Marmalade magic

in #blog5 years ago (edited)


Marmalade seems to be one of those things that people either love or loathe.

There was always marmalade in our house and my father's favourite treat, a happily received gift or precious purchase for high days and holidays, was a jar of Rose's Lime marmalade.


Source

When that wasn't available and before my mother stopped working full time, marmalade came out of a tin. After we moved to Grahamstown and she worked mornings only, she began doing more preserves. Marmalade became a "thing" because the commercial stuff was too sweet. They liked the more tart, slightly bitter flavour of Seville oranges - she scoured the shops and markets for them. As I recall, she only ever made orange marmalade. Never lemon; most certainly never three fruit. I have no idea why because, as I have learned, it's possible to manipulate the flavour of the three fruit - see below - to get the flavour profile one prefers.

Mum's go-to recipe was is in her Good Housekeeping recipe book which Granny sent to South Africa as Mum's Christmas present in 1970. I inherited it and it is still my go-to book for the standards and basics.


It works hard and is full of my (and The Husband's) notes converting British Imperial measures to metric and ramping up the recipes to make larger quantities.

At boarding school, there would be pots of marmalad on the breakfast table. Of course it was the commercial version and girls spent a great deal of time - if they ate the stuff - fishing out the rind. Until the pots were more rind than jelly.

I also like marmalade and I can't remember not having it in my cupboard. When I lived alone, it was a weekend treet, on hot buttery toast. Or if I needed a snack when I came in late after an evening out and it was prudent to have something to eat before crashing.


Glorious yellow, lemon marmalade with a light rye toast from the local market. And, of course, butter.

I first made marmalade nearly 20 years ago. I balled up the instructions and after cutting and chopping things for what felt like the entire day, I just bunged everything into the pot and hoped for the best. It certainly wasn't the best, but it was edible. Nor was I deterred. Before we came to McGregor, I would generally make a batch that would last us roughly a year - depending on how many jars were turned into gifts. Practise, if not making perfect, resulted in the production of a perfectly passable product.

In McGregor, the tradition continued. I've had a stall at the McGregor market for six years and I started with soup. I don't recall at which point my offering expanded to include the odd jar of what I pickled and preserved; soup now rarely features.


Sometimes the table is a trifle weighed down!

Now, it seems, the marmalade is becoming a sought-after commodity. Not only do I have kind locals and friends from further afield collecting jars for me to repurpose, but Longtime Friend puts in her order when she announces an intention to visit. What's more, she demands a giant-sized portion. Certain regulars, when it's out of stack, pass my stall and give me a quizzical, "Marmalade?"

Recently, some of them gave up hope. Almost.

I've had no stock until about six weeks ago and they-who-have-been-waiting-forever, and with, I kid you not, squeals of delight, have already purchased a goodly number (one of whom tells me that a jar lasts two weeks...). So, I've made a further two batches. One, a lemon and lime from surplus unwanted fruit, and the second, my usual three fruit, also from surplus fruit with the addition of oranges which did have to be bought.

My tried and trusted marmalade recipe(s)


First, some words to the wise:

  • don't rush the process: it takes as long as it takes - at least several hours with the chopping, boiling, and boiling and bottling
  • don't rush the process: it takes as long as it takes - don't think it's set before it's set. Test, test and test again.
  • don't rush the process: if you do, and it does not set, all is not lost: empty the jars back into the pot, wash and sterilise them, boil up again until setting point is reached - more of that a bit later
I double the three fruit recipe and the lemon/lime recipe I triple, to make big batches.

Three-Fruit Marmalade

Yield: ± 5kg

Ingredients

4 lemons 2 sweet oranges 2 grapefruit 3,5 litres of water 2,5kg sugar

What to do

  1. The three types of fruit should weigh about 1,5 kg. For a tarter, less sweet marmalade, use either Seville oranges or juse one orange.
  2. Wash the lemons and oranges, cut in half and juice; put the juice into the stock pot and save the pips (depending on where you're from, i.e. the seeds or the pits).
  3. Wash and peel the grapefruit. Remove the thick pith and string, save to combine with the pips, and tie into a piece of muslin.*

  4. Roughly cut up the grapefruit flesh and add to the pot with the orange and lemon juices.
  5. Thinly slice all the peel (can be done in a food processor, but I have resumed hand chopping - it takes as much time when you've had to fish out and chop the bits that "escape" and are too big) and add to the pot with the grapefruit flesh and the juices. Drop the muslin bag in, and tie it to the handle of the pan.
  6. Add the water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 1 to 1½ hours – the peel must be really soft and the contents of the pot have been reduced by about 50%.

