Feeling Lucky?

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Who says there’s no such thing as a bottle of completely free jelly or marmalade? Made with carefully selected smaller “native” guavas, brought to us directly from the farm, and cooked in very small batches when the fruit was fully ripe and pungent. Or organically raised kalamansi, each fruit individually selected so the rinds were blemish free, and de-seeded and cut finely by hand (a very tedious task)… Both preserves were cooked by Marketman and crew in marathon jam making sessions over the past two weeks where we made nearly 250 bottles of mangosteen jam, guava jelly, and kalamansi marmalade. One half of these preserves will be wrapped up as gifts for friends and family this Christmas season. The other half is going to another use, which I will probably write about next week. So are you in Cebu this weekend, and are you feeling lucky?

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This weekend I will be in Cebu to check out the Zubuchon stall at the Banilad Town Center Sunday market. So if you want to try the Zubuchon I have been shamelessly writing about on this blog in recent weeks, or are just curious how old, bald or fat Marketman is, drop by the Sunday Market at BTC between 10-11:30am this Sunday, October 25, 2009 and say hello. And you could end up bringing a bottle of kalamansi marmalade or guava jelly home with you, completely free. I figure the odds of “winning” a bottle are something like 1 out of 25… not bad, no? :)

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We will be bringing more lechons to the market this Sunday, and if all goes well, maybe some ready to cook lechon sisig in limited quantities as well… And while you are there, check out these other vendors as well:

– Silvanas and Chocolate Cake (by Joan)
– Artisan Breads, Pastries, Chocolate (by Artisan Chocolatier)
– Fresh Milk, Artisan Cheese and other dairy products (Cebu Dairy)
– Organic Vegetables, Herbs, and Fruits (Various Sellers)
– Canalones and other prepared food (Don Merto’s)
– Native Delicacies (Mandaue Vendor)
– Guilang’s Tablea (Tsokolate) from Argao

The Sunday market is just a few weeks old, so the more folks who drop by and the more vendors that sign up will hopefully encourage the market to grow into a vibrant and delicious place to drop by every Sunday. I recall when the Salcedo Saturday market first opened, they had less than 20 stalls, and just a short year later there were hundreds of eager vendor wannabees on the waitlist for a space! If you have an interesting food product or related items you would like to sell, why not look into taking a table at the BTC Sunday market? I look forward to meeting some of you on Sunday! :)

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56 Responses

  1. oh man that sucks! How I wish I’m in Cebu this weekend. Guava jelly and mangosteen marmalade sounds yummy! Although I must admit I have no idea what mangosteen is suppose to taste like but I bet it’s goooooood, specially since you highly recommend it. So honestly, I’m quite intrugue….

  2. inggit! cebu readers will be the lucky ones ;P talk about early xmas shopping, you’ve already finished yours and its only october.

  3. I love jam made of citrus fruits but I have encountered some that are bitter. Just wondering if you have a technique to remove the bitter taste of a citrus fruit jam. I’ve never had calamansi jam, by the way, but your looks really good.

  4. Ok MM, Let’s raise the ante a bit more. I will pair each bottle you give away with a pack of Brioche à tête.

    I also got confirmation today from the tablea vendor that he will have available some torta from argao for sale.

  5. Artisan, thanks, that sounds great – brioche with marmalade or jelly! Pandora, marmalades, by invention and definition, I believe are meant to have a bitter edge. The best orange marmalades are made with Seville oranges, which are particularly bitter. And citrus rinds are almost always bitter. The kalamansi marmalade does have a bitter tinge, but I find it is what makes the marmalade interesting. The recipe in the link above shares my recipe for the marmalade. Commercial orange marmalades that are predominantly sweet and cloying rely on a LOT of sugar I think… And the rinds are probably boiled until much of the bitterness is removed… Joyce, the holidays get so crazed I find its good to get a headstart wherever possible. Nicole, it’s mangosteen jam and kalamansi marmalade and guava jelly… the mangosteen jam is one of my favorite preserves, see link here.

  6. MM, jam and jelly making is a lovely thing to do….tedious but satisfying stuff! Best marmalade for me is pink grapefruit. Love it! Guava jelly, though, would be on my last meal list if I ever got sent to death row! Just may see you Sunday!

