Marmalade
Marmalade
The original (?) recipe for a great toast topper - especially on fresh home-made bread.
Equipment
- Preserving pan or large saucepan.
- Glass jars with 'poppy' lid.
- Waxed discs to cover the marmalade. The size depends on the jars you (re-)use but those for 1lb jars seem to suffice.
- Orange/Lemon juice extractor/squeezer.
- Small, sharp, serrated kitchen knife - emphasis on sharp.
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg Seville orange
- 2 large lemons juice only
- 3 kg preserving or granulated sugar preserving or jam sugar is best as it contains pectin which helps the marmalade set.
- 3.75 litres water
- a little butter
Instructions
- Lightly butter the pan base and add the water.
- Cut the oranges and lemons in half and and squeeze out all of the juice. Add the juice to the water and place the pith and pips into a muslin bag and tie it loosely and then tie the bag to the pan handle so that it's easier to find when you want to extract it.
- Cut the orange peel into quarters, fold and cut into shreds with a small serrated kitchen knife. The thickness (or thinness) of the shreds is down to personal preference. Add the shreds to the pan.
- Bring to the liquid to simmering point, cover if you can, and simmer very gently for around 2 hours, or until the peel is completely soft. Press a piece between finger and thumb, it should squish easily to half it's size.
- Chill 3 side plates in the fridge or freezer.
- Remove the bag of pips and place on a plate to cool.
- Pour the sugar into the pan and stir now and again over a low heat until all the sugar has dissolved. Increase the heat to its highest and squeeze the bag of pith and pips over the plate to extract as much gunk as you can and pop it in the pan. This stuff is high in pectin and helps the marmalade set. Use a balloon whisk to mix the gunk into the liquid. When the mixture reaches a really fast boil start timing giving it an occasional stir.
- After 15 minutes spoon a little of the liquid onto one of the cold plates and and cool in the fridge for a couple of minutes. Push the mixture on the plate with a finger. If it has a crinkly skin it's ready. If not, continue to boil and test again at 5 minute intervals.
- Take the pan off the heat and skim any scum from the surface. (To dissolve any excess scum, drop a small knob of butter on to the surface, and gently stir.) Leave the marmalade to stand in the pan for 20 minutes to cool a little and allow the peel to settle.
- In the meantime: wash and rinse your jars and warm in a medium heated oven.
- Pour, or spoon, the marmalade into the jars up to the neck and cover with waxed discs - wax side down. Put the lids on tightly while the jars are hot. Wait.
- As the marmalade cools down the 'poppy' bit of the lids will be sucked in and make a satisfying 'pop'! Label the jars when they are cold and store in a dry, cool, dark place.
- Make some toast!
Notes
For an added twist: Shred the lemon peel and add it to the pan with the orange.
