Marrows – the beefier cousin of the courgette – have long been an allotment favourite amongst vegetable growers who value easy to grow crops that produce large yields. Marrows thrive in hot summers, so if you have any knocking about down on your vegetable patch, chances are they will be in fine fettle. Whilst a magnificent swollen marrow will bring gasps of appreciation when displayed on a table at a village fete, they have limited use in the kitchen. Culinary-wise, they need a bit of work to make their bland flesh a tasty prospect. You can, however, make a rather fine booze from them which goes by the name of marrow rum.
Strictly speaking, it’s not a rum as there’s no distillation process involved in its making – the rum bit comes from the deep hued crimson booze that results. It has a uniquely vegetal taste that some people may initially describe as ‘acquired’ – but, like rum, you really want to sip it slowly and savour the charms of this unusual, allotment-based booze.
Still with us? Read on for our step-by-step guide on how to make marrow rum…
- Grab a large marrow and slice off the top using a sharp serrated knife. Set the top aside then scoop out the seedy innards with a spoon.
- Stuff the marrow cavity with 2 1/2 cups of demerara sugar, 1 tablespoon of black treacle, the juice of one orange and a one inch piece of fresh ginger. To this, add 1 sachet of red wine yeast (available from homebrew shops and online retailers).
- Stand the marrow upright in a large pitcher (or small bucket). Replace the top of the marrow you set aside (or retrieve it from the bin, depending on whether you paid attention in the first step) and wrap the lid with parcel tape to keep it secure.
- Keep the marrow upright in your chosen receptacle and set aside somewhere warm. Your marrow may show signs of disintegration after a couple of weeks. If so, wrap it in a muslin cloth secured with string, or stuff it in a (clean) pair of tights to keep it together.
- After 4 weeks, your marrow should be ready to give up its juicy bounty. Pierce a hole in the base of the marrow and allow the liquid to run into a fermenting jar.
- Fit an airlock (again, purchasable from homebrew retailers) and allow fermentation to finish before bottling your marrow rum, which should take around 2 weeks.
Allow your marrow rum to mature for a couple of weeks before dishing it out to unsuspecting family and friends. Cheers!
Three great marrow varieties to grow
‘Tiger Cross’
A British bred hybrid that produces high yields of early fruits. Its thick, striped skin makes it a good winter storer. You can also deep fry the flowers and scoff them with salad.
‘Badger Cross’
Similar to the aforementioned Tiger Cross, but this plant produces darker fruits that mature later in the season. Stuff this badger with cheesy rice and roast in the oven to really make it cross.
‘HoneyGold’
A small golden marrow that grows prolifically on a compact bush – perfect for container growing on a patio. Slice, douse with oil and cook this variety on a BBQ for a great burger accompaniment.
The Two Thirsty Gardeners, Rich and Nick, are bloggers who love gardening, eating and drinking in equal measure! They love to share tales from their allotment including their experiments turning the spoils of their crops into alcohol, both the good and the bad!
To find out more about Rich and Nick, click here.
Hello, I’m having trouble actually growing my marrows, first year was fine and then the plants flowered but young marrows just sat there and rotted, i love marrow rum but have found unless you grow them yourself they are difficult to find presumably because they are quite big and don’t demand much of a profit, anyway I’m waffling now, why are my mini marrows not growing to full size ??? Many thanks
Hi, thanks for your comment. It’s possible that the rotting mini marrows are the first flush of marrows that haven’t been pollinated by a male flower. It can take a while for the pollinators to arrive and with the unpredictable weather this year, we noticed that nature wasn’t quite working on our marrows in the way that it should! Unfortunately some plants failed to produce fruit at all. Also, marrows do need plenty of nutrients and water to keep them actively growing. They should be grown in lots of good compost and be regularly watered, otherwise they can sometime run out of energy before the fruits can properly swell.
As for buying marrows, you’ll often find them at car boot sales, village fetes, church fairs etc so might be worth keeping an eye out there!
Thanks, STIHL GB