Once the New Year celebrations have died down, the next big thing in my culinary calendar is marmalade day. It’s become an annual tradition to make the most of the Seville orange season, and I always prepare a trove of this perennial winter favourite for the year ahead.
You will not find marmalade like this in the shops – tangy and bright, and loaded with toffee-like peel, this is as good as it gets.
Marmalade is just sunshine in a jar. This version uses the most bitter of all the oranges, the Seville, that is in season only in January and February. Luckily, marmalade keeps very well if prepared properly; it makes an excellent gift, and if unopened will last well over a year.
Prep Time2 hourshrs
Cook Time3 hourshrs
Total Time5 hourshrs
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: English
Servings: 61 lb jars
Calories: 1379kcal
Ingredients
1kgSeville oranges
2.25litreswater
2lemons(or 75 ml lemon juice)
2kggranulated sugar
Instructions
Remove the buttons from the oranges and scrub them in warm water. Dry.
Cut the oranges in half, around the middles, and squeeze out the juice. Squeeze the lemons as well (or add the lemon juice).
Don't discard the white pith and the pips of the oranges, insted place them into a muslin bag. You can also use an old pair of tights to do this!
If there are any stringy bits left inisde the orange halves, use a spoon to carve them out and remove them. Place them into the muslin bag (or old tights!) as well.
Fill your jam pan with 2.25 litres of water
Strain juice of oranges and lemons into the jam pan.
Add any pulp and pips from the sieve into the muslin bag and tie tightly.
Add muslin bag to the pan of water and juice.
Cut orange peel into strips (cutting the hemispheres in half first makes this easier).
Strips can be anywhere from wafer thin to about 3mm wide, but best to be consistent with your size.
Bring the pan up to a bubble and leave simmering for 2 hours
The peel should now be soft and the liquid reduced by about 1/2
Remove the muslin bag, squeezing out any extra liquid.
If you have a measure on the side of your preserving pan, you'll want about 1.5 litres of liquid and peel. To avoid overcooking the sugar, reduce the liquid down until you are at this level.
Place your jars and lids into a preheated oven at 140 °C / 275 °F (120 °C / 240 °F fan).
Add the sugar to the pan and gently stir until it has dissolved.
Once it has dissolved, turn the heat up to maximum and bring the jam to a rapid rolling boil.
When the jam has reached 105c/220f, test for set. If you don't have a sugar thermometer, boil for 5 minutes before testing.
Remove the pan from the heat, and place a teaspoon of the jam on a cold plate.
After a couple of minutes, push the jam with your finger. If it wrinkles, and doesn’t flow back into the gap, you have achieved a set.
If not, return the pan to the heat for 5 more minutes and try again.
When the surface of the jam is still, remove any scum from around the edges.
Then give the jam a thorough stir, to disperse any remaining scum and to speed up cooling.
Leave for 10-20 minutes, until the peel is suspended in the jam, rather than floating on the surface.
Remove your sterile jars from the oven, remembering not to touch the inside.
Use a jam funnel and ladle to fill the jars, and place the lids on. A magnet can help to lift the jar lids from your baking sheet.
Hmmm… I’m sorry, but I really don’t! We only get bitter oranges for about 6 weeks of the year in the UK, so I know they are hard to come by. You can make marmalade with regular oranges, it just won’t be quite as zingy.
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4 comments
Do you have any thoughts about what type of citrus to use in the US as sour oranges are not sold here widely?
Hmmm… I’m sorry, but I really don’t! We only get bitter oranges for about 6 weeks of the year in the UK, so I know they are hard to come by. You can make marmalade with regular oranges, it just won’t be quite as zingy.
Hi Dan,
When the pan is simmering away for 2 hours do you leave the lid on or off?
Leave the lid off – you want the liquid to reduce down 🙂