Homemade Orange Marmalade And Hand Rolled Whole Grain Crackers Food

HOMEMADE ORANGE MARMALADE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Wash and dry the oranges. Using a sharp vegetable peeler or paring knife, remove the brightly colored zest-and only the brightly colored zest-from the oranges. Be sure to leave behind any and all of the white pith directly underneath as it is very bitter.
• Chop the zest. Keep bigger pieces for a chunkier marmalade, and ribbon-like strips for a more spreadable result. Set the zest aside.
• Cut the ends off the zested oranges and then, working with one orange at a time, cut off the thick white pith from around each orange. Discard the ends and white pith.
• Working over a bowl to catch the juices, hold a fully peeled orange and use a sharp knife to cut out each segment between the membranes that hold the sections together.
• Once you've cut out all the fruit, squeeze any juice out of the membranes into the bowl of segmented fruit. Set the membrane aside, along with any seeds (the pectin in these will help "set" the marmalade later).
• Combine the zest, fruit, juice, water, and sugar in a large, heavy pot and bring to a boil. Stir just until the sugar dissolves, then stop stirring.
• Meanwhile, lay a double layer of cheesecloth in a medium bowl and put the membranes and seeds on top. Lift up the corners and tie the cheesecloth into a bag to hold the membranes and seeds.
• Add this "pectin bag" to the pot and bring the mixture to a boil. Place a couple of small plates in the freezer to chill.
• Meanwhile, bring the marmalade to 220 F and hold it there for 5 minutes. Be patient, this can take quite a while. Do not stir.
• Put a dollop of the mixture on a chilled plate. Swirl the plate to spread the mixture a bit and drag a spoon through the mixture. If the marmalade is set, the spoon will leave a trail, and you'll still be able to see the plate where you dragged the spoon.
• Remove the pectin bag, squeezing any marmalade out and back into the pot, and discard the bag. Take the marmalade off the heat and let it sit for 5 minutes. Set up 3 clean pint jars with sealable lids (if canning, they should be hot and sterilized) next to the pot.
• Stir the marmalade to distribute the zest evenly in the mixture. Use a ladle to transfer the marmalade into the jars, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace at the top of each jar. Put the lids on the jars and refrigerate, or you can proceed with canning.

ORANGE MARMALADE

Steps:

• Wash the oranges and lemon thoroughly. Cut the oranges into 1/8-inch slices using a mandoline, removing the seeds as you go. Stack the orange slices and cut them into quarters. Place the oranges into an 8-quart stainless steel pot. Add the lemon zest and juice and the water to the pot, set over high heat and bring to a boil, approximately 10 minutes. Once boiling, reduce the heat to maintain a rapid simmer and cook, stirring frequently, for 40 minutes or until the fruit is very soft.
• While the fruit is cooking, fill a large pot (at least 12-quart) 3/4 full with water, set over high heat and bring to a boil. Place 10 (8-ounce) jars and rings, canning funnel, ladle, and tongs into the boiling water and make sure the water covers the jars by at least an inch. Boil for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the lids and leave everything in the pot until the marmalade is ready.
• Meanwhile, place a small plate in the freezer. Increase the heat under the orange mixture to return to full boil. Add the sugar and stir the mixture continually, until it reaches 222 to 223 degrees F on a deep-fry or candy thermometer, and darkens in color, approximately 15 to 20 minutes. You may need to adjust the heat in order to prevent boil over. Test the readiness of the marmalade by placing a teaspoon of the mixture onto the chilled plate and allowing it to sit for 30 seconds. Tilt the plate. The mixture should be a soft gel that moves slightly. If mixture is thin and runs easily, it is not ready.
• Remove jars from the water and drain on a clean towel. Place a canning funnel onto the top of 1 of the jars and ladle in the marmalade just to below the bottom of the threads of the jar. Repeat until all of the mixture has been used. The amount of marmalade may vary by 1 to 2 jars. Wipe the rims and threads of the jars with a moist paper towel and top each with a lid. Place a ring on each jar and tighten.
• Return the jars to the pot with boiling water, being certain that they don't touch the bottom of the pot or each other. (If you don't have a jar rack, try a round cake rack, or metal mesh basket. Even a folded kitchen towel on the pot bottom will do in a pinch.) Add additional water if necessary to cover the jars by at least an inch. Boil for 10 minutes. Using canning tongs, carefully remove the jars from the water, place in a cool dry place and allow to sit at room temperature for at least 24 hours before opening. Once open, store in the refrigerator. Unopened marmalade will last for up to 6 months.

