flipConfiture du potager de Médan
Confiture du potager de Médan
Why this dish? At Médan, Zola cultivated a kitchen garden and fruit trees of which he was proud. The late-summer jams, cooked in the copper basin, preserved the fruits of the estate and perfumed the house — the gourmet, land-loving side of the writer.
A jam of red berries and plums from the orchard, slowly cooked with sugar until set, then potted to last through winter.
On my estate at Médan, I had my kitchen garden and fruit trees, of which I was as proud as a peasant. At the end of summer, when the currants and plums were falling, we filled the copper basin and boiled it all with sugar until the house smelled of it. Those pots lined up on the shelf were my winter store, a little bit of sunshine saved up. Spread me a spoonful on good bread, and you'll taste my orchards.
- •Currants and plums from the orchard — full baskets (tart fruits)
- •Sugar — equal weight to fruit (preservation and sweetness)
- •Water — a little (to start cooking)
Confiture du potager de Médan
A jam of red berries and plums from the orchard, slowly cooked with sugar until set, then potted to last through winter.
Why this dish? At Médan, Zola cultivated a kitchen garden and fruit trees of which he was proud. The late-summer jams, cooked in the copper basin, preserved the fruits of the estate and perfumed the house — the gourmet, land-loving side of the writer.
On my estate at Médan, I had my kitchen garden and fruit trees, of which I was as proud as a peasant. At the end of summer, when the currants and plums were falling, we filled the copper basin and boiled it all with sugar until the house smelled of it. Those pots lined up on the shelf were my winter store, a little bit of sunshine saved up. Spread me a spoonful on good bread, and you'll taste my orchards.
Ingredients (period version)
- Currants and plums from the orchard — full baskets (tart fruits)
- Sugar — equal weight to fruit (preservation and sweetness)
- Water — a little (to start cooking)
Ingredients
- Plums (or mirabelles), pitted — 700 g (main fruit)
- Redcurrants — 300 g (acidity and pectin)
- Sugar — 800 g (setting and preservation)
- Juice of half a lemon — 1 (balance and gelling)
Method
- Wash and pit the plums, strip the currants; mix the fruits with sugar and lemon juice, let macerate for 1 hour.
- Pour into a large basin or wide pot and bring to a boil, stirring.
- Cook over high heat for 20-30 minutes, skimming, until a drop sets on a cold plate.
- Immediately pour into sterilized jars, seal, and turn upside down to create a vacuum.
How it was made : Before refrigeration, jam was an essential preservation method: sugar, cooked with fruit, prevented fermentation and allowed the summer harvest to be kept until spring. It was cooked in a copper basin, whose metal conducts heat quickly and evenly.
The contemporary twist : Flavor with a vanilla pod or a sprig of lemon thyme, and offer the jar topped with a square of tied fabric — like a gift from the garden.
Émile Zola · Charactorium
