500gramsSeville Oranges or sweet oranges or tangerines1 pound of oranges
1/2large lemon or one smaller oneoptional
1100litre water
500gramssugar regular granulated white or brown sugar
Instructions
The first step (at least 24 hrs before you want to make your marmalade)
Make sure you wash your fruit first and use oranges closest to the 500g. I find that this is only about 3 medium oranges, but it depends on the size.
If you prefer your marmalade to be zingier, use a whole lemon, or just half a one or a small one or just leave it out - since we are using much less sugar in this recipe.
Cut all the fruit lengthways in quarters and using a spoon scoop up all the pith and collect all the orange pips.
Keep any orange juice for later.
Cut all the orange peel in either thin slices or thick ones, depending on what you prefer. This is a fairly tedious job, but I find that doubling up the orange quarters (sort of stocking them up) and then cutting them, saves a bit of time.
Tie all the collected pith and pips into a muslin bag and place to a non-iron or steel bowl (I use a large plastic bowl), with the water and the thinly shredded peel.
Cover and leave for approximately 24 hrs to ensure that the pectin is released and your marmalade sets well in the end.
Second step - the next day
The next day, transfer the marmalade mixture to a large saucepan and on a medium heat simmer gently until the orange peel is soft and the water content is reduced by about half. You can test if the peel is right by tasting it. The orange peel will also look slightly see-through and will sort of go more opaque.
When the peel is soft, check that you have about 500ml of water/liquid left. If not, simply top up the water with more water or the orange juice you collected yesterday.
Take out the muslin bag with orange pips and discard.
The next step is to add the sugar and let it dissolve properly. Check on the back of a soup spoon that all the sugar crystals have dissolved before you move to the next step.
Once the sugar has dissolved, bring the marmalade to boil and boil for about 10-15 minutes or until you reach the setting point.
Check your setting point using a cold plate and a spoonful of the marmalade.
Once you are satisfied that your marmalade will reach the setting point, take it from the heat and leave it to stand for about 10 minutes. This will help to distribute the orange peel more evenly once potted.
Divide between 4-5 jam jars, seal and let to cool down properly before storing away in a dark, cold place. Use within 12 months (or two years maximum).