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Orange marmalade

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Marmalade

As with all sugar preserves, the key is when to stop boiling: how to determine that critical first moment (the "setting point") at which the marmalade will be set, rather than stiff but runny, when cold. Everyone has their own test and despises the rest. The one that works for me is to put a few drops on plate; let it cool for half a minute or so; and draw your finger over the surface, just touchng it, a very small amount, holding the plate so that the light is reflected off the surface of the marmalade. If you can see tiny wrinkles in the surface (spaced at 1/4mm or less) then it's done.

Ingredients

1 kg	Seville Oranges
2.4 l	Water
2 kg	Sugar
Juice of 1 lemon

Method

Cut the oranges in half, and squeeze out the juice, straining it into a large bowl. Keep the strained out pips, membranes etc and put them in a pot. Scrape the remaining membranes off the orange peels and add them to this pot. Cut each half-orange-peel into 4 pieces and slice them finely (1 – 2 mm thickness and up to 20mm length: they get bigger in cooking), adding the result to the bowl.
Measure out 1.2 l water and use some of it to cover the pips etc in the pot, adding the rest to the bowl. Add the lemon juice to the bowl. Leave for 24 hours.

Put the contents of the pot with pips etc into a muslin bag (or other preserve bag). Tie this up and suspend it in the pan to be used for the marmalade. Add the contents of the bowl and another 1.2 l water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 1½ to 2 hours until the peel is soft. Remove the bag.
Add the sugar, bring to the boil again and maintain at a brisk boil (without boiling over!). With a thick bottomed pan it shouldn't be necessary to stir; otherwise stir occasionally to as to stop it burning on the bottom, particularly towards the end.

Put enough clean glass jars for about 2 l of marmalade into a warm oven to get hot.
When the marmalade starts to get slightly viscous, sticking to the spoon a bit, start testing as described above (or use your favourite method). When the setting point is reached take the pan off and allow to cool until the froth settles. Stir and put into jars and cover securely.

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