Take a large marrow (courgette) and chop the stalk end off, about 4 inches down. Burrow a hole in the body of the marrow, removing seeds but not the flesh.
Good tools for the job include:
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| The tongs were a stroke of genius - you can reach right to the bottom and grab the seeds to remove them! |
With all the seeds removed, chuck in a good bit of freshly grated ginger (I used a piece the size of my thumb), a generous handful of raisins, and then pack to the brim with demerara sugar. I found as I packed in the sugar, it was already dissolving and sinking further into the marrow. When you still have a bit of space at the top, pour in the juice of one orange. Again, this'll make the level of sugar sink further in. Top up with sugar and keep packing until it feels like it won't take any more.
Replace the stalk end of the marrow on top, and tape together to hold in place.
Pull a stocking up over the whole thing and hang over a bowl. Word on the street is that the sugar dissolves and the marrow flesh ferments, eventually turning all liquidy and the skin will collapse in. This may take a few weeks. When it looks good to go, help the liquid escape by piercing a hole in the bottom of the marrow and collect in the bowl. Then transfer the liquid to a demijohn with a bubble trap and leave to ferment until no further bubbles come off. Then bottle up and leave for a year or two before drinking!! Not the quickest of drinks to make, but it's strong stuff and hopefully will be worth waiting for. I'm sure my work colleagues will be keen to try some asap...!
Watch this space! :)
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