SEVILLE ORANGE MARMALADE RECIPE – by Judy McDonald
7 Seville Oranges
10 cups of water [2.5 litres]
cc 8 cups of sugar [1.6 kg]
1.Wash oranges, scrub clean if necessary, cut out any imperfections in the skin.
2. Cut oranges into quarters and remove and save the central membranes and all pips [the source of pectin needed for a good set].
3.Slice oranges finely and put in a large ceramic or glass bowl and cover with the water.
4.Collect all the pips & membrane in a muslin bag [with string attached] and leave to soak with the fruit and water over night [24 hrs].
-soaking overnight will help tenderise the skins and reduce the cooking time in the first stage.
5.Next day, put the fruit, pips etc [in the muslin bag tied to jam pan handle] into a large cooking container /preserving pan.
6.Bring to the boil slowly and simmer for around 45 minutes until the skins are tender.
7.Use a metal spoon to press all the pectin out of the muslin bag and into the fruit mix.
8.In the meantime it is recommended that you warm the sugar [reduces the time taken to bring the fruit pulp back to the boil in stage two] and thoroughly clean and prepare your jars and lids.
9.Measure the fruit pulp by the cup and then put back into the preserving pan with the equivalent cups of sugar [ie one cup of pulp =one cup of warmed sugar].
10.Stir and dissolve in the sugar with a wooden spoon and bring the mixture back to the boil quickly on a high flame and boil for up to 40 minutes.
12.Stir with a wooden spoon pretty constantly to prevent the marmalade sticking to the bottom of the pan and burning.
13.Whilst it is boiling skim off the scum with a metal spoon.
14.Start testing from about 20 minutes after it has boiled, to see if the marmalade has set [see note below].
15.Leave the jam rest for 5-10 minutes before putting into hot jars [ pre-heated in the oven to sterilise them] to ensure that the fruit sits evenly in the jars rather than rising to the top.
16.Wait for the jam to cool before putting on the lids to avoid condensation forming which can cause mould to form on the top of the marmalade. Cut rounds of baking paper inserted in the lid can help.
Setting point
-you will notice the mixture becoming more viscous, wrinkly skin will begin to form on the sides of the pan, sticky drops will fall from your wooden spoon when it is held up on its side.
-another test is to have a cold plate [put in freezer before etc] and when you think the marmalade[or jam] is beginning to set, put some ‘drops’ onto the plate.
It is set when the the skin wrinkles,or you when you can run your finger cleanly through the centre dividing the drop.
-freshly picked fruit will reach setting point more quickly, sometimes only 20 minutes of boiling is required.
-the longer you boil in the second stage,the darker the marmalade [or jam] will become and you’ll lose the fresh fruit flavour[as well as possibly ending up with over dense /hard set marmalade].
-don’t pick your citrus for marmalade in wet weather [it can adversely affect the process].
-don’t try and reduce the sugar ratio it will affect the setting process and the marmalade will not ‘keep’: it will not be ‘preserved’ …
Seville Orange Marmalade 7 Seville Oranges 10 cups of water [2.5 litres] cc 8 cups of sugar [1.6 kg] 1.Wash oranges, scrub clean if necessary, cut out any imperfections in the skin. 2. Cut oranges into quarters and remove and save the central membranes and all pips [the source of pectin needed for a good set]. 3.Slice oranges finely and put in a large ceramic or glass bowl and cover with the water. 4.Collect all the pips & membrane in a muslin bag [with string attached] and leave to soak with the fruit and water over night [24 hrs]. -soaking overnight will help tenderise the skins and reduce the cooking time in the first stage. 5.Next day, put the fruit, pips etc [in the muslin bag tied to jam pan handle] into a large cooking container /preserving pan. 6.Bring to the boil slowly and simmer for around 45 minutes until the skins are tender. 7.Use a metal spoon to press all the pectin out of the muslin bag and into the fruit mix. 8.In the meantime it is recommended that you warm the sugar [reduces the time taken to bring the fruit pulp back to the boil in stage two] and thoroughly clean and prepare your jars and lids. 9.Measure the fruit pulp by the cup and then put back into the preserving pan with the equivalent cups of sugar [ie one cup of pulp =one cup of warmed sugar]. 10.Stir and dissolve in the sugar with a wooden spoon and bring the mixture back to the boil quickly on a high flame and boil for up to 40 minutes. 12.Stir with a wooden spoon pretty constantly to prevent the marmalade sticking to the bottom of the pan and burning. 13.Whilst it is boiling skim off the scum with a metal spoon. 14.Start testing from about 20 minutes after it has boiled, to see if the marmalade has set [see note below]. 15.Leave the jam rest for 5-10 minutes before putting into hot jars [ pre-heated in the oven to sterilise them] to ensure that the fruit sits evenly in the jars rather than rising to the top. 16.Wait for the jam to cool before putting on the lids to avoid condensation forming which can cause mould to form on the top of the marmalade. Cut rounds of baking paper inserted in the lid can help. Setting point -you will notice the mixture becoming more viscous, wrinkly skin will begin to form on the sides of the pan, sticky drops will fall from your wooden spoon when it is held up on its side. -another test is to have a cold plate [put in freezer before etc] and when you think the marmalade[or jam] is beginning to set, put some 'drops' onto the plate. It is set when the the skin wrinkles,or you when you can run your finger cleanly through the centre dividing the drop. -freshly picked fruit will reach setting point more quickly, sometimes only 20 minutes of boiling is required. -the longer you boil in the second stage,the darker the marmalade [or jam] will become and you'll lose the fresh fruit flavour[as well as possibly ending up with over dense /hard set marmalade]. -don't pick your citrus for marmalade in wet weather [it can adversely affect the process]. -don't try and reduce the sugar ratio it will affect the setting process and the marmalade will not 'keep': it will not be 'preserved' ...