Makataan (AKA Pie Melon)

Making Makataan (AKA Tsama or Pie Melon) is a labour of love. And you can certainly taste the love in every sweet bite of this konfyt.

My three-day labour of love making makataan (laat my staan!).

I married a guy whose mother became a baasbakster by facing adversity. Many a time that adversity forced her to master the skill or figure things out for herself. That is a lesson I took to heart and wherever my journey took me, I was fortunate to engage with people who were gracious enough to share the tricks of their trade.

Moenie glo nie....there are those that will wraggies leave out ingredients or keep it a secret. I could never figure out why. Sharing is mos caring...

Thanks Ma Hettie for letting me into your space and at times letting me feel like I was the best thing since slice bread. God troos haar siel.

Makataan (AKA Pie Melon)

Patricia Du Plooy

Ingredients

• pie melon (as it is known Down Under)

• 5 kg melon peel

• 5 kg sugar

• 10 L water

• fresh ginger

• stick cinnamon

• 50 ml lemon juice

Lime solution

• 10 L water

• 30 ml slaked lime (get it at the health shop/chemist)

• 10ml Bicarb

  
  

Prick the melon

Cut it in pieces

Sweet delight

Method

1. Prick the melon and leave it overnight in the lime solution.

2. Wash thoroughly.

3. Boil in slightly salted water until soft or when it is okay to pierce with match stick. About 30 minutes.

4. Bring to a boil the sugar syrup and drop slightly squeezed pieces of melon one by one into the syrup and boil, covered, for 2 hours until the syrup is nice and thicker. The pieces will be transparent.

5. Pack into sterile jars or containers of your choice.