It's marmelade time again

[applegirl]

Something to cheer up your January days - just seen the first Seville oranges in the shop so it is time for a weekend of chopping peel and stirring the big pot of oranges to fill those jars you have been saving all year with marmelade sunshine!

[Helsbells]

Hi Applegirl,

I saw the saville orans in Sainsburys the other day, and thought about getting them for marmalade, but they were quite expensive! How many do you need?
They were about 2.99 for one net, it was quite a big net though, is that expensive?

Helen

[Annpan]

I just use ordinary oranges, and I do make the best marmalade...... even if I do say so myself a swig of JD towards the end helps

[Berti]

Okay, we don't get sevilles over here in netherlands, how do you make good marmalade WITHOUT them?
I have done once in the past, with one lemon added for tanginess.
but interested to hear your opinions, people living across the channel ;)

berti

[Annpan]

I'll check out my recipe later but I think it is roughly 800g Oranges 200g lemons 1kg sugar - I will check it out for you though.

[Odsox]

I have to agree with Ann, ordinary oranges make better marmalade than Sevilles, also a lot cheaper ... and you can make it any time of the year, not just January. I make 2 or 3 pots of some form of marmalade every 2 or 3 months and enjoy the ringing the changes.
I also make marmalade from Lemons, Grapefruit, Limes and my favourite is Blood Orange marmalade that is a delicate shade of pink.
As for the "kit form" marmalade in a tin !

[The Riff-Raff Element]

Can I just register a vote for lemon marmalade? We cannot get seville oranges either, but I've come to prefer the lemon anyway. I can even provide a link to the recipe I have used with considerable success:

http://vendeeblog.net/?p=247

[SarahJane]

Can we have some tried and tested recipes for marmaleade please and out of interest has anyone made any lime marmalade?

I have only done savoury, stuff, chutneys, relishes, pickles etc and might give sweet stuff a go this year.

[Odsox]

I always use the same recipe ... 1lb of fruit, 2lb sugar & 2 pints water.
For orange or grapefruit I add one lemon as well.

Cut fruit into quarters and remove the flesh (minus pips)
Pull off as much pith as you can from the inside of the shells.
Put pith and pips in a jelly bag or muslin tied with string and tie to pan handle
Chop shells and flesh, put in pan and simmer with lid on for a couple of hours or until rind is soft.
Remove jelly bag and add sugar, stirring on low heat until dissolved.
Increase heat and boil until setting point is reached ... that's it.

I use a sugar thermometer and as soon as it reaches 105c it's at firm setting point, 104.5c for a softer set.
If you leave the marmalade for about 5 minutes before potting the fruit peel will stay evenly through the pot.
If you pot too soon you run the risk of the peel rising to the top with a layer of jelly underneath, although it's not really a problem.

[Odsox]

Can I just register a vote for lemon marmalade? We cannot get seville oranges either, but I've come to prefer the lemon anyway. I can even provide a link to the recipe I have used with considerable success:

http://vendeeblog.net/?p=247

I agree wholeheartedly .... also VERY fond of homemade lemon curd which also helps get rid of a few eggs as well.
Also on the same line is Lemon Meringue Pie, a perfect mixture of sweet & sour.
Wish I had a lemon tree.

[Annpan]

I have promised myself a hardy lemon tree for my green house - when I get it up. I reckon as long as I can keep the temperature above 0oC it should be fine..... easier said than done.

[Odsox]

I have promised myself a hardy lemon tree for my green house - when I get it up. I reckon as long as I can keep the temperature above 0oC it should be fine..... easier said than done.

Yes, me too. I had an orange (satsuma) tree in my unheated greenhouse for about 10 years, growing in the border soil.
That was grown from a pip, not sure I can wait enough to do it with a lemon and the pot grown ones are so expensive over here (abt €50)

[Annpan]

Here's my recipe

800g oranges
2 lemons
1kg sugar
Slug of Whisky or Bourbon (My preference is for JD)



Rinse the oranges in hot water to start with (to remove any wax) then boil them whole for 2 hours in a very large pot of water, discard the water (makes great drain cleaner)

Chop up the oranges and put them back in the pan with the sugar and juice and zest of the lemons.

heat till you reach setting point then add your glug of alcohol

[hedgewitch]

I use normal Oranges too, mainly because I get them free but also because they make a far better Marmalade in my opinion!

http://www.selfsufficientish.com/forum/ ... +marmalade

[Uller]

OH made marmalade for the first time last year using his mum's recipe - mix of oranges, grapefruity & lemon. Very successful and he made more for Christmas presents.

Made some this week with Seville oranges - although the blob on the saucer wrinkled when pushed with a finger, we realised after putting it all into jars that it obviously hadn't really reached setting point at all. We now have 4 large jars of liquid marmalade!