Marmelade time!

[Mylovelyhorse]

It's that time of year again - I do *love* making marmalade.

We now have 8lbs of seville orange marmalade cooling in jars.

Next on the list is some grapefruit and lemon, to join it in the cupboard.

And possibly, just possibly, some lime too - if I can find some decent limes without breaking the bank.

[Silver Ether]

sighs You know every January I look for Seville oranges to try them out and and no luck ... never find them

[Mylovelyhorse]

Really? I buy mine from the local Sainsbury's. But Waitrose (if you're anywhere near one) usually stock them...

[jampot]

i love the sound of grapefruit and the lime one mmm wheres my big pan.....

[frozenthunderbolt]

It's that time of year again - I do *love* making marmalade.

We now have 8lbs of seville orange marmalade cooling in jars.

Next on the list is some grapefruit and lemon, to join it in the cupboard.

And possibly, just possibly, some lime too - if I can find some decent limes without breaking the bank.

Soooooo jealous! Was devastated that our Seville orange died. it is the best (bitterest) marmalade there is!

[Cassiepod]

I can't believe it's marmalade time again, the year comes round so very quickly. I have enver made it myself but each year I think I must and then the time passes. What's a reasonably cheap price to pay for seville oranges in the UK?

I know one of my older neighbours makes it from tinned oranges but that seems to defeat the seasonality of making maramalade to me....

[Silver Ether]

oooh Waitrose ... yes please ... got one not far. Thanks, will give them a try

[Annpan]

I make it with regular oranges and a couple of lemons, I have seen Seville oranges for sale a few times but they are extortionate. So regular oranges and a generous glug of Jack Daniels (I had a recipe that said to add whisky but we only had bourbon in the house at the time, it worked so well that I am afraid to use anything else now)

Anyway it is the best marmalade I have ever had, though it doesn't set particularly well ... then, I don't use added pectin either..

[Calum]

Our local fruit & veg shop helpfully put up a notice in the shop window letting us know that Seville oranges would be in stock at the start of January, and inside they made a display of them, with free 'how to make marmelade' recipe leaflets next to them. This was my first year of making marmelade, as I've only stuck to jams in the past, and I was very pleased with the way it all turned out.

I used Pam Corbin's recipe, from her River Cottage handbook on jams / preserves, and it was very straight forward - no faffing around with muslin bags etc.

[indy]

Just as an aside my favourite recipe of all time for marmalade is delia smiths chunky dark marmalade, takes some time but is so worth it

[Susie]

I know this is a bit strange, but... I made marmalade yesterday even though I've never eaten it because I don't like it, so I don't know what it's supposed to taste like! (I don't know how I worked out that I didn't like it if I'd never eaten it though...) Anyway I've just had some and it was quite an experience. Before I give it to other people, does this sound about right? - it looks ok - it is set and golden, and it is kind of sweet and bitter at the same time (I used seville oranges, I got mine from Abel and Cole), and really, really citrussy - I feel like I've been hit on the side of the head with a citrus hammer. Should it be bitter? It isn't too bitter to eat, it tastes kind of coherent, if that makes sense, not (necessarily) like something went wrong...

Well I must say even if it is wrong I quite liked it. I'm not sure I can eat 6 jars though, so hopefully it is fit for feeding to others!

[Green Aura]

Don't worry Susie, sounds like you've got it just right

Seville oranges are bitter anyway, and if you've ever tried biting orange peel to start peeling it you know how bitter the pith is, which is in the marmalade. So it should be a nice balance of bitter and sweet - a more grown up flavour I think.

My mother used to make a four fruit marmalade - seville orange, sweet orange, grapefruit and lemon. It was fabulous. I wonder if she's still got the recipe.

I saw seville oranges in our Spar last year, but by the time I noticed them they were starting to shrivel so I didn't bother. Do you think that matters? If I spot them again this year I might try them anyway.

[Susie]

Thanks Green Aura. And the four fruit marmalade sounds delicious

I think you probably could make marmalade with slightly shrivelly oranges. Mine were distinctly unpromising looking, but when I cut them open they were still really juicy, and the bits of the peel that were too dodgy I just didn't put in. I think the juiciness was the thing (perhaps they'd let you cut them open in Spar and check! perhaps not).