I sometimes forget how much I love pumpkins until I visit Lebanon. Jazarieh is something we run across every time we visit oriental sweet shops in Saida (Saidon), it is quite a sight to see the glistening jazarieh stacked into pyramid shaped piles and flecked with peeled almonds and pine nuts, an experience not to be missed. It is technically more of a glazed candied dessert than of a jam. If you are turning your nose up because you think it is just a fruit dipped in sugar syrup, you have never had a jazarieh before.

Jazarieh, Lebanese Candied Pumpkin

Jazarieh is derived from the word jazar, and jazar in Arabic means carrots. Though jazarieh is made of pumpkins, I think the name comes from the brilliant bright orange color of carrots.

Jazarieh is scented with orange blossom water and mastic gum to brighten up the flavor notes and to create a unique taste, it is common to spice it up with a cinnamon stick and cloves upon cooking – I prefer it spice-free.

Learn how to transform pumpkin into a delicious candy treat. You can easily double the recipe, but one thing to consider is that the cooking time will change. You don’t need a thermometer to make the jam, you can know visually when it is done once the sugar syrup thickens and the color of the pumpkin shreds turn into translucent crystals.

Julienning or grating?

I never thought the size or geometry of the pumpkin cuts would really affect the flavor and palatability of jazarieh until I tested it twice. One time I cut the pumpkins into matchsticks and another time I shredded using a box grater. I ended up believing that the cutting way affects the texture and flavor of food, including jazarieh; julienning yields a candied result, while shredding develops a jammy texture. Both taste so good but both ways respond differently in terms of taste and texture. Food chemistry is very complex even with a humble recipe like jazarieh.  Look at the photos below to see which version you prefer.

• Here is the grated version, I shredded the pumpkin using a box grater. As you can see it has a jammy texture, my husband’s preference.

• Here the pumpkin was cut by a serrated knife to matchsticks, the end result is more of a candied pumkin; my personal preference!

What is pickling lime, and why and how do we use it to make jazarieh?

Pickling lime is calcium hydroxide and it is also called food-grade; a white chemical powder used in the Middle East by our ancestors to make some jams. Traditional jam recipes usually suggest soaking certain fruits in pickling lime for 12 – 15 hours, the process gives extra good crunch to jams. The case applies to making jazarieh. Soaking the shredded pumpkins in pickling lime helps improve the firmness and crunchiness of the candied pumpkin. It firms up its cell wall so it doesn’t get mushy while cooking.

To make it safe for consumption, pickling lime will be diluted in water and kept for 1 hour aside, allowing the pickling lime to precipitate and the water run clear. You will be using the clear water to be soaking the shredded pumpkin for 12 hours. When I was making jazarieh, my son Hicham realized that I am using pickling lime to soak the fruit, he stared at me with a perplexed look and asked: “Are you sure mom?” Yes, I answered, a technique used in the Middle East for over hundred years and maybe longer to make jams, it is not something new. But the thing is that soaked pumpkin shreds should be rinsed thoroughly several times to remove all the pickling lime sediments. I rinsed mine in six changes of water sink. The reason for thoroughly rinsing and changing water, is to protect yourself from foodborne botulism.

How to store Jazarieh?

Refrigerate jazarieh with its syrup  in a jar with airtight seal or with cling film to keep it from drying out, It keeps well in the fridge for 3 weeks, garnish with the previously soaked nuts upon serving.

And now let’s get started

Dilute the pickling lime in 8 cups of water, and keep aside for 1 hour, allowing the pickling lime to precipitate, and the water considerably gets clear.

Take a sharp knife, split the pumpkin and start peeling the outer layer of its skin, scrape the seeds and fibers and shred using a food processor,  hand shred or cut into matchsticks sized pieces.

Transfer the diluted pickling water to a large bowl, making sure to get rid of the pickling lime sediments that precipitated at the bottom; use only the clear water. Add the shredded pumpkins and set aside for 12 hours. The pickling lime water helps improve firmness of the pumpkin sticks.

Drain the shredded pumpkins and rinse thoroughly with clean water, you need to rinse multiple times, at least five to six times. Drain and set aside.

Use equal weights of sugar and pumpkin. The recipe calls for 800 g /1 lb 12 oz for either pumkin and sugar. If you are measuring with a cup, use a calibrated 250 ml measuring cup for accurate results.

