Marmalade Dayzzzz
Comments(21)
Photo: A pile of Min Pins
This past two weeks or so I have been caught up in a fever that hits the UK from mid January to the end of February. The great marmalade making bonanza. I was determined to develop a new range of recipes for the gate side stand – from dark and chunky to light and dainty. I have come up with two new easy recipes. I’ve also made a few discoveries and now feel much more competent when it comes to making marmalade.
In fact I think that I was probably up a bit too long each day, falling asleep the instant my head touched the pillow. Only to be woken by the laptop gently sliding off the bed.
So this morning I returned to bed after a hearty breakfast and slept all day, waking after dark under a pile of bickering Min Pins and nightclothes (they adore sleeping on my clothes).
So that is why I have not been responding to comments. Please accept my apologies – I’m looking forward to tackling them tomorrow.
For a bit of feel-good warmth I’m going to relate what happened to us on the gate side stand over the last couple of days.
Yesterday I went out to check the stand at midday and was delighted to discover that the gaps menat that someone had obviously bought three jars of preserves. The jars are small – just 220ml. This means most are priced at £1. I rushed upstairs to tell Danny. Having worked on a London market stall for ten years in my 30’s, I know that January is the worst month for my type of stand. So any sale is a bonus.
At the end of the day I unlocked the cash box like a latter day Silas Marner 
Eventually I calmed down. I had a strong sense of who had done this and an equally deep belief that she would return and repay the money once her husband had tasted the preserves. He would want more.
And this morning I spotted a lady with the same hair and car colour as my suspect. She examined the stand for ages. I didn’t put 2 and 2 together until I stepped out to restock after she had gone.
She had bought three jars and left the money for six!
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That’s very reassuring! Glad the stall is going well.
Good to hear you are making marmalade. I made another batch using some of my Rangpur limes not so long ago, it is delicious.
Best wishes
Hello Fiona
Hope you are now feeling much restored after your rest. Sometimes we just have to give in and do what our bodies ask of us – although it may well go against the grain and your way of doing things. I can sympathise as I too have to listen every so often or everything ends up going to pot.
I am pleased that your faith in human nature has been restored and that your visitor came back and made recompense. She obviously loved your preserves very much. Keep up the good work – I think its a smashing idea having a little stall. I love your site
Take care
Tricia
xx
What ups and downs in only a day, and how good that it all worked out well. I love hearing about your little sales stall, and can only imagine the tasty preserves and marmalade you are creating. I’m making marmalade here too. Orange, and grapefruit so far, and I’ve got Meyer lemon yet to do tonight, and kumquat in the works for tomorrow…Marmalade is my favorite and I wish you all the luck in your venture!
Oh, I’m so glad your faith in humanity was restored. What a lovely story, thanks.
I wish I lived close – I’d use your stall, no doubts at all! It sounds just wonderful.
Fiona, I was iterested in your raspberry vinegar recipe and have some frozen raspberries – do you think they would be OK? They’re not home grown, but they do taste OK.
ah–disturbing The Min Pin with a camera!
mmm-marmalade. i find so many are too sweet-almost cloying- for my taste. i am still on the hunt for 3 decent chutney recipes-one sweet, two savory (for light & dark meats). there seems to be too much emphasis on sweet & additives & not showcasing the main ingredients.
Funny that. I had a week where at the end my faith in humanity was restored. I left my purse on a petrol pump on Monday whilst under the weather with a bug. On my return it had disappeared and I assumed it was stolen, so cancelled everything. This belief persisted until Thursday when I got a call from a different police station from the one I had visited, to tell me my purse had been handed in, INCLUDING THE CASH that was in it!!!! I was thrilled and my faith in humanity had been restored.
She shouldn’t have done it in the first place. After all it is dishonesty and had she not liked them what would have happened?
But nevertheless, she did right in the end. But why do people need to test the water so..?
Hope you are feeling better. Not a good year for you last year. Me neither. And this year has begun badly too. But hey ho.
I love the idea of your gateside stand. And I am sure you will get far more honest people than not. I still think honesty prevails.
Good luck with it all..
Chris
So glad your gateside stall is going well.
I sell a few things from outside the house in the summer, with an honesty box, and I have NEVER got the right amount of cash, its always short, perhaps it will be different this year!
K
Yes I know that feeling !!!! When you see from a distance that you have sold something, you feel a little jump in your heart,great!! Then you check the money box, and you sort of stare at the few pence in your hand in disbeleif that the money is not there?
I share a ‘Stall’ with my neighbour, we sell eggs, jams, plants, tomatoes, chutneys, jellies all manner of veg, and herb plants, elderflower cordial, rose-petal cordial, and elderflower ‘champagne’ (until a bottle blew its cork off on the poor lady who bought it, on her way home in the car!) We sell sacks of potatoes, horse and chicken manure and can deliver by pony and trap, if its within a reasonable distance, as they are too heavy to carry, and most of our customers are walking past.(No Car)
What we decided to do was have a writing pad and pen on ‘The Stall’. Also a message stuck on the back of the stall, asking politely, that if anyone should want to take goods, but have no money on them now, and pay later- for the goods, that was fine but to please write what
you took, how much is was priced at, and when are you likely to pay, plus leave your phone number. Guess what? It works a treat, we have had ‘The Stall’ for 4 years now, and just the odd thing taken and not paid for. Most people have even left a tip because of the late payment !!!
Plus the paper and pad is great if anyone wants to order something or leave a comment on the produce, and any good ideas to improve !!!
