Make Orange Marmalade

Marmalade is a bitter preserve similar in texture to jelly. Although it was first made from quinces, most marmalade today is made from oranges including the peel. Legend has it that orange marmalade was the only food that would entice Mary Queen of Scots to eat when she was sick.

Ingredients

• 4-5 large oranges
• 1 lemon
• 6 cups water
• About 3 pounds sugar, using more or less to taste.
• 1 muslin or cheesecloth bag, (for rindless recipe)

Steps

Making Marmalade With Peels & Skin

1. Pick out 4-5 large oranges -- preferably Seville. Seville oranges are the classic marmalade orange, with a thin but bitter peel and a sharply sweet inside that makes a decadent combination. However, many cooks have success with navel, sweet, or whatever you can find in the grocery store.
   • Note that, while the ratios here are roughly correct, you can add more sugar later on if the oranges aren't quite as sweet as you'd like.
2. Cut the orange and into thin, round slices. Cut the ends off first and set aside. Then, using a sharp knife of a kitchen mandoline, slice the oranges into as thin slices as you can get. They should be close to 1/8" thickness. Discard the seeds as you go.
   • Citrus rinds naturally contain pectin, the agent that causes "jelly-ing." This makes the recipe remarkably simple, though you can make it without the rinds if you prefer.
3. Stack the slices and cut in half, making little half-moon shaped pieces. The smaller the pieces, the easier it will be to extract the juice and make your marmalade.
4. Peel and grate the rinds ahead of time, optionally adding to the sliced fruit. If you want softer, more evenly consistent marmalade, you'll want to break up the rinds. Simply slice them off first, cut into pieces and add to the fruit.
5. Add the fruit pieces and juices to your pot and cover with the water. You'll need a big, 8-quart pot to fit everything, with plenty of room on top. Don't fill up a small pot to the brim -- you have a lot more to add, and the mixture will bubble up over the top.
6. Zest the lemon into the pot and then squeeze out all of the juice, adding as well. Simply grate the lemon skin in, then cut it in half and juice it into the pot with the oranges and water. Make sure you don't add any seeds!
   • While the lemon is a great addition for the final flavor, it is not strictly necessary, and can be replaced with another small orange if desired.
7. Bring the water to a boil, stirring frequently. Turn the heat on high and let the pot rise to a nice rolling boil. You don't actually need to boil everything for very long, but you do need to get the water up to this temperature.
8. Lower the heat to a rapid simmer and cook for 40 minutes once the water boils. Stir every few minutes as you do. A rapid simmer is when lots of small bubbles rise and break the surface, but you don't have the "rolling" water of a full boil.
9. Return the mixture to a boil and add the sugar, after 40 minutes, r stirring continually. Don't let the mixture sit for long or the sugar might burn -- keep it moving.
10. Boil, stirring frequently, for 15-20 minutes, or until set. If you have a candy thermometer, set it to 222F, as this is the temperature needed to finish cooking. It will slowly darken in color as the sugar dissolves and cooks.
    • Note -- if you plan to eat all of the marmalade in the next few days you do not need to can it.
11. Test the marmalade before canning it. The following test is perfect after 12 minutes or so, letting you know how it all came out. If it is ready, let the pot sit for 10 minutes to cool before proceeding. You'll know if the marmalade is done with a simple and easy "plate test:"
    • Before boiling, place a small plate in the freezer.
    • Place a small dollop of marmalade on the cold plate
    • Wait 30 seconds.
    • Tilt the plate -- it should be a slow-moving gel, barely moving down the plate.
    • Add more water if it is too hard. Keep cooking if it is too soft and wet.

