Seville Orange Vanilla Cardamom Marmalade Food

CLASSIC SEVILLE ORANGE MARMALADE

Steps:

• Place a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet or line it with a clean towel. Set aside. Place several small plates in the freezer to use later to test the consistency of the marmalade.
• Halve and juice the oranges. You should have about 2 cups. Place the juice in a large pot. Using your fingers, remove the membranes and seeds from the hollowed shells and tie them up in a piece of cheesecloth. Add the cheesecloth filled with the membranes and seeds to the pot containing the juice.
• Cut the peel of the oranges into matchsticks. Put the strips of peel into the pot with the juice and the cheesecloth containing the membrane and seeds. Pour over 4 cups water, or enough water so that the water and juice cover the strips of peel (it will depend on the size of your pot). Bring to a boil and then simmer gently until the peels are soft and tender, 45 to 60 minutes.
• Allow to cool until the bag of membranes and seeds is cool enough to squeeze, about 20 minutes (be careful, it will be hot!). (You can also cover it and leave the marmalade to sit in the refrigerator overnight.) Once cooled, squeeze the pectin-packed cheesecloth until "dry." Discard. Add the sugar and salt and stir well until dissolved.
• Return the peels and liquid to the heat. Bring to a boil over high heat until the marmalade reaches the jelling point, 220 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, 15 to 20 minutes. The peels will be shiny and glass-like. (If you don't have a thermometer, you can also dribble a few drops of the marmalade on a frozen plate. If it crinkles when you run a finger through it and your finger leaves a clear line in the marmalade, it's ready. If not, check it every 5 minutes or so.)
• While the marmalade is cooking, place the canning rack in the canner and fill the pot with water; bring to a boil over high heat.
• Place 4 clean 1/2-pint jars (see Cook's Notes) on the prepared baking sheet. (This will help contain any dribbles or spills and prevent the jars from directly touching the metal.) For each jar, insert a canning funnel and carefully ladle in the marmalade, allowing at least 1/4 inch of headroom. Clean the rims of the jars with a clean, damp towel and tightly secure the lids.
• Using tongs, place the jars on the rack in the canner. The water should cover the jars by at least 1 inch. Cover the canner. Return the water to a boil and boil gently for 10 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the jars to a towel to cool. If the seal works and fits properly, the metal lid will be slightly concave within 24 hours of processing. Store the unopened jars of marmalade at room temperature for up to 1 year. Once the marmalade is opened, store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

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.

SEVILLE ORANGE MARMALADE

Steps:

• Halve the oranges and squeeze the juice into a large stainless-steel pan. Scoop the pips and pulp into a sieve over the pan and squeeze out as much juice as possible, then tie the pulp and pips in the muslin. Shred the remaining peel and pith, either by hand with a sharp knife or in a food processor (a food processor will give very fine flecks rather than strips of peel). Add the shredded peel and muslin bag to the pan along with the water. Leave to soak overnight. This helps to extract the maximum amount of pectin from the fruit pulp, which will give a better set. It also helps to soften the peel, which will reduce the amount of cooking needed.
• Put the pan over a medium heat, then bring up to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, for 1½-2 hrs, until the peel has become very soft. (The cooking time will be affected by how thickly you have cut the peel.) To see if the peel is ready, pick out a thicker piece and press it between your thumb and finger. It should look slightly see-through and feel soft when you rub it.
• Carefully remove the muslin bag, allow to cool slightly, then, wearing the rubber gloves, squeeze out as much liquid as possible to extract the pectin from the fruit pulp. Discard the bag and weigh the simmered peel mixture. There should be between 775-800g; if less, then top up with water to 775g.
• Put 4 small plates in the freezer, ready to use when testing for setting point. Add the sugar to the pan, then put over a low heat. Warm gently so that the sugar dissolves completely, stirring occasionally. Do not boil, before the sugar is dissolved.
• Increase the heat and bring up to the boil but do not stir while the marmalade is boiling. After about 5 mins the marmalade will start to rise up the pan (it may drop back and then rise again) and larger bubbles will cover the surface. After 8-10 mins boiling, test for setting point. Times will vary according to the size of the pan - in a large pan this takes 7-8 mins, in other pans it may take 12-15 mins. As setting point can be easily missed it's better to test too early than too late.
• To test the setting point: take the pan off the heat and allow the bubbles to subside. Take a plate from the freezer and spoon a little liquid onto the plate, then return to the freezer for 1 min. Push the marmalade along the plate with your finger. If setting point has been reached then the marmalade surface will wrinkle slightly and the marmalade won't run back straight away. If it's not at setting point, return to the heat and boil again for 2 mins before re-testing. Repeat until setting point is reached. If you have a sugar thermometer, setting point is reached at 105C, but it's good to do the plate test as well.
• Leave the marmalade to stand for 10 mins or until starting to thicken. If there's any scum on the surface, spoon it off. Transfer the marmalade to sterilised jars. Cover with a wax disc (wax side down) and seal. When cold, label the jars and store in a cool, dark cupboard. The marmalade should keep for up to a year.