A wake-up call in a jar

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« A quiet and humble loaf | Main | Threading the needle »

A wake-up call in a jar

"I like my marmalade to shine in the morning sun. A bright, jewel-like mixture with thin strands of peel ... the point of this golden jam is its bittersweet quality. It's a wake-up call in a jar."

That's Nigel Slater (The Kitchen Diaries II again), and it was his recipe I used for marmalade-making over the weekend. On Saturday I peeled all the fruit* and shredded it quite finely, added the juice, pulp, seeds in a muslin bag, and water and left it to stand overnight. Yesterday the mixture was simmered until the peel was soft and translucent, then the sugar was added and the boiling commenced, and the fragrance alone was worth the effort. The taste is vibrant without being bitter, and the balance of tart to sweet is just right.

I am pleased with my "pots of bright, shining happiness", as NS calls them.

*1.3kg. Seville oranges, 2 sweet oranges, 2 lemons, a few pieces of stem ginger.

14 January 2013 in Cooking | Permalink

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Don't do as I did last year and tip the sugar in, then get bored and leave it to stand overnight. Still, it was fine once I'd melted it down again.
I opened the last jar yesterday which was a wakeup call. Can I face another sticky weekend?

Posted by: Mary | 14 January 2013 at 04:32 PM

If you had me over for a visit today I would head straight for the toaster, Karen! Looks wonderful.

Posted by: Darlene | 14 January 2013 at 04:58 PM

Lovely! I made a batch last weekend, totally worth the work :)

Posted by: Mel | 14 January 2013 at 05:29 PM

Oh yes, hot buttered toast and marmalade.

Posted by: Aloadofoldtat | 14 January 2013 at 05:57 PM

Beautiful pictures! What a shame I loathe marmalade...

Posted by: Simon T | 14 January 2013 at 08:28 PM

Mine was quite non-sticky, considering. I did put the lid half on the pan and leave the kitchen for a few minutes, then I heard a cascading/hissing sound and went back to find the mixture bubbling up and over, but luckily the excess landed on the hotplate itself and soon carbonized so could be brushed off.

Posted by: Cornflower | 14 January 2013 at 09:16 PM

You'll just have to come over, Darlene!

Posted by: Cornflower | 14 January 2013 at 09:16 PM

It is worth it, especially if you take your time and don't try to squeeze it into a short afternoon, panicking when it won't set and filling the kitchen with hot jars when supper should be on the table. All was calm here!

Posted by: Cornflower | 14 January 2013 at 09:19 PM

Perfect!

Posted by: Cornflower | 14 January 2013 at 09:21 PM

That is a shame, Simon.

Posted by: Cornflower | 14 January 2013 at 09:22 PM

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Please note

Sidebar book cover thumbnail pictures are affiliate links to Amazon, and the storefront links to Blackwell's and The Book Depository are also affiliated; should you purchase a book directly through those links, I will receive a small commission. Older posts may also contain affiliate links to one of those bookshops. I am not paid to produce content and all opinions are my own.