I don’t use anyone else's recipe, I've made my own one up as I've gone along! There are many out there you can choose from, but this one works for me.
Marmalade Recipe.
- 1.5kg Mixed Citrus fruits. Preferably from your garden.
- 2.5kg Granulated Sugar. (Add an additional 500 gms of sugar if using a majority of bitter or Seville type oranges)
- 3ltr Cold Water
During the ripening season, I pick and prepare the fruit from the trees when they are ripe then freeze with the juices so that none get wasted (apart from those that I keep back for drinks and ice-cubes). When there is enough collected, I make a batch of Marmalade. Around 3lb/1.5kg
I tend to mix all varieties from our garden so Lemon, lime, kumquat, orange, calamondin etc all go into making my marmalade.
This is my method:
- Cut the fruit into thin, or if you prefer, thicker strips - it’s up to you! Place in a container with the juice and freeze. This cuts down the preparation time on the day of making the marmalade.
- Place the fruit in a large saucepan (or preserving pan if you have one) with 3ltrs of water.
- Bring to the boil and simmer until the peel has softened and the liquid has reduced by half.
- Once soft, add the granulated sugar and stir until the sugar has all melted.
- Simmer until the liquid has reduced by about a quarter. Then start testing for the setting point by taking a teaspoonful of the mixture and placing it on a cold saucer. Try not to overcook as this will give you a gloopy thick marmalade which can be overly sweet. Not nice!!
- Warm up some jars in the oven. If you do this, they won’t crack when filled with the hot marmalade.
- Skim off the scum and jar.
Allow the marmalade to sit for a little while to make sure the fruit doesn’t separate in the jar. If you think it’s not quite thick enough to hold the peel strips in place and they sink, then simply re-boil and reduce some more liquid. Put the screw tops on straight away and tighten and they will seal, usually with a loud “click”. No need for wax discs
Practice, Practice, Practice! The more you do it, the easier it is to prepare and cook!
Tip 1 - Because I don’t use Seville Oranges, I tend to reduce the sugar by 15%.
Tip 2 - You can add a couple of bought citrus to the mix if your trees are still young and have not yet produced enough fruits, or if your fruits are a bit dry. Just remember to wash the skins of any bought fruits to remove any of the preserving wax which they may have on them.
Naturally, fruits from your garden are always the best though!
Happy Boiling and Bubbling!! Liz xx
