winter season ever with nothing to pick or grow, she is romping about the southern part of the States, gathering the yummiest fresh produce, tucking it in boxes, and shipping it to this miserable northern  region. And I don't think I can tell you how giddy I was to open that box and pull out all those citrusy and tropical treasures- papaya, passion fruits, sapodillas, and fresh key lime juice- but there was dancing and frolicking in my kitchen. Thank goodness my husband was at work; I think it scares him to see those crazy outbursts of childish emotion.

And since I'm suffering from the January blues, scraping my spoon along the bottom of last year's jam jar supply, it was defiantly time to celebrate with more Jam.

Passion fruit Jam.

If you haven't had it, you MUST try it... unless you don't want your taste buds to sing like a canary bathed in the light of a 7am sunrise. I don't think anyone has not considered the benefits of being a canary.

Making passion fruit jam is a two day process, so prepare yourself. It's going to take a lot of will power not to eat the passion fruit the moment you cut it open and that rich tangy smell envelopes you as the seeds dribble across your counter top. The recipe is as follows:

First you slice six passion fruit and scoop out the yellow seedy flesh, reserving it in a covered bowl. Then place the shells of those fruits in 2 cups of water and let them sit covered in your refrigerator overnight.

The next day,place the reserved passion fruit shells in a pot and cover them with water. Bring them to a full boil and let them boil for about 15 minutes.

The shells will get soft, soaking up a lot of that water. Dump the remaining water out of the pot and let the shells cool down until they can be easily handled- about ten minutes.

Scoop out the remaining pulpy insides, all the way down to that thin papery shell. I try and get as close to the shell as possible- as a bit of the red color from the skin will bleed into the pulp and give the jam a gorgeous ruby color.

I tucked aside a bit of my passion fruit. I'm making passion fruit curd later.

Blend the pulpy insides with a little bit of water- just enough to get it going, no more than a 1/4 cup. Measured out all the yellow seedy part of the passion fruit and put them in a pot, then added as much of the pulp as  needed to get 2 1/2 cups.

Add equal parts of raw, unprocessed sugar. It's okay people. You're not going to be drinking this down by the cupful. A little slather on a piece of toast or a cracker will get you by each day without killing you... maybe.

Put everything into one pot and add a good squeeze of lemon juice. Some people like lime, I use what I have on hand. Let it come to a full boil and let it go for 15 minutes, stirring it every so often so it doesn't burn to the bottom. You don't want to waste a drop of this.

I put a lid on mine. This stuff will splatter all over if you're not careful. You want to eat it, not burn tattoos of it in your flesh.

In 15 minutes it should have a nice, thick texture. That's when it's time to put it in those sterilized, warm jars. (If you put it in a cold jar the temperature shock might make it explode, or so THEY say)

Leave a little bit of head room (about a 1/4 inch) and put the lid on finger-tip tight. Process in a water bath.

But leave at least one jar unsealed. Why waste the effort when you're going to be dipping your spoon in and out of this for the next hour? Enjoy. Don't share. People can make their own- if they've got one super great sister in Northern Cuba.

Put on "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" while you make jam. Nothing says "Mmmm, jam day" like Alfred Hitchcock.