  7. Yes, if you don’t like the bitter tinge, then I guess you have to forget about kalamansi or other citrus marmalades. At least with that distinct citrus rind flavor, you don’t feel like you’re eating all sugar.

    MM, I also have a few bottles waiting in the pantry already. This is the second year I am making them for Christmas gifts. The bonus this year is that they all come in authentic Ball mason jars (not as easy to find here in Manila as in the US).

  8. Marketfan, True Value hardware stores carried the Ball jars last Christmas, but at PHP100+ per bottle, they were a bit steep. The ones I use above, from San Miguel packaging, run roughly PHP8 per bottle with cap. But I do like the Ball jars…

  9. I agree that Artisan’s brioche paired with your marmalade is an excellent combo. I have tried Artisan’s brioche at Casa Escano and it is the best.

    MM, I feel lucky so I will go to Cebu this weekend to buy Zubuchon. Earlier, I had planned on just going to Ormoc to buy lechon but taking the extra mile (via Supercat) is well worth it. See you in Cebu on Sunday.

  10. Oh to live in Cebu & be a friend of MM!!! And be gifted w a jar or two of his glorious-looking & likewise likely to be tres delicioso guava & calamansi jelly!!! Sigh! No such luck!

    When I buy commercially made guava jelly, they’re usually so cloyingly sweet w just a hint of guava taste! It ends up uneaten & moldy.

    Once in a blue moon, I go to Cendrillon just for their calamansi tart!

    More stuff I miss from back home!

  11. If anyone’s looking for nice jars for preserves, I saw some for sale at Handyman in Robinson’s galleria just last Friday…

  12. Kaka-inggit naman to the Cebuanos! I LOVE mangosteen jam especially with the crunch of the seeds. Whoever wins the goodies is sure lucky. Hundreds of MM readers/commenters will just have to live vicariously through them. MM, how about a picture of the the crew’s stall, Artisan Chocolatier’s stall, and the jam with the brioche? That’ll increase envy levels for sure, hahaha!

  13. Must say that’s pretty blush colored guava jelly MM. My mom used to make them a loooong time ago- a darker ruby color though (factor of the guava’s ripeness?). Folks, try guava jelly and cheese- makes a good sandwich pairing even if it sounds weird. :-)

  14. Calorie, cheese and guava jelly isn’t weird at all. That’s what I’ve been doing for many years. If there’s no guava jelly, I use honey. On one part of a slice of what bread, put some cheese slices. On the other part, spread some guava jelly. It is yummy.

  15. Aw…. I will miss this!!! My husband and I have a scheduled trip on MONDAY….. If I knew about this, I would have booked our flight a day earlier…Tsktsk… maybe you can make an exception? Hehehe…

  16. yes, yes, yes!! moni, joan, artisan chocolatier, MM….instant reunion of the bisaya sectorof last year’s EB! who has Mrs. MU’s contact number?

  17. Oh my word!!! I’m so glad you do this too!!!! My mom did it and still does it with anything and everything. Have you tried santol and duhat jelly too?

  18. I am so jealous…. wish I was in Cebu to get a taste of the lechon and maybe get a jar of any kind…jam/jelly…if it’s homemade I’ll take it…of course I have to try artisan chocolatier’s brioche too… hmmm getting hungry here.

  19. For those of us here in the US, quinces are in season so it’s time to make membrillo! I just made some last week and paired it off with manchego cheese. Sublime! I just have some questions though, marketman if you don’t mind, for Betty Q:

    Betty Q: I used the membrillo recipe you gave which says not to peel the quince and another recipe which said to peel and also aside from the sugar, to add lemon juice. The recipe you gave yielded a lighter colored membrillo and the peeled ones had a darker pink hue. I was just wondering if I overcooked it because the water of the unpeeled ones turned pink while the unpeeled ones had no color so maybe the color was washed out by overcooking?

