Each year I aim to make enough marmalade for my family’s needs through the year, with plenty of smaller jars to give away. It’s easy to miss the Seville orange season because it’s short and sharp and seems to be getting earlier every year. January and February is most likely. These oranges look unpromising, small with thick, nobbly, saggy skin. There are no juicy segments of orange under the skin, instead they are all pips and pith. Should you risk a bite, the fruit is mouth-puckeringly bitter.
The whole fruit goes into marmalade making. The thick pith meltsto thicken the liquid and the zest becomes the chunky bits. How you slice theskin – slim and elegant or thick and chunky – and how much you include is amatter of taste but the oranges produce what seems an impossibly largeamount. Marmalade making is stickybusiness but it’s a mindless series of tasks and the results are so much betterthan anything you can buy in the shops.
Over the years I’ve tried several recipes but I always come backto this one because the procedure eliminates so many potential problems and thequantities are easy to remember. Seville oranges have good setting qualitiesbut adding a couple of lemons, which are high in essential pectin, is abelt-and-braces back up. They also point up the tart yet mellow flavour of themarmalade. Last year for the first time I used a proportion of preserving sugarto safeguard against mildew but I tend to use marmalade making as anopportunity to clear out the half packets of sugar accumulated at the back ofthe cupboard. Each batch is slightly different. White sugars give a clean tasteand bright, iridescent orange marmalade while light or dark palm sugars deepenthe colour and enrich the flavour. Molasses cane sugar, which I particularlylike, produces a marmalade that is almost black.
Playingaround with the basic recipe, adding cardamom or other spices, should be donefor the last few minutes of cooking for the strongest flavour, as they’llinfuse while the marmalade cools slightly before bottling. For whisky andbrandy, add a splash to the jar as you pour the marmalade in and your breakfasttoast will set you up nicely for the day. These tips come from baker Dan Lepard(www.danlepard.com) who also suggests adding Campari or hot smoked paprika withonion and garlic to make a savoury Seville orange marmalade. He is involved ina marmalade festival (www.dalemainmarmaladeawards.co.uk) held in Cumbria, North West Englandevery February (last entries 14 Feb). www.jamjarshop.com sells everything needed formarmalade making and is a fund of information. I don’t possess a preservingpan, so I use my large, deep, heavy-bottomed lidded saucepan. This is importantbecause the marmalade rises high in the pan as it boils and is why you alsoneed a long handled wooden spoon. I collect and re-cycle jam jars but alwaysseem to run out and there is nothing nicer than a supply of lovely new jars tofill. Small jars, ideal for random little gifts, become incredibly soughtafter. Personalizing labels will become addictive.
Makes 6-8 x340g jars
Prep: 45 min
Cook: 90 min
10 Seville oranges
2 lemons
2 kg sugar, 500g of which should bepreserving sugar
2 litres water
Place whole oranges and lemons in given water in a large lidded pan placed over a very low heat. Cover and simmer until soft. Use a saucepan lid to keep them immersed, piercing after about 20 minutes to encourage immersion. Time for this varies depending on age and quality of the fruit but allow at least 45 minutes probably much longer. Lift the fruit into a colander over a bowl and leave to cool. Dissolve the sugar in the orange water. Halve the soft fruit, scrape out the seeds and place in a jelly bag or fold of muslin. Tie with string and hang over the side of the pan. Slice or chop the peel thinly; I do all of it because I like chunky marmalade but how much peel is a matter of taste. Stir the peel into the liquid. Bring to simmer, stirring to ensure the sugar is dissolved, then boil hard, stirring occasionally, until setting point is reached. This varies and may be as little as 5 minutes but more likely to be 15. It will rise up high in the pan then subside but once it begins to look syrupy, test by placing a teaspoonful on a cold saucer. Cool then push with your finger. If it wrinkles a little it’s done. Leave to settle in the pan before pouring into hot sterilized jam jars. A momentary rest stops the peel rising up the jar as the jam cools. Cover immediately, cool and label with the date and type of sugar before storing. Ready to eat immediately.
