It’s the middle of winter and many folks think that canning season has come to a complete halt. However, with a basic marmalade recipe and a little imagination you can create beautiful and tasty marmalades to share with family and friends.
My favourite recipe is a Canadian one from Elizabeth Baird that I first found in a cookbook by Globe & Mail restaurant reviewer Joanne Kates.
This recipe is labour intensive – and worth every last ounce of energy you are willing to put into it if you are a marmalade lover.
Start with 6 seville oranges
Cut in half and juice them, discarding the pulp. Set aside the pits and cover with water to sit overnight. Scrape the skins clean of the white pith (use a sharp knife). Cut the orange skins into as fine a match-stick cut as you can manage.
Place the finely cut peal in the juice and let sit overnight.
The next day strain the pits from the jelly (this is the natural pectin) that has formed and tie them in cheese cloth. Add the pits to the juice and peel and simmer until the peel is soft. The time will vary depending on the thickness of the peel. Remove the pits, add the pectin and measure. Add an equal amount of sugar (or less if you like your marmalade tart) and simmer until the liquid reaches the jelly stage on a candy thermometer or a small amount poured onto a chilled plate sets quickly.
Pour into sterilized, self sealing canning jars.
I have had fun using different citrus combinations such as:
- blood orange and red grapefruit
- lemon and lime
- Mayer lemons and tangerines
- kumquats and limequats sliced thin into any other citrus combination
So get your creative juices flowing and enjoy a little sunshine in the middle of winter.
Note: the London Co-op Store carries organically grown citrus so you can use the peel without harm.
Category: Recipes
