Preserving in time of Lockdown - Seville Orange Marmalade
There is something so lovely at this time of year about buying fragrant citrus fruit to make into marmalade. Though it can be a relatively timely process, the reward is always huge and one that will last throughout the year. We find that the process involved offers a wonderful opportunity for family to come together around the kitchen table on a cold, wintry day to talk while they chop, peel and pith the deliciously fresh fruit for an utterly satisfying combined effort to be enjoyed by one and all. All in all perfect for Lockdown Nr 3!!
Seville Orange Marmalade
1.3kg Seville oranges, washed
1.3kg granulated sugar
juice of 1.5 lemons
Put a saucer into the fridge and get it really cold, ready to test the setting point of the marmalade.
Put the whole washed oranges into a large heavy-bottomed pan with 2 litres of water, bring to a simmer and cook gently until they are soft. Lift out the oranges from the pan with a spoon and cool slightly. Let the remaining liquid in the pan bubble up, reduce by a third, then take off the heat, strain through a sieve into a bowl and then pour back into the pan.
Top, tail and halve the cooled oranges and scoop out the flesh, keeping the peel and pith intact. Trim off all but a thick lining of pith, weigh the peel so that you have 150g, then shred into strips about 3mm wide.
Put the orange flesh, complete with the pips, into a blender and blend to a purée. Strain through a fine sieve into the reduced liquid from the cooking oranges. Add the strips of peel, the sugar and the lemon juice and bring to the boil. Boil rapidly, stirring occasionally to avoid catching and burning on the bottom of the pan.
After about 30 minutes, test to see if the marmalade has reached setting point. Take the pan off the heat, and the cold saucer from the fridge. Spoon out a tablespoon of marmalade onto it, wait a minute, then push your finger through the middle of it. If it leaves a line that stays clean (i.e the marmalade does not run back into it) and the marmalade wrinkles slightly, it has reached setting point. If not, continue to boil, and keep testing.
Have ready your hot, sterilised jars*. Take the pan from the heat and leave the marmalade to stand for 5 minute before filling and closing the jars.
*To sterilise your preserving jars, place them, open, on a tray in the oven at 100ºC for 10 minutes. Fill them while still hot and then screw on the lid tightly.
Photo credit: Trevor Herbert
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