Well… after an initial bout of nerves, my mom and I pulled it together and successfully designed, assembled and manned our very first ever farmers’ market booth! What were we nervous about? Well, for one, whether anyone would like our marmalades! Taste is such a subjective thing, you know! Sure, we like the marmalades, but what will the public think? Will it sell?
Needless to say, such fears were wholly unwarranted. The response to Mass A’Peel jams (ok – technically they are marmalades because they all have some form of citrus peel in them, but we like the nickname ‘jam with a twist’) has been phenomenal! People are loving the marmalades – even self-proclaimed non-marmalade eaters!
Each week at the market, the Mass A’Peel booth will contain a variety of marmalades, fresh squeezed lemon and/or limeade, and some munchie that incorporates marmalade – a way to showcase the use of marmalades beyond the standard, albeit delicious, toast or scone! We will post those recipes here for people to replicate.
So, what marmalades are we selling? Currently we have the following (but as seasons progress, new flavors will be developed and sold.. look for strawberry in the coming weeks):
- I Found My Thrill (blueberry & lemon)
- The Girl From Ipeelema (raspberry, pear, lime & mint)
- Lemon Tree, Very Pretty (Meyer lemon, ginger & mint)
- Bittersweet Symphony (Seville oranges, apricot & kumquat)
- Grapefruit Juicy Fruit (pink grapefruit, ginger & mint)
- Hey Mr. Tangerine Man (tangerine, lime & pineapple)
- Pinea’peel Express (pineapple, lemon, rosemary & vanilla bean)
- Blood Orange Sugar Magik (blood orange & Campari)
- I Say A Little Pear For You (pear, ginger & lime)
Our special treats have been amazingly delicious. Our first week, we made a citrus cheesecake with a lemon shortbread crust and topped with our Hey Mr. Tangerine Man marmalade. It was amazing, and the perfect dessert to end an Easter feast!
Last week we featured a shortbread crumble bar layered with plum tangerine marmalade. Equally delicious – you cannot go wrong with shortbread and marmalade, 2 of the finest exports from Britain!
Both recipes can be found in the Recipe pages of this blog (accessible from the home page, at the right side of the screen). If any customers come up with great uses for marmalade, we’d love to hear them!
In any event, thanks to all of our family members and friends who have been so amazingly supportive of this venture, and thanks to our new Mass A’Peel friends! See you all Saturday at the market!
