Marmalade recipes

Queenie

... homemade Seville Marmalade

Save those jars from your mincemeat! Seville oranges are in season this month and it's time to make homemade marmalade.

Tip: If you don't have time to make it, freeze the fruit and make it later but you'll need to add extra lemon juice as freezing will lower the pectin content; add 1 Tbsp lemon juice to each 1lb fruit in addition to that stated in the recipe.

1lb Seville oranges
3 pints water
3lb sugar
3 Tbsp lemon juice

Wash the oranges in cold water and then halve them and remove any pips. Put the pips into a muslin bag. Shred or mince the peel and pulp. Put the fruit and the muslin bag of pips into the water and soak for 12hours. Tip the water and contents of the bag into a pan and cover. Simmer for 11/2 hours or until the peel is tender. To test, remove a piece of peel and press between your thumb and finger ... don't scold yourself! Remove the bag of pips.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the sugar, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Add the lemon juice and return to the heat. Boil rapidly until setting point is reached then remove from the heat to cool until the marmalade has stiffened slightly. Stir well and spoon into hot, sterilised jars. voila!

Tip: Do not stand your hot jars on a cold surface or they may crack! Use a long handled wooden spoon for stirring - a splash from the hot contents of the pan can be *very* painful!