Orange Blossom Water

“Mrabba Al-Qare’e Al-Halabi” or “Mrabba Al-Yaqtin AL-Halabi” (Aleppine Pumpkin Jam) is slightly different from previous Mrabba Al-Qare’e. Mrabba Al-Qare’e Al-Halabi is flavored with orange peel, cinnamon and clove, and served as a dessert with coffee, while Mrabba Al-Qare’e is served for breakfast with bread and cheese.

Let’s make Mrabba Al-Qare’e Al-Halabi:

1, 2. Put 100 g slaked lime powder (calcium hydroxide) in a large ceramic or glass bowl.

3, 4, 5, 6. Add 1500 ml warm water to it. When water is added, it heats up and bubbles like it’s boiling, make it seems alive.

7,8. Immediately stir with a wooden spoon.

9, 10, 11, 12. Set aside for 1 hour, this will allow to separate the precipitate and clean water.

13, 14,  15, 16. White pumpkin is used to make the jam.

17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22. Cut the pumpkin in half then to quarters.

23, 24. Scoop out all of the seeds.

25, 26, 27, 28. Cut each quarter in half.

29, 30, 31, 32, 33. Scrap all stringy bits.

34, 35, 36. Cut off the skin

37 to 48. In Aleppo, there is a special tool used to make pumpkin jam with its special shape, click here to see the cutter. I used vegetable cutter and made holes inside the pieces.

49, 50, 51, 52. Use crinkle cutter knife to cut pumpkin to slices approximately 2 x 1 x 0.3 inches (5 x 3 x 1 cm thickness).

53. The pumpkin slices are in two shapes.

54, 55. All pumpkin slices are almost equal in size.

56. Picture 56 shows two bowls, Left Bowl contains pumpkin slices that are equal in size and with good shape and will be used in today’s recipe. Right bowl contains pumpkin slices that are left irregular in shape or small or any residues that can’t be used in this recipe, will be used to make “Mrabba Al-Qare’e Al-Mabshour” (Shredded Pumpkin Jam).

57, 58. The weight of pumpkin slices is 500 g.

59. Bring the bowl of slaked lime and water.

60, 61,62. Use a ladle and add the clear water to the pumpkin. Discard the white precipitate and don’t add it to the pumpkin slices.

63, 64. Put ceramic or glass plate over the pumpkin slices to immerse them, and set aside for 24 hours.

65, 66. After 24 hours, remove the plate.

67, 68. Drain water from pumpkin slices.

69, 70, 71, 72. Wash pumpkin slices and rinse in several changes with water.

73 to 78. Soak pumpkin slices in water for 30 minutes, then drain water from pumpkin. This step to get rid of any traces of slaked lime.

79, 80. Measure 300 g sugar.

81 82, 83, 84. Put 300 g sugar over pumpkin slices and set aside for 24 hours. This will give sugar syrup.

85, 86, 87, 89. After 24 hours, measure the syrup, I had 175 ml sugar syrup.

89, 90. Pour 525 ml water over the 175 ml syrup, the total is 700 ml sugar syrup. Whatever the amount of sugar syrup you get from the pumpkin, complete with water to get 700 ml sugar syrup in total.

91, 92. Pour the 700 ml sugar syrup to a saucepan.

93, 94. Put sugar syrup over high heat and bring it to boil.

95, 96. Add 1/8 teaspoon lemon salt (citric acid) and 1/3 teaspoon cream of tartar.

97. Boil sugar syrup for 5 minutes.

98. Turn off heat, set sugar syrup aside until its temperature goes down.

99, 100. Bring pumpkin slices.

101 to 106. Add pumpkin slices to lukewarm syrup, keep in sugar syrup for 24 hours, stirring occasionally.

107 to 111. After 24 hours, remove pumpkin slices from sugar syrup.

112. Keep sugar syrup in the saucepan.

113, 114, 115, 116. Add 300 g sugar to sugar syrup.

117, 118, 119. Dissolve sugar in sugar syrup over high heat, and let it boil for 5 minutes.

120. Turn off heat, set sugar syrup aside until its temperature goes down.

121 to 126. Add pumpkin slices to lukewarm syrup, keep in sugar syrup for 24 hours, stirring occasionally.

129, 130, 131. After 24 hours, remove pumpkin slices from sugar syrup.

132. Keep sugar syrup in the saucepan.

133, 134, 135, 136. Add 400 g sugar to sugar syrup.

137, 138, 139, 140. Add peel of 1 orange, peel of 1/2 lemon, 2 cinnamon sticks and 3 clove buds to sugar syrup.

141, 142, 143, 144. Dissolve sugar in sugar syrup over high heat, and let it boil for 5 minutes.

145, 146, 147, 148. Add pumpkin slices to sugar syrup.

149, 150, 151, 152. Reduce heat and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

153, 154, 155, 156. Remove the peels and the spices.

157, 158, 159, 160. The jam is done when the pumpkin slices have become transparent, and the liquid has thickened to a syrupy consistency and coating the pumpkin.

165 to 168. Transfer hot pumpkin jam into a jar.

169, 170. Pour syrup over pumpkin jam.

171, 172. Allow to cool to room temperature before sealing the jar. Then seal and store in the refrigerator.

