About Those 12 Cups of Sugar...

The rinds of eight grapefruit halves

All I want for Christmas is another kitchen* and another gumbo pot. (JK) It's gotten to the point where each of us has to schedule time in the kitchen for our various cooking & baking projects. I had to transfer my eight grapefruit halves' rinds from the gumbo pot (where they had soaked for 24 hours in salt water) to the roaster because Mr. Big Food needed the gumbo pot to mix the ingredients for his fruitcake which he was scheduled to make this morning.

I wonder if he chose this particular fruitcake recipe because it specifically says to mix the ingredients by hand? Humm... I wonder... .

I'll post photographs of Mr. Big Food's fruitcake soon. It hasn't been "watered" but I hear tell the virgin version is pretty darned good.

My fruitcake preparations are progressing nicely, I think. 

I tried to cram them all onto one platter and tore one. What was I thinking? 

After the grapefruit rinds soak for 24 hours in salt water, they are rinsed, put in a pot, covered with cold water, brought to a boil then drained. Six times. Pot, rinds, water, boil. Repeat. They then simmer for an hour after which time they are somewhat fragile (see photo caption) and are ready for the next stage.

The gumbo pot with six cups of water + 12 cups of sugar

Candied grapefruit rinds... 

or should I say, "fruitcake vesicles?"

That's right. My Christmas Fruitcake is going to be steamed, then baked, in candied grapefruit rinds. That's right. Just as soon as I can schedule kitchen time. 

(Though to be honest, I'm not sure they turned out as they should have. Wait and see. They cool for 12 hours in the syrup which took forever to get to the soft ball stage.)

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