By Rachel Webb
Seville Orange Marmalade is easy to make and so satisfying to see your own home made products with hand-written labels filling your shelves. Seville oranges have a fairly short season so buy fresh and make your own preserve.
This easy marmalade recipe will fill about 5 x 500ml jars. It´s easy and fairly quick to make, especially if you soak the oranges the night before. Then preparing it will take you around thirty minutes from start to filling the jars.
Seville Orange Marmalade
2kg oranges
2.5kg sugar, granulated or preserving
4 tbsp lemon juice
1 litre cold water
Method
Cut all the oranges in half and then slice them into thin semi-circles. Put the pips to one side as you cut them. Put the orange slices and the juice into a large heavy bottom pan and add the cold water. Put all the pips into a muslin bag and add to the pan, you will need to be put under some orange pieces on the top of the bag or it will float the top.
Put a plate on top to make sure all the oranges are covered by the water and leave to soak overnight.
The next day remove the plate from the oranges and put the pan on the heat and bring it to the boil. When the mixture is boiling turn down the heat and leave it to simmer for 30 minutes.
Pour the sugar into the pan and stir until it has dissolved then add the lemon juice and increase the heat to bring the mixture slowly up to boiling again. Keep it boiling for 20 minutes or so, skim off any surface scum.
Test to see if the marmalade will set by dropping a small amount onto a cold plate that has preferably been in the fridge or freezer beforehand.
If the mixture wrinkles when a teaspoon is dragged through then it is ready, if it doesn´t wrinkle then boil for another 5 minutes and test again. Use a teaspoon and not your finger for this test!
Remove the muslin bag and let the marmalade cool a little before pouring it into previously sterilised jars.
Secure the lids tightly and leave to cool completely, label, then store in a cool dark place until needed.
Enjoy the fresh taste of Spain anytime of year.–
Rachel Webb
