Marmalade

I was given a jar of gorgeous homemade marmalade in a little preserve hamper at Christmas. I have been inspired to make my own for the first time. I have made jam (usually blackberry) a few times but never marmalade. I bought 2 kilos of seville oranges from the apparently famous Bury market and spent what felt like hours slicing the pith and peel before soaking it overnight.

 

The recipe is from the River Cottage handbook on preserves. The boiling was a bit messy as I had doubled the recipe and it kept boiling over and I had to keep scooping some out and putting it in a regular pan.

The recipe called for demerara rather than caster sugar which I think made it very dark and rich and full bodied. I am very pleased with the result, it is delicious with lots of fruit. I perhaps simmered it down for too long before adding the sugar making it a bit heavy on the fruit. Also I need a wider necked jam funnel as it kept getting clogged with the peel. All in all it was quite a sticky business but well worth the effort. I made approx 11lbs but have given most away! I will definitely make it again. Oh and it is a fabulous colour.