  7. Remove the muslin bag, squeezing out as much of the liquid as possible. Dispose of the contents and save the muslin for the next batch.
  8. Add the sugar, bring to the boil and simmer, stirring frequently, until setting point is reached.**
  9. Remove from the heat and allow to stand for 15 minutes.
  10. Pot into sterilised jars and seal.

Lemon and/or Lime Marmalade

Yield: ± 2,5kg

Ingredients

500g lemons 1,5 litres water 2,5 kg sugar

What to do

  1. Wash the fruit and remove the stem end.
  2. Place in a pan with the water and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Simmer for 1½ to 2 hours until the fruit is really soft. This can be done the night before so that the fruit cool enough to handle.
  3. Remove the fruit from the water; leave it in the pot, don't throw it away (set it to one side).
  4. Slice the fruit thinly and save the pips (see three fruit marmalade).
  5. Return the sliced fruit to the pan (and water). Weigh it. If it weighs more than 1,5 kg, bring to the boil to reduce.
  6. Add the sugar, bring to the boil and simmer, stirring frequently, until setting point is reached.**
  7. Remove from the heat and allow to stand for 15 minutes.
  8. Pot into sterilised jars and seal.
* I have loads of muslin - a story for another time. That said, do get some: it's re-useable. Machine wash it when you're done. Remember that boiling fruit is more than 100ºC and for a ling time, so it'll sterilise during the cooking process.

Both marmalade recipes are available to download and print here

**About setting point


I have never used a sugar thermometer to tell me about setting point (perhaps that's my problem). Jams and jellies set with the help of pectin. Pectin, in citrus is in the pith (white parts) and pips. It's also found in spades in apple pips. So, for the person who said that they couldn't get their jams to set: do the muslin thing with pips from lemons and/or apples.

I digress.

How do you know when setting point is beginning to happen?

First, you will see that some of the mixture catches on the sides of the pan, and if you put the spoon across the top, the drips don't fall all the way into the pan; an even more telling sign is if, when you've not stirred it for a while, it looks as though a skin may begin to form across the top of the mixture. The test I use:

  • a small ceramic dish into which I put about 2 tsp of the hot almost-marmalade
  • put this into the deep freeze for 10 minutes
  • when you remove it from the deep freeze and brush your finger across the top, the marmalade sticks to your finger and is the right consistency for a jam or marmalade, you have reached setting point
  • if not, rinse and repeat

Maintaining the levels...

Just when I thought I was catching my breath with a few jars of lemon and lime, as well as a new batch to put into stock, I was chucked a curved ball. So, on Wednesday, seven jars of the new batch were collected for personal delivery, in Maastricht, to a rather famous fiddle-playing, orchestra-leading waltz-player. It's the third time some has gone there; the first time as an unsolicited gift from our Dutch friends. Now the friends are asked to take a supply, and each time the orders get bigger.

There must be some magic in that marmalade.

Until next time
Fiona
The Sandbag House
McGregor, South Africa



Photo: Selma

Post Script

  • I blog on three platforms: Wordpress and Instagram, both of which auto post to Steemit. Instagram is mostly a visual with microblogs about fluff: often food and the cats and posts sometimes promise hint about future WordPress posts.
  • My WordPress site is hosted by fellow Steemian, @gmuxx, with fees paid in crypto currency: Steem Based Dollars
On the Steem platform, I am part of these communities




If you're a compulsive Instagrammer like me, Share2Steem and earn








Let me help with your English writing Rates depend on the depth of edit required More about why I am offering this service here Contact me

 

Posted from my blog with SteemPress : https://www.fionasfavourites.net/2019/07/05/marmalade-magic/
Sort:  

I never really liked marmalade growing up, but as an adult I think it is fantastic! I don't buy it often as I only usually see it in the store. I would love to try your homemade version. The time and energy it takes to do it right is probably why it is so popular and tastes so good! Love really does make all the difference! I just bought a fresh loaf of sourdough bread from the German baker at the market today, now I wish I had some of this to spread on top!

