General marmalade making

General marmalade making

All citrus fruits can be used to make marmalade, Seville oranges are generally used for their deliciously bitter flavour, although you can use sweet oranges when combined with lemons or grapefruit.

Most of the pectin- the setting agent is found in the pith and pips so the fruit has to be cut up finely to extract this, and all the pith, pips and membrane tied in muslin to extract as much pectin as possible.  Citrus peel needs to be simmered for at least 2 hours to be completely softened or it will be come tough when the sugar is added

There are two traditional methods of making marmalade, the fruit can be boiled whole for 2-3 hours until tender and then chopped  or the fruit can be chopped and simmered in water for 2 hours, I find this the easiest, least messy method. 

 

Grab your Seville oranges now. If you don’t have time to make the marmalade immediately they can be frozen whole or chopped. Don’t defrost, cook straight from frozen, and allow about an eighth extra weight of oranges to allow for pectin loss

 

Thin or Thick 

 if you prefer thin shred marmalade, peel off the orange zest with a potato peeler and then shred finely. Cut the fruit in half, squeeze the juice, chop the pith and add to the muslin bag with the pips and membranes.

Thick cut- Cut the fruit in half, scoop out the membranes and pips and add to the muslin bag, then cut the peel, pith and all into shreds

 

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