Prepare the sugar syrup: Place the sugar and water in a heavy bottomed large pot over high heat, avoid stirring to prevent sugar from crystallizing; bring to a boil and add 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, the shredded pumpkins and mastic gum. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered; lazy bursting bubbles should appear around the edges of the pot but not a vigorous boil, excess high heat will cause the sugar syrup to reduce too quickly and will keep the pumpkins undercooked.  Leave for two and half hours until the shredded pumpkins cook, and sugar syrup mildly thickens. Stir frequently.

After two and a half hours of simmering, add the orange blossom water and stir the mix to homogenize; the scent of orange blossom water is absolutely heavenly and adds such a pleasant dimension to the jazarieh.

Remove the shredded pumpkins with a slotted spoon and set aside; keep the sugar syrup in the pot over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon lemon juice and simmer for more 4 minutes to slightly thicken the syrup. Remove from heat and set aside. You will be adding the syrup to the candied pumpkins to liven up the jazarieh.

Upon serving, transfer the shredded pumpkins (jazarieh) to a deep dish and hydrate with the syrup and garnish with peeled almonds and pine nuts that were previously soaked in cold water. Serve at room temperature or right from the fridge. How delicious, a crunch in every bite.

Learn how to transform pumpkin into a delicious candy treat. It is technically more of a glazed candied dessert than of a jam.

• Author: Hadia Zebib Khanafer
• Prep Time: 12 hours
• Cook Time 2 1/2 hours
• Serves 8 persons
• Cuisine: Lebanese

Ingredients:

• 1 kg / 2 lb 4 oz. pumpkin, 800 grams / lb 12 oz after peeling
• 800 grams / lb 12 oz /  3  1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 1/2 cups water
• 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Almonds or pine nuts, previously soaked in cold water
• ½ cup pickling lime/ slacked lime diluted in 8 cups of water
• 3 tablespoons orange blossom water
• 1 teaspoon mastic gum, crushed with a pinch of sugar, optional, but recommended

Directions:

1. Dilute the pickling lime in 8 cups of water, and keep aside for 1 hour, allowing the pickling lime to precipitate, and clearing the cloudy water.
2. Take a sharp knife, split the pumpkin and start peeling the outer layer of the pumpkin skin, scrape the seeds and fibers of the pumpkin and cut into matchsticks sized pieces, or alternatively, shred the pumkins, using a grate box or a food processor if you prefer the jammy texture. Check the photos above to see your personal preference.
3. Transfer the diluted pickling water to a large bowl, making sure to get rid of the pickling lime sediments that precipitated at the bottom. Use only the clear water. Add the shredded pumpkins and set aside for 15 hours. The pickling lime water helps to improve the firmness of the fruit. Drain the shredded pumpkins and rinse thoroughly with clean water, you need to rinse multiple times, at least four to five times. Drain and set aside
4. Prepare the sugar syrup: Place the sugar and water in a heavy bottomed large pot over high heat, avoid stirring to prevent sugar from crystallizing; bring to a boil and add 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, shredded pumpkins and crushed mastic gum. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered; lazy bursting bubbles should appear around the edges of the pot but not a vigorous boil, excess high heat will cause the sugar syrup to reduce too quickly and will keep the pumpkins undercooked. Leave for two and a half hours, stiring every now and then, until the pumpkins cook and sugar syrup mildly thickens. Stir frequently, making sure to check the pan frequently to prevent the syrup from drying out. You should end up with about 3/4 cup of syrup in the pot.
5. After two and a half hours of simmering, add the orange blossom water and stir the mix to homogenize; the scent of orange blossom water is absolutely heavenly and adds such a pleasant dimension to the jazarieh. Remove the shredded pumpkins with a slotted spoon set aside; keep the sugar syrup in the pot over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and simmer for more 4 minutes to slightly thicken. Remove from heat and set aside.
6. Upon serving, transfer the shredded pumpkins (jazarieh) to a deep dish, hydrate with the syrup and garnish with peeled almonds and pine nuts that were previously soaked in cold water. Serve at room temperature or right from the fridge. How delicious, a crunch in every bite.
   

More Lebanese Jams to enjoy!

Lebanese Dried Fig Jam

Lebanese Quince Jam

Check this favorite Middle Eastern Tart-Style Maamoul with Ashta, Pistachios and Jazarieh

If you make jazarieh, leave a comment below, or share your pictures on Facebook! I would love to see your creations!! Hashtag, #Hadia’s lebanese Cuisine