Each year I make a big batch of marmalade - it is one of my early Christmas/Holiday season traditions and it fills the house with an amazing orangey scent. This year, I am a bit early because I'll be taking a bit of a back seat in the run up to Christmas this year.
(A) Seville oranges are only available for about 2 weeks, usually at the end of January, if you miss this window of opportunity, or your local store has sold out, you have had it. This time scale hardly fits in with my Pre-Christmas Marmalade Tradition now does it?
Enough of that, here we go.
Cut each of the oranges into quarters and pick out all the pips (I use two forks to do this), put the pips in the small pot with the saved water. Put the oranges into a food processor to chop them - you could chop them by hand but it will be time consuming and messy.
Chop all the oranges (yup, skin and all) and put them back into the big pot with all the sugar and bring to the boil.
Strain the pectinated (yes - it is a word) water into the big pot.
Bring your marmalade up to setting temperature, 105ºC if you can.... I always seem to get stuck at about 102º but it sets OK.
Sterilise your jars and fill them while still warm.
I thought about printing out some fancy labels for them, but I think getting your kid to do them is much more fun and homely.
One day I will boil and chop the lemons too, but I keep forgetting until it is too late, Obviously the sugar would need to be increased then too. I'd also love to try making this with pink grapefruits instead. If you want to try something else a little different, add a slosh of Whisky - That is Scotch Whisky, of course. Having said that a slosh of Jack Daniels is especially good (or another good quality bourbon) Add it right at the end, after you have hit setting temperature and stir in well before jarring.
I think I'll wait till next year though as my baby belly is getting somewhat in the way of both the photographing and the cooking, another week or so and I won't even be able to reach the worktop.
Have just got myself an old singer treadle sewing machine and while searching for info online i came across your blog - I love it!
I'm off to get some oranges in the morning to make marmalade - the sewing can wait for another day!!
Hope you enjoy your marmalade too.