HOW TO MAKE MARMALADE

Steps:

• Squeeze the oranges and keep their juice. Scrape out the pith and pips with a metal spoon, again keeping everything. Juice the lemon, too, then put the lemon shells, orange pith and seeds into a square of muslin about 30 x 30cm, and tie it with string. Leave the string long - that way you can tie it to your wooden spoon, which will make it easier to lift out later.
• Cut each orange shell into 3 petals, then finely shred with a large, sharp knife. Put the peel into a preserving pan, tip in the juices, then sit the bag in the juice. Pour in 2.4 litres/4 pints cold water and leave to steep overnight.
• Next day, leaving the bag in the pan, bring the liquid to the boil, then simmer for about 1 hr, or until the peel is soft and translucent and the liquid has reduced by one third. Turn off the heat and lift the muslin bag into a large bowl. Leave the bag until it's cool enough to handle.
• While you wait, get your jars ready. Wash 8 x 450g/1lb jars (or the equivalent volume larger or smaller jars) in hot, soapy water, then leave in a low oven to dry completely. Keep them warm. Alternatively, if you've got a dishwasher you can run the jars and lids though a hot cycle, then let them dry. Put a saucer in the freezer at this point, too.
• Now for the messy bit - I like to don a pair of rubber gloves at this point. Hold the bag over its bowl, and squeeze and pummel it until you've extracted every last drop of juice and gunge through the muslin. This stuff contains the pectin - the crucial ingredient to the perfect set. You can now throw away what's left in the bag and wash the muslin, ready to re-use.
• Stir the contents of the bowl, plus all the sugar, into the pan. Stir every so often over a very gentle heat until the sugar has completely dissolved. Don't boil before all the sugar has melted.
• Slowly bring the pan to the boil. After 10 mins boiling, spoon a small blob of marmalade onto the cold saucer. Leave for a few secs, then push the marmalade with your finger. If it wrinkles, it's ready. If not, boil for 10 mins more then try again. Even if you have a sugar thermometer (look for 105C or where it says 'jam'), I'd still recommend the saucer test. If yours seems to be taking a while don't worry, it can take anything from 10 mins to 45 mins for marmalade to reach setting point, depending on your oranges. Skim off any scum that comes to the surface in the meantime.
• Once you've reached setting point, ladle the marmalade into the warm jars and seal. A funnel is really handy if you have one. The marmalade will keep for up to 1 year in a cool, dark place, and for up to a month in the fridge once opened.

HOMEMADE WHOLE GRAIN CRACKERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with the racks positioned in the middle and upper third. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Mix together the flour, sesame seeds and salt in a mixing bowl, in the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. If using a mixing bowl, add the oil and cut in with a fork. If using a stand mixer, mix at medium speed. In a food processor, pulse until the mixture is crumbly. Add the water, and mix with your hands, or at medium speed in a mixer or in the food processor, until you can gather the dough into a ball.
• Lightly dust your work surface and roll out the dough, or roll out between pieces of parchment, plastic or wax paper. Cut into desired shapes -- squares, diamonds or cookie-cutter shapes -- and place on the baking sheet, close together but not touching.
• Bake 15 to 20 minutes until lightly browned, switching the sheet trays front to back and top to middle halfway through. Remove from the heat, and allow to cool on racks.

EASY ORANGE MARMALADE

Steps:

• Select Navel oranges that have the thinnest peel.
• If the orange is large double the amount of water and sugar.
• Wash the orange thoroughly.
• Cut off both ends of the orange.
• Cut the orange in half, cut each half in about eight sections.
• Place the orange sections in the food processor and pulse until the peel in is tiny pieces.
• In a medium saucepan place the processed orange, the water and the sugar and bring to a gentle boil.
• Boil for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Let cool, then place in a glass jar with a tight fitting lid.
• Refrigerate to store.
• When it is cold it is ready to eat.
• I use 1/2 sugar and 1/2 Splenda and it works well.

LOW-SODIUM WHOLE-GRAIN CRACKERS

Steps:

• In medium bowl, stir together first 5 ingredients. Add water and oil. Using rubber spatula stir until dough forms. Gather dough into a ball. Divide dough in half.
• On lightly floured surface, roll out each dough half to a 14 inch square. Cut each square into 3 1/2 inch squares, then cut each smaller square diagonally in half to form triangles. You may have to add a little water in every now and then if it gets too dry. Place triangles, 1/2 inches apart, on ungreased baking sheets.
• Bake in 350 degree oven for 18 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from baking sheets; cool on racks. Store in airtight container. Makes 64 crackers.

ULTIMATE SEVILLE ORANGE MARMALADE

Steps:

• Put the whole oranges and lemon juice in a large preserving pan and cover with 2 litres/4 pints water - if it does not cover the fruit, use a smaller pan. If necessary weight the oranges with a heat-proof plate to keep them submerged. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer very gently for around 2 hours, or until the peel can be easily pierced with a fork.
• Warm half the sugar in a very low oven. Pour off the cooking water from the oranges into a jug and tip the oranges into a bowl. Return cooking liquid to the pan. Allow oranges to cool until they are easy to handle, then cut in half. Scoop out all the pips and pith and add to the reserved orange liquid in the pan. Bring to the boil for 6 minutes, then strain this liquid through a sieve into a bowl and press the pulp through with a wooden spoon - it is high in pectin so gives marmalade a good set.
• Pour half this liquid into a preserving pan. Cut the peel, with a sharp knife, into fine shreds. Add half the peel to the liquid in the preserving pan with the warm sugar. Stir over a low heat until all the sugar has dissolved, for about 10 minutes, then bring to the boil and bubble rapidly for 15- 25 minutes until setting point is reached.
• Take pan off the heat and skim any scum from the surface. (To dissolve any excess scum, drop a small knob of butter on to the surface, and gently stir.) Leave the marmalade to stand in the pan for 20 minutes to cool a little and allow the peel to settle; then pot in sterilised jars, seal and label. Repeat from step 3 for second batch, warming the other half of the sugar first.