  20. Hi MM, how many is “more” lechon? because last week my brother went to BTC to have our 2nd Zubuchon experience but the 3rd lechon was finished by 11:00am… :)

  21. Bernard, another lechon must have arrived just AFTER your brother went last week, as they were selling lechon until 1 pm when it just about ran out. I am sorry he was unable to get some… First delivery is at roughly 930-945am and the second delivery should be by 11-1115am. They might bring as many as 70+ kilos worth this Sunday to try and meet demand… Thanks. Lilibeth, you just reminded me I have a photo of quince which I should post as many readers have probably never seen a fresh one. I hadn’t. Julie, I have never tried duhat jelly but it sounds absolutely intriguing, any tips for making it right? Moni, and calorie, I have posts in the archives with guava jam and cheese on crackers… zena, I will try to remember to bring my camera to take a few photos. calorie, the jelly is actually amber color. I use white granulated sugar, not brown sugar like some folks do. And I put a LOT of guavas in the jelly preparation. So I like to have it a medium color and a thick consistency. Sometimes I make a very thin jelly, almost like a sauce which is great over meats and other savory uses…

  22. here’s wishing i’m in cebu right now…i have stayed away from pork for a long time but I’m eager to try the exotic zubuchon…the guava jelly would be good with manchego cheese.

  23. MM. I wil be in Cebu this Sunday in spirit lang. Tsk, tsk. Anugon da. Anyway, the next time I go home I will stop by at BTC, for sure, and buy some of the Zubuchon lechon and the tablea from Argao and the pastries and chocolates of Artisan Chocolatier.
    Yes, I learned that the best orange marmalade is made of oranges from Sevilla. Incidentally, there were lots of fruit when I was there last month. And my companion warned me that they are not the sweet kind as I was going to pick one from the tree.

  24. Oh yes, I think I wil do this too for Christmas. We have an abundance of Concord grapes in the backyard this year. I will make some bottles of jam as I find it easier to make and give that as gifts. Great idea, MM.

  25. MM,

    Is that a t-shirt I spy up top with matching pin? Can I barter that with a donation for the feeding program as I will not be able to make it to Cebu yet?

    :)

  26. Quillene, the shirt is one of these SERIES that we had for charitable fund-raising in 2007. It was a bit of a nightmare, as 30% of folks who reserved shirts never showed up. So I was left with nearly 100 shirts in different sizes which went to sukis, crew, friends, etc. so there isn’t a single one left.

  27. OK, Lilibeth…you are supposed to COOK UNPEELED but washed qunces till they crack but do not let it swim in water!…just enough to cover….peel then when cool enough to handle…AFTER adding all the rest of the stuff, it will turn reddish paste. Hey, I think STEAMING rather than boiling it to soften will yield a better product….it will retain the color!

    MC once told me that STEAMING the UBE (UNPEELED) will really bring out the purple-y color rather than boiling the UNPEELED UBE.

    If I am not watching my sugar intake nowadays, I am off to the kitchen to do this membrillo for the winter. I just bought Piave the other day.

  28. Why hadn’t I thought of jams as Christmas presents?! I’ve decided on a pasta pack with mildly spiced tomato sauce for my giveaways this year. I already bought my bottles. But jams are so much more preserve-able. I’m jealous that you’d probably be done with your Christmas list when it’s just October!

  29. Oh, is that so!

    The shirts are cool! I will be on the lookout if you decide to re-issue the shirts!

  30. I was in Bacolod for 3 weeks and the only food item i carry on my luggage was a jar of guava jelly and still enjoying it what i regret most is that I was not able to eat lechon and valenciana and guess what when i opened your site what i see first things 2 lechons tempting to be eaten i could kill for those. Will Cebu be the only place to enjoy your lechon what about the other places. Hope when i return home to Bacolod your lechon will be selling like hotcakes too.

    Cheers

  31. GJO, the lechons that we had in Bacolod were fantastic as well. Flavored with lots of batwan. Lechoneros would come to the home of our host and cook them in the backyard!

  32. Waaaaah I’m having a jealousy-induced heart attack in my seat! The Cebuanos are very lucky. Guava jam and bitter marmalade are all-time favourites. Yum!

  33. How I wish I could be in Cebu this weekend! MM, I have been making your Calamansi Marmalade for 2 years now. I do wait till they are orange before I pick them. I found this recipe for “Kumquat Champagne Confit” and, when I harvest the 2 calamansi shrubs in the backyard this November, I will use calamansi instead of kumquat.