173. Bring pumpkin jam to room temperature before serving.

174 to 180. Serve in a plate. Drizzle with syrup, and serve.

181. Serve Mrabba Al-Qare’e Al-Halabi with Turkish coffee.

Mrabba Al-Qare’e Al-Halabi

From: l2ma.com / Servings:
PDF Text Only / Print With Images

100 g slaked lime powder (calcium hydroxide) 1500 ml warm water 500 g white pumpkin slices, weight after peeling the pumpkin 1000 g sugar, divided Enough water to get 700 ml sugar syrup, read instructions “steps 89 and 90” 1/8 tsp lemon salt (citric acid) 1/3 tsp cream of tartar Peel of 1 orange Peel of 1/2 lemon 2 cinnamon sticks 3 clove buds To Serve Turkish Coffee

Put 100 g slaked lime powder (calcium hydroxide) in a large ceramic or glass bowl. Add 1500 ml warm water to it. When water is added, it heats up and bubbles like it’s boiling, make it seems alive. Immediately stir with a wooden spoon. Set aside for 1 hour, this will allow to separate the precipitate and clean water. White pumpkin is used to make the jam. Cut the pumpkin in half then to quarters. Scoop out all of the seeds. Cut each quarter in half. Scrap all stringy bits. Cut off the skin. In Aleppo, there is a special tool used to make pumpkin jam with its special shape, click here to see the cutter. I used vegetable cutter and made holes inside the pieces. Use crinkle cutter knife to cut pumpkin to slices approximately 2 x 1 x 0.3 inches (5 x 3 x 1 cm thickness). The pumpkin slices are in two shapes. All pumpkin slices are almost equal in size. Picture 56 shows two bowls, Left Bowl contains pumpkin slices that are equal in size and with good shape and will be used in today’s recipe. Right bowl contains pumpkin slices that are left irregular in shape or small or any residues that can’t be used in this recipe, will be used to make “Mrabba Al-Qare’e Al-Mabshour” (Shredded Pumpkin Jam). The weight of pumpkin slices is 500 g. Bring the bowl of slaked lime and water. Use a ladle and add the clear water to the pumpkin. Discard the white precipitate and don’t add it to the pumpkin slices. Put ceramic or glass plate over the pumpkin slices to immerse them, and set aside for 24 hours. After 24 hours, remove the plate. Drain water from pumpkin slices. Wash pumpkin slices and rinse in several changes with water. Soak pumpkin slices in water for 30 minutes, then drain water from pumpkin. This step to get rid of any traces of slaked lime. Measure 300 g sugar. Put 300 g sugar over pumpkin slices and set aside for 24 hours. This will give sugar syrup. After 24 hours, measure the syrup, I had 175 ml sugar syrup Pour 525 ml water over the 175 ml syrup, the total is 700 ml sugar syrup. Whatever the amount of sugar syrup you get from the pumpkin, complete with water to get 700 ml sugar syrup in total. Pour the 700 ml sugar syrup to a saucepan. Put sugar syrup over high heat and bring it to boil. Add 1/8 teaspoon lemon salt (citric acid) and 1/3 teaspoon cream of tartar. Boil sugar syrup for 5 minutes. Turn off heat, set sugar syrup aside until its temperature goes down. Bring pumpkin slices. Add pumpkin slices to lukewarm syrup, keep in sugar syrup for 24 hours, stirring occasionally. After 24 hours, remove pumpkin slices from sugar syrup. Keep sugar syrup in the saucepan. Add 300 g sugar to sugar syrup. Dissolve sugar in sugar syrup over high heat, and let it boil for 5 minutes. Turn off heat, set sugar syrup aside until its temperature goes down. Add pumpkin slices to lukewarm syrup, keep in sugar syrup for 24 hours, stirring occasionally. After 24 hours, remove pumpkin slices from sugar syrup. Keep sugar syrup in the saucepan Add 400 g sugar to sugar syrup. Add peel of 1 orange, peel of 1/2 lemon, 2 cinnamon sticks and 3 clove buds to sugar syrup. Dissolve sugar in sugar syrup over high heat, and let it boil for 5 minutes. Add pumpkin slices to sugar syrup. Reduce heat and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the peels and the spices. The jam is done when the pumpkin slices have become transparent, and the liquid has thickened to a syrupy consistency and coating the pumpkin. Transfer hot pumpkin jam into a jar. Pour syrup over pumpkin jam. Allow to cool to room temperature before sealing the jar. Then seal and store in the refrigerator. Bring pumpkin jam to room temperature before serving. Serve in a plate. Drizzle with syrup, and serve. Serve Mrabba Al-Qare’e Al-Halabi with Turkish coffee.

Notes and Tips

Slaked lime should be use, it cannot be substituted and cannot be omitted from the recipe.

Slaked lime is used to keep pumpkin slices firm and prevent them from turning mushy and soft when cooked in sugar syrup.

Slaked lime can scald and burn your skin, you have to be careful.

Do not throw slaked lime (white precipitate) in the sink, it will block drain pipes.

This entry was posted on Friday, November 30th, 2018 at 6:49 PM and is filed under Syrian Baking and Desserts, To Aleppo With Love. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.