Warm Memories of Summer in a Jam Jar of Cantaloupe:

  Mrabbat Batteekh

مربة بطيخ

A bowlful of aromatic succulent sunshine for a gloomy wintry day.   

In Iraq this jam is exclusively homemade, and I am not aware that it is made anywhere else. People start making it towards the end of summer while the sun has not lost its intensity yet. After the jam is done boiling, it is usually taken up to the flat roof of the house, and is spread in kind of large shallow containers. A cover of thin muslin cloth is used to keep the jam clean from dust and flies. After a week or so under the heat of the sum the jam will thicken, with syrup like honey and chunks of preserved fruit delightfully sweet and chewy. Like this, the jam will keep for a very long time even without refrigeration.   

The following recipe does not require the jam to mature on the roof top, which is good news, but make sure the cantaloupe pulp is firm and not on the mushy side, so that the fruit stays chunky.

    

1 pound cataloupe pulp

1½ cups granulated sugar

¼ cup walnut halves

3 cardamom pods 

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Cut cantaloupe into chunks, layer with sugar and walnut in a heavy medium pot, add the cardamom pods, and set aside overnight.

Cook on medium-low heat, stirring gently to let sugar dissolve completely, skim as needed. Let jam boil gently until syrup is thick and cantaloupe is translucent, about 30 minutes. Add lemon juice in the last 5 minutes. Test for doneness by putting a drop of the syrup on a dry and cold dish. If you tilt the dish and the drop does not go flat but keeps its domed shape, then jam is ready. Let it cool off completely, and put in a jar. Refrigerate and use as needed.

Watermelon Rind Jam (Mrabbat Raggi)

مربة رقّي

Photo Nawal Nasrallah

You will be surprised how beautiful and tasty this jam will turn out to be. Its origin cannot be any humbler: watermelon rind, usually discarded after the juicy ruby melon pulp is sliced off. In other parts of the world this rind ends up being pickled, but in Iraq we transform it into a charming chunky jam, usually served with geymer (slabs of clotted cream) or butter for breakfast.

Growing up in Baghdad, I remember that marabbat raggi was also available in small tinned cans imported from Australian. It was good but it lacked the luxurious texture and the enticing aroma of the homemade jam.

Here is a recipe adapted from my cookbook Delights from the Garden of Eden:  

2 pounds watermelon rind (measure after slicing off the red pulp and the green hard outer skin)

3 cups granulated sugar

½ cup honey

2 strips lemon peel or 2 small pieces of peeled fresh ginger

4 whole pods cardamom

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1. Cut rind into strips, about 1 inch wide and 2 inches long. Cover in cold water and bring to a quick boil. Reduce heat, and simmer slowly until translucent, about 30 minutes. Drain, and reserve 3 cups of liquid.

2. In a heavy pot, completely dissolve sugar in reserved liquid. Add honey, lemon peel or ginger, and cardamom. Bring to a boil, skimming as needed. Add the drained watermelon rind, and boil gently over medium heat, for 30 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and set aside, overnight.

3. Boil pot again over medium heat until syrup thickens, about 30 minutes. Add lemon juice in the last 5 minutes. Test for doneness by putting a drop of syrup on a dry cold dish, and tilt it. If the drop does not go flat, and keeps its domed shape, it is done. Let the jam cool off completely. If wished, put the jam in a strainer to get rid of extra syrup. Store it in the refrigerator and use as needed. It will stay good for a long time.   

Photo Nawal Nasrallah