---
title: "What’s cooking today: Makataan marmalade"
description: "I made my own makataan marmalade. It wasn’t planned like that, but a marmalade it sure is. And boy does it have flavour. It’s the Accidental Marmalade."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "TGIFOOD"
author: "Tony Jackman"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/tonyjackman/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-04-30-whats-cooking-today-makataan-marmalade/"
published: "2021-04-30T09:46:23"
updated: "2021-04-29T15:49:14"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 258
---

# What’s cooking today: Makataan marmalade

> I made my own makataan marmalade. It wasn’t planned like that, but a marmalade it sure is. And boy does it have flavour. It’s the Accidental Marmalade.

By Tony Jackman · Published 30 April 2021, 11:46 SAST · Updated 29 April 2021, 17:49 SAST

## Content

*This recipe accompanies [this story](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-04-30-melon-of-the-wild/)*

**Ingredients**

1.5 kg makataan flesh from the centre of the melon, pips removed

500 g pears, peeled and chopped

1 lemon, sliced thinly

1 lime, sliced thinly

1 orange, sliced thinly

Juice of 2 limes

7 cups white sugar

1 cup caramel sugar

1 cinnamon stick

2 litres water

**Method**

Put everything in a huge heavy pot. Bring to a boil, stirring, and keep stirring until the sugar has all dissolved. Boil rapidly until it has reached setting stage. Test this by putting a dessert spoon in the freezer until needed.

When the syrup has reduced by about half, start doing tests at 3 to 5 minute intervals. Pour a little of the syrup onto the chilled spoon (using a teaspoon) and return the dessert spoon to the freezer for 2 minutes. Take it out and look at it, tilting the spoon this way and that. It should be fairly stiff but move just a little. More sensibly, it should look and feel like jam as you know it should be. This is a skill that comes with practice, but you should be able to pull it off. When it’s right, bottle in sterilised jars, up to the brim. **DM/TGIFood**

*To enquire about Tony Jackman’s book, foodSTUFF (Human & Rousseau) please email him at*[*tony@dailymaverick.co.za*](mailto:tony@dailymaverick.co.za)

*Our Thank God It’s Food newsletter is sent to subscribers every Friday at 6pm, and published on the*[*TGIFood platform*](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/section/tgifood/)*on Daily Maverick. It’s all about great reads on the themes of food and life. Subscribe*[*here*](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/about/newsletter/)*.*