Making Marmalade without Rinds

1. Peel the oranges and lemon completely, saving the peels. The peel of an orange not only has essential flavor, it contains pectin. Pectin is the ingredient that causes liquids to gel, making it essential for marmalades and jellies.
2. Pull off as much "pith," the white stuff surrounding the orange as possible, saving for later. Pith contributes a lot of the bitterness to your marmalade. Thus, you can add or subtract it based on your desired taste -- save a ton for a bitter, well-balanced marmalade and ditch about half for a sweeter spread.
3. Cut the unpeeled oranges into slices on a rimmed baking sheet or dish. The rimmed dish will help you save all the juices easily instead of splattering them all over the kitchen. Add the fruit and juices into a large saucepot -- at least 8-quarts.
4. Slice up the rinds into strips or small chunks no wider than 1/2" inch. Cut up the rind as you see fit. If you don't mind little chunks of softened rind, leave them as 1/2" ribbons. If you really hate the idea of seeing rind and want a smoother marmalade, you can cut it very fine, or grate it into a pulp.
5. Fill a small muslin or cheesecloth bag with the pith and rinds. These two ingredients contain most of the pectin, but also a lot of bitterness. By soaking them in this cheesecloth bag instead of directly adding to the marmalade, you can extract the pectin without all of the added bitterness.
6. Place the bag and 6 cups of water to the pot and let sit overnight. This will slowly break down and extract the pectin, as well as remove some of the bitterness.
7. Wait a day, then cook over medium heat for 1-2 hours or until the peel is soft. You want a nice, rapid simmer, not a boil. You should be able to feel it in the muslin bag, and it should feel soft and pliable when squeezed.
8. Remove the muslin bag, let it cool, then squeeze any liquid back into the pot. This will extract the last bits of pectin, helping ensure that your marmalade sets properly. Discard the muslin bag and contents.
9. Lower the heat and add the sugar, stirring in constantly. Keep the spoon moving as you add the sugar, helping it dissolve in slowly without burning. Don't start boiling until all the sugar has dissolved.
10. Raise the temperature and boil the mixture without stirring for 8-10 minutes. Remember -- don't do this until all the sugar has dissolved. If the mixture starts to rise and seems like it will overflow, simply lower the heat a bit until it falls again.
11. Test the marmalade by spreading on a cold plate and letting it cool. Put a plate in the freezer while the mixture boils. After 8-10 minutes, spoon out a little marmalade and put it on the cold plate. Wait 30 seconds, then tilt the plate to see how the jelly reacts. It should appear gel-like and move slightly, but not have runny liquids coming out of it.
    • If it seems too set and doesn't move at all, add a little hot water to the pot and stir in.
    • If it seems too runny, let it cook for another 2-3 minutes.
12. Turn the heat off and let it sit for 10 minutes before canning. If there is any foam that rises to the top as it cools, simply spoon it off and throw it away.

Canning Your Marmelade

1. Place a canning rack on the bottom of a large sauce pot and fill with jars, lids, and tongs. Canning requires boiling your jars full of marmalade, but your glass jars shouldn't be directly on the heat of the stove. This small, metal rack will elevate the jars enough to keep them safe. If you don't have a canning rack, you can use:
   • Round cake rack
   • Metal mesh basket
   • Folded kitchen towel
2. Boil enough water that your cans are covered. Cover your rack, cans, lids, etc. with enough water that there is an inch of it over the top of the highest can. This first boil will sterilize your equipment. Boil for ten minutes.
   • If you have a serialize, you can simply use this instead. Sterilizers use boiling water to kill germs for you.
3. Remove the jars with tongs and pat dry after 10 minutes. Keep the water boiling, however! Once you're done sterilizing, remove the cans and carefully pat them dry -- they'll be hot!
4. Fill the jars with hot marmalade, pouring until just under the threads. As the mixture cools, it will expand slightly, so be sure to leave some room at the top. The jars must still be pretty warm -- adding hot marmalade to cool jars will crack them.
5. Tighten the lids onto the jars. Close them up like normal, putting on the lid and then tightening the ring around it securely.
6. Drop the jars gently in boiling water for 10 minutes. If necessary, add more water to ensure the cans are covered completely. Make sure they are not touching each other, or the bottom of the pan, and simply let them boil for 10 minutes.
   • If you are at or higher than 6,000ft above sea level, you must let the jars boil for 15 minutes, not 10.
7. Remove the jars carefully and let them cool to room temperature overnight. Set the jars out on the counter in a cool, dry place and let them drop back to room temperature. After the first few hours (when they don't burn to the touch) loosen the rims on the jars a half turn to prevent them from rusting or sticking.
8. Push the top of the can down -- it will spring back if you canned properly. Everyone has played with this little top on jelly jars from the store, but this is the time actually use it. If canned properly, the "button" should simply pop back up. Well-canned marmalade will last up to a year.

Tips

• Seville oranges with bitter skin are considered the best for use in marmalade but you can also use Sicilian oranges.

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Sources and Citations

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