Free Fruit

I like free fruit maps. Compiled by locals and enthusiasts, these maps point to the location of public fruit trees, veggies, and herbs. All free for the taking. I've seen printed ones for neighborhoods in L.A., and I've been building a mental one in my head for Sydney. So far I know where one might find mulberries, olive trees, a number of pink peppercorn trees, lemons, loquats, avocado, lavender, rosemary, lillipillies, acorns, bananas, figs, feijoa, mangoes, and apples.

Then there is the not-quite free fruit. For instance, I know of a back garden in Paddington where delicious dark grapes grow, one only needs to jump (or climb a bit) to reach bunches that dangle over the edge. Elsewhere, not far from my house, there is a fence which is woven with the vines of monstrous passion fruit, but the fruits all seem to grow on the inside of the fence. And, in front of a tiny, one-story terrace near my work, there are two small, potted kumquat trees.

Every morning this winter past I walked by and watched the bitter little citrus fruit grow, blush, ripen, and then, sadly, begin to fall and rot. Finally, on a whim one morning, I stopped, opened my bag, and stripped the two trees of all the ripe fruit I could reach while leaning over the ornamental wrought iron spikes which top the fence.

By the time I'd arrived at work and dumped my haul of two- or three-dozen kumquats onto the kitchen bench, I'd formulated a plan. I carefully washed them, sliced them, covered them with water, and boiled them gently. I let them sit over night, and then boiled them again with sugar until they formed the most beautiful, golden marmalade. I filled two jars, one for myself, and attached a ribbon and a note to the other:

Dear Kumquat Tree Owners:

Hi. I have stolen your kumquats. They are a delicious little fruit and I was afraid you were going to let them go to waste. Please enjoy the marmalade I have made from them. I know I will.

Sincerely,
J

After work that evening, I dropped the jar off at their front step. The next morning, it was gone. I checked every day for two weeks, and they didn't even leave me a thank-you note. Some people have no manners at all.



Kumquat and Lime Marmalade

kumquats, preferably stolen
1 lime per kilo kumquats
sugar

The addition of lime is nice here; it lends a sharpness to counterbalance the sugar and th bitter kumquats.

Wash the citrus. Slice the fruit into rings of varying sizes, this will result in an interestingly textured marmalade. Reserve any seeds and tie them in a muslin bag, giving the bag a good whack or two with a rolling pin to crack the seeds. A good deal of pectin is in the seeds and this will help your marmalade set. Put the fruit and the bag of seeds into the pot and add water until it is level with the top of the fruit. Boil for about 20 minuets, until the flesh of the fruit is soft, but not falling apart. Remove from heat and allow to sit for 12-24 hours.

Weigh the fruit and water mix. For every 1 kilo of mix, add ¾ a kilo of sugar. Stir these together and return to the boil. Boil gently until the marmalade sets when tested on a cold plate. This could take anywhere from 20 minuets to an hour, depending on the volume of fruit you started with. Remove the bag of seeds, pour into sterilized jars, and seal.

Just a helpful note, jams usually begin to set at about 104º C (219ºF). When sugar reaches 118ºC(245ºF) it begins to caramelize. You don't want the sugars to caramelize at all. If you reach 118ºC and the marmalade still isn't setting, take it off the heat and consider adding some pectin (you can buy it at the grocery store, in the baking section; it's usually called “Jam Setter” or somesuch).