Saturday 4 February 2012

Mmmmmmmmmmmm!!! Marmalade


Nothing can taste as good as homemade, well 90% of the stuff
Today I've been making my first batch of this years Orange Marmalade.
I was never one for Marmalade, same with alot of produce, but once I started making them myself it gave me the encouragement I needed to try them
last year I spent all day doing 2 batches, but it did last most of the year, this year I have decided to do 1 batch now, and i'll do another later in the year.

Orange marmalade can taste slightly different with each batch, I tend not to use the Seville Oranges but do use sweet oranges, this year tho the batch was made from Neville Oranges with the added rind taken from the Seville Oranges, it should add a slightly different taste. Have to say I dont like rind in it, but it has been very very finely grated, and only from 3 Oranges.

If you have never made any Marmalade before, you will find loads of recipe's on the internet, but here is a recipe link or two that you can try, Allotment growing recipes and Jam Jar Shop And of course they sell all preservng kits, utencils, Jars etc, I shall also put my recipe from this months batch if you would like to try it.

2LB Sweet Oranges
2 Lemons
4 pints of Water
Very small knob of butter
Sugar 1LB per pint of finished Liquid.
Large deep pan
Long handled wooden spoon
Jars with lids and several waxed disc's.
Please Note as the marmalade is cooking and for some time later, it is extremely hot and can cause severe burns, so please think safety from spills and splashes, and take great care to keep children and animals well away from the working area.

Thoroughly Clean your Jars & Lids in hot soapy water, rinse in clean hot water and Dry.
Scrub the oranges with hot water and a bristle brush to clean off any dirt or wax.
dry, then roll on the work surface, this will make for more Juice.

In a dish ( so you dont loose any Juice), cut in half, extract the juice, i used a juicer, keeping the pips separate as you will need them, Place Juice into your deep pan.

Quarter and half again the rind, slice off the pith, and put the pith with the pips in a muslin bag.
Put the rind in the pan with the Orange Juice, Water, Add the Lemon Juice.
Put the pips from the Lemon in the bag with the pips and pith of the orange.
Tie the bag to secure, you dont want to loose the pips in the pan, Place the bag in the pan along with the juice and orange rind.

Bring all the liquid to boil then simmer for about 1 1/2 - 2 hours. until the orange rind is nice and soft.
Once the rind is ready you can remove it and let it cool enough, so you can slice it as thinly as you like, or leave it out altogether.

Remove the bag of pips and pith pressing lightly against the pan with a wooden spoon as you take it out, this can now be discarded.

Measure the amount of liquid in your pan, you will see that there is much less than you put, this is correct and should happen.

Weigh out 1Lb of sugar to each pint of liquid, warm the sugar by popping in the over on an open platter or in a dish.

Put the oven on gas mark 2-3, a low-med heat setting, place your cleaned jars upside down on a greaseproof paper covered rack, put the lids next to them, and pop in the oven, this is to sterilize your jars and lids.

Put the warmed sugar into warm liquid on a low heat and stir until all the sugar has dissolved. about 10 mins.

Turn up the heat and high boil the liquid, stirring all the time. Think safety.
Do not let it boil over the top if it is raising to high turn you heat down a touch, but keep it high boiling and keep stirring all the time.

after about 15 mins test for setting, turn off the heat and pop a spoon of liquid on a cool plate, wait a few moments to cool, if it starts to wrinkle when you touch it then it is at setting point, if it does not wrinkle, boil for a few more minutes then test again.

Once ready, remove from heat, add a small knob of butter and stir.

Remove the jars and lids from the oven (caution, they will be very hot) place on a heat resistance non slip mat the right way up, Ladle marmalade into the hot jars, place a waxed disc (wax side down) onto the Marmalade and seal with the lid.

Leave to cool at room temperature ( this could take a couple of hours).
Once cooled, Lable and date. store in a dark cool place.

If you decide to make your own, have a version of your own or try my version I'd love to hear from you.
Enjoy
Jax x

6 comments:

  1. The marmalade looks lovely Jax - all sunshiney not like the weather!
    I'm not a marmalade lover but I usually make plum jam each year - I have a lovely Victoria plum tree in my garden which my daughter and I planted over 20 years ago. Took it nearly 10 years to start fruiting but now there is no stopping it! :)

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  2. Thank you :)
    it has been very cold today and we have snow.
    10 years to wait for fruit, it must have seemed everso long, but worth it.
    I'd love to walk round your garden when they are ready,
    love plums, never had them as a Jam, we planted a patio plum aswell as apple and pear last year so cant wait for those to start fruiting.

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  3. Beautiful colour to your marmalade. It's one of those things I have wanted to do but never at the right time of year.

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  4. Thank you Mrs Jones,
    The only reason most make it in Jan-Feb is due to the Seville Oranges, but they are way to bitter for me, I like my marmalade on the sweet side, you can make it at anytime of year if you'd like to try out the different flavours of the oranges, with some its a very subtle difference, later in the year i'm just to busy in the garden, then its dehydrating produce and pickling time, so this time of year is best for me to make up a batch.
    If you try it you'll probably be suprised how much nicer home made is.

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  5. That looks lovely Jax. Unlike you I like a bitter marmalade with big chunks of peel in it! lol

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  6. Thanks Maggie,
    It was tempting me earlier so had some on toast .. lovely.

    Do you make your own, I'm sure there is a recipe for a chunky version on the Allotment garden recipe's.
    Soon be time for the garden, i'm itching to get in there lol

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