What can i do with unset marmalade?

Gironde_Gal

I have some unset marmalade that I made 5 weeks ago. I'm sure I must have messed up on the maths when making double the quantity as it is really watery and all the orange has sunk to the bottom.

I am terrible for not getting jam to set and this time used sugar with pectin and plenty of lemon juice. It doesn't help my nerves when I read my Marguerite Patten book which says that the setting point come quicker than you think and that if you miss it you will never ever get it back

I suppose it is far too late to reboil my 'marmalade'?

Caterina

It is never too late!

In a way, it is better to have loose jam/marmalade than overboiled one, because it is possible to correct, as the OP showed (well done!). I have a good friend who regularly overcooks her jams into submission (I know because we swap jars and sometimes amde jam together too) and hers is stickier than tar and really difficult to spread! Still, gift horse an' all that... I am not complaining!

morganlefay

I have been making jam and marmalade and jam for years and always have trouble judging whether it's set but have decided that runny is MUCH better than over set, when you can't spread it and it lurks in the jar defying you to manage to get it out. I use runny marmalade for all th euses described above AND lovely sponge pudding (big puddle of marmalade at bottom of bowl - yum). If you buy French jam it's always much less set than Uk stuff, and it's lovely with yoghurt, so I'm in favour of runny stuff and have stopped regarding myself as a failure !

sazzy6

I made some Seville marmalade at the weekend and it is so close to setting it is untrue. In fact if you were being very kind is has kinda set-lol

I can cut it with a knife and get it to my toast on said knife, also I can still see the hole in the jam jar where scooped it out from.

However hand on heart is really is not set quite enough. Turns very runny as soon as you put any pressure on it. So, bearing in mind this was made a Christmas gifts for family and friends, should I put it back in the pan next weekend and give it another 5 minutes at a high boil (this really all it would take) or leave it as is.

Be honest...

sazzy6

Oh it also runs if you tip the jars from side to side

sueeve

How much have you made? If it's just a little you could use it in marmalade cake and so on. IF a lot, why not boil up just one jar and se how improved it is? Perhaps better than makin a mistake on the whole batch

sazzy6

I have 15 jars - I was using up oranges my sister bought to make marmalade and I found in her fridge 2 months later! It does taste yum though.

Good idea about just doing the one jar - I will try that tomorrow night. I couldn't face doing the whole lot on a school night but 1 jar I can manage.

Thanks

Pink.

Hi sazzy,

If you add a little lemon juice to it before boiling it again it will help it to set. This earlier thread may give you some ideas:

What can i do with unset marmalade?

I'll add your thread to it later to keep the suggestions together.

Pink

floyd

I had the same problem with my marmalade this year and I just left it as is as a soft-set marmalade. Alot of people I gave it to said they preferred it like that as its more like a French preserve than a solid marmalade that you get commercially. Maybe they were just being nice but it still tastes fabulous even if you have to spoon it on

meritaten

actually I am with floyd on this - I PREFER a softer set jam or marmalade. thats why I like the aldi preserves, they arent as 'jellylike' as the traditional british jams.
-and i tend to spoon my jams on rather than use a knife in the jar. oh and they make fabulous sauces for icecream!!!