  34. Ooh, I love guava jelly and mangosteens but I’ve never had mangosteen jam. I’ve never been to Cebu so this would have been a perfect time to pay a visit.

    I’m so jealous!

  35. After getting your copy of SunStar today, get your Zubuchon tomorrow at BTC!…And better yet, get your copy of SunStar autographed by Marketman!!!!…..hehehe

  36. Thanks Betty Q! I think my mistake was I made them swim in water. I made another one a couple of days ago and followed the quince and sugar recipe and unpeeled and it turned out a pale pink and also this time, it did not gel. I think I will try the one with the lemon again.

  37. rats! I’ll be in Cebu the weekend of Nov 8. Will there still be displays and stalls from the various foodies? I do want to try em

  38. I just got back from Cebu. I was at BTC and had a great time with MM, Artisan Chocolatier, Millet, her mother and twin brothers. Of course, we were lucky coz Millet and I got our free kalamansi marmalade and guava jelly from MM. I managed to buy one kilo zubuchon while it was steaming hot. That was the 5th lechon sold out. Many customers came in response to Sun Star’s feature of zubuchon. From Artisan’s table, I bought 3 dozens ensaimada, 1 pack of banana-walnut muffins, and 1 jar of creme du chocolat grand marnier, and 1 jar of creme du chocolat kahlua. Earlier this morning, I went to Casa Escano for breakfast and bought Mrs. U’s bagoong alamang.

    What a lovely day! Many thanks MM for the guava jelly and Artisan for enticing me to go to Cebu.

  39. Wheeew!!! It was one fun-filled exciting Sunday at BTC yesterday. It was great seeing Moni and Millet (and meeting Millet’s family).

    MM and Crew had their “OMG!!” moment with the public demand for their Zubuchon. I think they served one lechon within 10 minutes of setting up (the market had not even open yet!!). Anyway, I’ll leave it to MM to write about their experience.

    As for me, I had hardly a time to chat for long with MM, Moni and Millet, since I had to attend to customer queries regarding my artisan breads, cheese, and chocolates. Before I knew it, everyone was on their way.

    Hope to see everyone next Saturday (The Mall will be close for Nov. 1).

  40. Oh no! I go for the more commercial sugary and not bitter citrus jams pala. :-( I will try out your calamansi jam recipe though and see how it goes. Thank you for the info.

  41. i was lucky, i was lucky!!

    what a great sunday morning! although most of the 5 lechons were gone by the time we got there at 10:30, my brothers and mom had fun watching the people lining up, waiting patiently, buying their sharing and leaving with big smiles. they also enjoyed meeting MM, artisan chocolatier and moni. too bad, joan hadn’t arrived yet. we were hoping mrs. u would come, too. since the lechon was all sold out, moni was very generous to share her lechon so we could all have a taste. MM passed around some samples of the sisig, and i promised myself i would get some of the frozen ones, but in the excitement later, i forgot all about it…remembered only that night.

    artisan’s chocolate sauce is suuuper…i don’t the 5,385 calories that are probably in every spoonful :-) the ensaymadas and brioche are superb too, and i intend buy more to eat with the guava jelly (will ask my mom for some of her calamansi jelly, too). thank you very much, MM, artisan, moni and everybody else, for the instant eyeball.

    and to the crew….congratulations, more power and more lechon, and go, go, go!

    and lee…we missed you!

    bettyq, silly lolo, apicio…we were hoping you were there, too!

  42. Looked like it was a fun Sunday for everyone. Can’t wait to go there sometime next year, I hope.
    ‘Scuse me, MM. this is for bettyq. when are we going to meet up for that recipe and sample ensaimada. I will have to do it on my own as I have given up on my friend to come with me. Bet all the lanzones are gone now. A week day is better as the border is not too busy.
    Thanks bettyq.

  43. Hello Marketman. My sister is in Cebu now and I really would like to try the Zubuchon Lechon. How can she bring some to Manila? She will fly to Manila this Saturday. Hope you can read this early.

  44. cmsoriano, at this stage, lechon by the kilo is only sold on Sundays, until we open our outlet… you could order a whole lechon but we don’t recommend transporting it because the quality of the skin deteriorates with the trip… Please see this post for more information or to text an inquiry…

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