YOUR GRANDMA'S GOURD PRESERVE

On a cooking page a Parsee posted lauki ki barfi. Which would be a mildly flavoured sweet, as bottle gourd has low flavour. So I recommended trying it as a marmalade of sorts.


BOTTLE GOURD PRESERVE

Two cups coarsely shredded bottle gourd.
One cup cane sugar.
Two TBS lime juice.
One TBS finely shredded ginger.
Miniscule pinch salt.

Put the shredded bottle gourd and the minute pinch of salt in an enamel saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, turn low, and simmer till translucent, about fifteen minutes. Drain, reserving about half a cup of the liquid.

Mix the reserved cooking liquid with the sugar and the lime juice. Cook while stirring till the sugar is fully dissolved. Now add the bottle gourd shreds and ginger, and simmer, stirring frequently to prevent scorching, for an hour or two. It is done when the syrup is thick and gluggy.

Decant into a glass jar and seal as you would any other home-made preserve, or store it in the refrigerator where it will keep for several months.


You can do the same thing with pumpkin or winter melon.
Rather nice on hot buttered toast.



NOTE: avoid overripe specimens.




==========================================================================
NOTE: Readers may contact me directly:
LETTER BOX.
All correspondence will be kept in confidence.
==========================================================================