Canned

Am I the only person under 30 who totally digs marmalade? My impression is that people of my generation just aren’t that into jam in general. Maybe I’m wrong. I hope I’m wrong. I mean, toast and jam, that’s a darn tasty olde tyme snack! I don’t even have a toaster and it’s still one of my favorites. Yes, I’m killing the earth by turning on the broiler just to make toast.
Perhaps if all of young America had my dad as a dad there’d be more jam/marmalade love. The man can’t get through the day without his fix. I remember there always being a jar of King Kelly orange marmalade in the fridge when I was a wee lass. Weekday PB&J lunches for got the questionable Smuckers “reduced sugar” strawberry or grape gunk, but on Saturday, which was frequently biscuit-making day, we’d all dig into the K. K. These days there are usually four or five open jars of something at my parents’ house–the ever-faithful King Kelly, something berry-ish, something weird, something homemade by one of my mom’s coworkers. I was talking to my mom last night and she complained that my dad had blown through an entire half pint of pomegranate jelly (a gift to her) in a couple days without her getting so much as a taste. I think he could subsist hummingbird-style, sucking down black currant jelly by the gallon.
Anyway, a couple weeks ago I decided to make marmalade. My parents have not one, but three ridiculously productive Meyer lemon bushes, and every time I’m in Davis they try to unload a few bushels on me. They’re darn good lemons, sweet and juicy, but even I can’t use 5 a day. So I looked on the internet, and yes, there is such a thing as Meyer lemon marmalade. Flavored with brandy! mmmm…I’m no expert canner, but my friends, this stuff was amazingly easy to make, and it came out all thick and pretty and golden yellow. I started out with just 6 jars in case it turned out to be nasty, but IT’S SO GOOD!!!
I got all fired up to make millions of jars. Then I thought, who the hell am I going to give lemon marmalade to? I could think of two for-sures and a couple maybes. But you know what, I’m going to boil it up anyway. If nobody in my admittedly miniscule social or work circles wants any I’ll just give it all to my dad. I’m sure he can handle at least 5 jars a week.