Seville Oranges are best for marmalade because of their bitter taste, thick peel and high pectin content, meaning it sets well on its own, although I always add a couple of lemons to my mix. Sweet oranges may be used with the addition of either lemons or grapefruit, or a mix of all three, and this mix will also set well without the addition of commercial pectin. The pectin is to be found in the fruit but mainly in the skin and pith and that is why the whole fruit, including the pips, is used for marmalade.
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| Preparing the fruit, squeezing the juice and collecting pips & coarse flesh |
I have made a dark Seville Orange marmalade this year by adding black treacle with the warmed sugar, to give a deep, rich brown finish to my preserve. Commercially, this is called Oxford Marmalade and it is a very popular product.
The washed and scrubbed fruit is cut in half, squeezed to extract the juice, pips and pith, and strain the juice. Add juice to the fruit and the cooking water, and cook to soften the fruit, before the sugar is added, with the pips and pith being tied up in a scalded muslin bag for cooking with the fruit, juice and water mixture. The mixture must then be slowly cooked for about two hours, to ensure the peel is very soft. Once the sugar is added, the peel will not become softer and will, in fact, appear to become tougher, once the sugar has dissolved and after the rolling-boil process ensures a good set, which lasts for approximately 10 minutes or more, depending on the fruit and mix used.
This year, to save time and effort, I pressure-cooked my fruit mixture in twenty minutes, when it was beautifully soft and cooked and ready for the addition of sugar. I always use the correct Preserving Sugar because this gives a better set, and creates less "scum" on the boiling and set preserve. Now you must remove this "scum" as soon as your mixture has reached the set stage, otherwise, it will spoil the appearance of your finish. To remove it, simply add a good knob of butter to your very hot marmalade and stir it in slowly, to amalgamate well. Leave the mixture to cool for ten minutes, or until a fine skin has formed on the mixture, and then ladle it into oven-warmed and sterilised jam jars, sealing immediately with waxed papers, cellophane tops, secured with elastic bands, and metal lids.
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| A good rolling-boil... |
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| Adding good knob of butter to remove "scum" |
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| "Scum" free... |
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| Potting-up! |
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| A good "scum" on cooked marmalade |
To test for setting, place a small teaspoon of hot preserve onto a saucer and place into your 'fridge or freezer for a few minutes and, if it's sufficiently boiled, the mixture will wrinkle slightly when pushed with the finger-tip. You can, of course, test with a sugar thermometer or by allowing the hot mixture to drip from a twirled wooden spoon, held aloft over the pan; when the falling drips collect and run together from the spoon, setting point has been reached. I always use the saucer method for its easy reliability and convenience.
Keep all utensils, spoons and funnel immersed in boiling water, while potting-up, to maintain a good hygienic finish to your product. Marmalade made and stored properly, can last for up to two years, depending on how quickly you eat it up, or give it away, to family and friends.
Leave the freshly potted preserve to cool and set completely before moving, then wipe each jar clean of any sticky drips, label with preserve name and date, and cool store.
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| Do test and taste before storing away! |
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| Preparing to pressure-cook |
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| Pressure cooking for 20 minutes It's great fun making your own marmalade and Seville Orange marmalade is the best but I also love a ginger mix, grapefruit and lemon marmalade an. a three-fruit marmalade can be a real joy. Somewhere I have a very delicious sweet and rich marmalade dessert, with butter, sugar and eggs mixed and cooked with your marmalade...it's so rich, I've never seen anyone able to eat more than one very small ramekin of pudding, garnished, with just a little dash of single cream! Happy marmalading everyone! |
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