Quick Questions on Jam and marmalade making and Preserving

ginvzt

I bought Seville oranges in the market on Saturday - they were £1.32 per kg! I made the jam, but it seems my thermometer showed 105 C a bit too early, as the jam is slightly runny - might have to put it back in the pot and reheat it.

I made the orange marmalade from the can couple of months ago - it worked very well, and tastes fine. You wouldn't know how it was made! I bought mine from Lakeland, and since then I have also seen them in Sainsburys.

LucyLocket

Thanks ginvzt. That's just the response my lazy streak was hoping for :-)

Triciaxx

Mamade has been around for many years (I remember it from the 1950s) and is made by Chivers Hartley. I bought a tin for £1.48 as the fresh oranges were over £2 a Kg:eek:

So it was cheaper to make, took around 15 min boil, saved time on pulping, saved washing up and know I like the recipe. Very MS :T

It also meant I made 6lbs which is plenty as OH doesn't like it and I can easily make more any time of the year.

Hope that helps.

auntyn

Would appreciate more opinions re sevilles with green skins(not all of them but some) especially those of you who reguarly make marmalade with sevilles? Thank you!

ginvzt

I don't know about the green skin. I think there were couple of small green patches on mine when I bought them, but I tried to select the nicer looking ones in the market. Sorry, I can't help...

Penelope_Penguin

auntyn wrote: »

Would appreciate more opinions re sevilles with green skins(not all of them but some) especially those of you who reguarly make marmalade with sevilles? Thank you!

I make Seville marmalade every year, and have never seen Seville oranges with green skins

emiff6

Ripe oranges naturally have green skin because they contain chlorophyll like all green leaves (and veg), and only turn orange in the same way as leaves turn orange or red in autumn - when they have had a cold spell. Ethylene gas has the same effect, which is why Florida oranges are such a uniform rich orange colour - they are commercially treated with it. So there is no problem making marmalade from green oranges (except people may think you've slipped in a lime or two!)

Read all about oranges here: http://www.innvista.com/health/foods/fruits/orange.htm

ubamother

my sevilles were half green, half orange coloured this year - made fine golden marmalade. Many countries expect their oranges to be green - as far as I remember it's a northern-westernish european thing to expect them to be orange in colour, so that's how we get them! Because sevilles are the orange equivalent of cooking apples, the cosmetic effects are not thought to be as necessary - as Seakay says about waxing etc.

Farway

Of course you can, if it is old then it was probably used on an open hearth at some time

Not sure about the acids in chutney, may just pit the brass because of the copper content in the mix

You may also like to ponder on the possibility of lead leaching out into your food

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brass

If your dad has used this pot for donkey's years and is around to tell the tale, then I would not worry too much

Barneysmom

I think I would be scared to use it, I'd sell in on EBay and buy a brand new shiny steel one instead?