Wouldn’t it be fun to have a web site for the gateside stand! With a webcam (not for security, just for fun)and a list of what’s on display / sale today.
My geeky heart leaps at the thought
Doesn’t it just warm the cockles of your heart when people behave decently! My cockles are glowing.
Love the Min Pin Picture… wehave always had Min Pins & We love them..full of personality and they love to climb under blankets and clothes..Love your page..lots of good info..Thx
Wow. I love Danny’s idea for your stand, and I’m relieved to hear that the woman made right on her purchases after all.
I also love hearing about the things other people are selling on their stands.
Is there any worry about city regulations and all that in the UK?
We hope to begin selling from our garden later this year, and we’re having to jump through some hoops in order to do so.
Fiona, have you ever thought of making up a cookbook of your preserving recipes? I would buy a copy.
The next time I’m in the UK, I’ll plan my itinerary so that I can stop at your gateside stand.
If I lived nearby, I’d certainly be one of your customers. The pen and pad idea is great – folk could leave comments on the produce too which might entice others to try that product.
Danny, your webcam would put me right off! I just wouldn’t feel comfortable stopping and having a browse. Whatever your intentions, it would look like a security camera and defeat the object of an honesty box which, 99% of the time works a treat as this customer showed.
Hi
You dont happen to have a recipe for sugar free marmalade do you; I am diabetic (2) and I would love to try making my own jams etc
Bill
I make marmalade too, and then store it to sell at Christmas. I used to make a number of different kinds but the demand for one is so high that it is the only one I make now. I call it Highland Black. I use molasses and cane sugar as the sweetener, and then just before sealing each jar gets a splash of single malt scotch. By the time Christmas arrives the flavours have blended perfectly. No matter how much I make, I never have as many as I can sell!
Hi KB, I’m interested to hear more about your Highland Black, as I just made something similar. Mine has a very strong taste, almost like liquorice. I also added cloves. What does yours taste like? Did it have a long slow cook? Can you taste the whisky?
Bill, I have a diabetic friend who is helping me try out making a diabetic marmalade. We’re using fructose from Holland and Barrett. Use a bit less than the recipe suggests, about a third less, as its sweeter than regular sugar. Also, you may need to add some pectin in the form of certo or your own (mine is from my juice extractor that i use for apples in the autumn).
Hello Bridget
I’m envious that you can grow limes! I adore lime marmalade.
Hi Tricia
The gate side stand is fun. It gives the day a bit of focus. Wow I’ve just looked at your to do list – makes me feel quite faint.
Hello Alison
Yes it was amazing that she came back. I’ve made an orange and grapefruit marmalade too – like you I love marmalade.
BTW I love your etsy shop it’s delightful!
Hi Joy
Yes you can use frozen raspberries – that’s what I did. I thawed them out and added them to the Le Parfait jar with their juice. It worked a treat.
Hi Petoskystone
Our marmalade isn’t as sweet as the commercially produced stuff.
We have a recipe for Mango chutney which is sweetish. Our plum chutney is pretty good too.
Hi Shelley
That’s amazing. A good feel good story. It’s a shame that so often we expect the worst of people – when I pointed out to the supermarket cashier that he hadn’t charged me enough for my Seville oranges he was amazed!
Hi Chris
I agree with you. She shouldn’t have stolen the goods in the first place but she did come back – which was great.
I’d rather have an honesty box than man the stall. It’s a very sleepy village with few passers by.
I do hope that things get better for you this year.
Hi Karen
That’s a shame that your honesty box is always short. Up until now everything has been fine and sometimes we even get extra cash.
Hello Angela
Thank you so much for this comment. The book is a great idea. This is definitely the way forward for me.
Hi Danny
You’d waste hours watching the stand and getting depressed when people walk by without looking!
Hi Tamar
Yes my cockles were warmed too!
Hi Shannon
Great that you’ve got Min Pins too. They get under your skin and we wouldn’t be without our yappy friends.
Hi Cathy
If you are selling from your garden gate there are no regulations in the UK but if you were selling to a local shop there would be. Apart from honey which has to be properly labelled and coded wherever it’s sold from.
On the cookbook front we were going to produce one for Christmas 2009 but with me being off work we ran out of cash. Haven’t given up the idea though.
I’d love to meet up when you’re next in the UK.
Hi Casalba
I agree a webcam would put me right off.
Hi Bill
I’m sorry but I don’t have a recipe for diabetic marmalade but I think that Seahorse has answered your question.
Hi KB
Thanks for this comment. I think that I’m going to do the same for the Christmas stand – I haven’t tried adding alcohol to marmalade as yet.
Hello Seahorse
Thanks for your help with Bill’s question! Much appreciated.
Your marmalade sounds amazing.
Hi,
The clove marmalade was too treacly and bitter, due to the molasses sugar (nasty stuff!) but I see you posted a solution elsewhere on the blog, for which I’m eternally grateful!
Hi,
I’m so inspired by your stories and comments!! I have just started growing veg and would like to sell them and hopefully some pickles/preserves from a table at the end of my drive with an honesty box. I was wondering if you have to get any council/authority permission to do this?
The marmalade fever you mention, Fiona, has risen considerably in this house since I discovered The World’s Original Marmalade Awards – a competition run from Dalemain in Cumbria, UK (and open to entries from all over the world). Googling ‘marmalade awards’ should bring up the site. I went there last year and it was huge fun!