Too much sugar for you! That said, I have reduced the sugar - a smidge - in this recpe. I think that marmalade, like wine, may well be an acquired taste. Sour dough bread, olive oil and balsamic vinegar - that would do it for me before marmalade, I confess :D

Haha, yeah, that's always the part that is challenging--how to keep the sugar down but still make it taste good and preserve well! A good balsamic is definitely a solid alternative. ;)

Good idea but it changes the product completely. Might be an idea, though :D

Ultimately if you don't overdo it, I don't mind a little sweetness in my life on occasion. ;) Especially when it is homemade!

Oh, yes, we all need a little sweetness! :D

Congratulations @fionasfavourites! You have completed the following achievement on the Steem blockchain and have been rewarded with new badge(s) :

You got more than 3000 replies. Your next target is to reach 3250 replies.

You can view your badges on your Steem Board and compare to others on the Steem Ranking
If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word STOP

You can upvote this notification to help all Steem users. Learn how here!

Thanks so much @steemitboard and team!

Congratulations, your post was discovered and featured by @OCD in its daily compilation #367!

If you give @ocd a follow – you can find other Gems!


With this nomination you will be able to use @ocdb - a non-profit distribution bot for whitelisted Steemians. We usually add everyone nominated at the end of the week. :) Check our website for the whitelist, queue and delegation info. Join our Discord channel for more information.


We also have a witness. You can vote for @ocd-witness with SteemConnect or on Steemit Witnesses to help support other undervalued authors!

Thank you very much @ocd - much appreciated. You have my witness vote :D

Hi, @fionasfavourites!

You just got a 0.01% upvote from SteemPlus!
To get higher upvotes, earn more SteemPlus Points (SPP). On your Steemit wallet, check your SPP balance and click on "How to earn SPP?" to find out all the ways to earn.
If you're not using SteemPlus yet, please check our last posts in here to see the many ways in which SteemPlus can improve your Steem experience on Steemit and Busy.

wow that looks so so yum in that plate with bread, craving☺️

Hello!

This post has been manually curated, resteemed
and gifted with some virtually delicious cake
from the @helpiecake curation team!

Much love to you from all of us at @helpie!
Keep up the great work!


helpiecake

Manually curated by @vibesforlife.

Marmalade is a nice topping for toast. Homemade sounds great as it wouldn’t have to be so sweet as store-bought. Your mother was wise to put less sugar in it.

Actually, my mother didn't reduce the sugar or manipulate the recipe. She preferred Seville oranges that are not as sweet as navels.

Posted using Partiko Android

🎁 Hi @fionasfavourites! You have received 0.1 SBD tip from @rebeccabe!

@rebeccabe wrote lately about: Catching Up With Groups And Friends And A Hf 21 Question Feel free to follow @rebeccabe if you like it :)

Sending tips with @tipU - how to guide :)

🎁 Hi @fionasfavourites! You have received 0.1 SBD tip from @dswigle!

Check out @dswigle blog here and follow if you like the content :)

Sending tips with @tipU - how to guide :)

I loved this post so much that I pinned it to my "Tasty Tempations" board! Excellent stuff, @fionasfavourites! 😋 😊

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/33073378499929717

Thank you so much @traciyork. I must get back into Pinterest...🤦🏼‍♀️

Posted using Partiko Android

You're very welcome, @fionasfavourites! I'll see if I can stalk...errr, find you over there. I also still owe you a reply on Discord - probably catch up with you Monday, since I believe I've heard something about Sundays being a bit busy for you... 😂

Ha! My handle is...guess what...Fiona's Favourites...or something similar... 😉

This Sunday, I am having a Sunday off. Taking The Husband to a show for is birthday and was planning a quiet day. Until another birthday popped up... So we are busy. So enjoy your Sunday: Monday is good

Posted using Partiko Android

Gotcha...! 😂

https://in.pinterest.com/FionaFaves/

Belated happy birthday to your hubby! 🎂

Popping over to Discord to catch up in a bit! 😊

Ah! I must go there tomorrow... sorry I missed you. Din-din-making had to happen... good evening...😀

Posted using Partiko Android