Seville Orange Marmalade Recipe

Updated March 10, 2008.  Every year I make several batches of marmalade.  These are the notes of this process, which continue to get refined as I improve the techniques in my quest for a remarkable marmalade.
Note that this is not a standard recipe. It calls for twice as much fruit as other recipes for the same output, and makes a particularly flavorful, intense jam.  This recipe doesn't use commercial pectin, but requires that you extract the pectin from a cheesecloth or muslin bag containing the seeds and membranes of the oranges.  If you are looking for a more classic recipe for Seville orange marmalade, I recommend David Lebovitz's recipe from his book Room for Dessert.

Seville Orange Marmalade Recipe

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Ingredients

• 3 lbs of seville or bitter oranges (about 12 oranges)
• 4 cups water
• 2 lemons - 1 regular lemon and 1 Meyer lemon
• 4 to 5 cups white granulated sugar

Equipment needed

• 1 wide 5 or 6-quart pan (stainless steel or copper with stainless steel lining, not aluminum which will leach, hard anodized is okay)
• An electric or mechanical juicer (you can juice all the oranges by hand but it is much easier and less time consuming with a juicer).
• A sharp chef's knife
• A candy thermometer
• A large (8 cup) measuring cup pourer
• 5 to 6 8-oz canning jars
• Potato peeler
• A muslin jelly bag (for the pectin), or a large (18" diameter) round piece of muslin, or several pieces of cheesecloth that you can tie up into a bag

Method

Preparing the fruit

Bitter Seville oranges, ready to cut
1 Scrub the oranges clean.  Discard any that are damaged or moldy.

2 Cut the oranges in half and juice them, one by one, until you have 2 cups of juice.  Set aside the juice.  As you juice the oranges, also save the seeds and the membranes - put them in a separate bowl and set them aside.  The seeds and membranes will be used for making pectin. 

3 Taking a clean juiced orange half rind, use a spoon to dig out as much of the white pith as you can.  The pith is bitter, so the more you can get out the better.  But don't worry if you can't get it all out.  What is pictured is the end result of one of my scrapings.  It's okay if there is still some pith.  Use a sharp chef's knife to thinly julienne the peel.  Once you julienne all of the oranges that you juiced to make 2 cups of juice, you should have about 4 cups of peel.  Set these julienned peels aside.
Note that another way to remove the peel is to use a vegetable peeler on the orange before you juice it.  That can be an effective way to remove the flavorful outer peel without also including too much of the bitter rind.  If you use this method, you may need to peel a few extra oranges to fill up 4 cups with julienned peel. You may also have more separation of peel from the jelly in the finished product.


4 Juice the regular lemon and add this juice to the orange juice.  Save the seeds for making pectin.  Cut the Meyer lemon in eigths, lengthwise.   Remove the seeds and as much of the inner membranes as you can easily remove.  Cut the lemon segments crosswise into triangular pieces.  (See the steps in the Meyer lemon marmalade recipe for photo descriptions.)  Add the Meyer lemon seeds and membranes to the Seville orange seeds and membranes. 

5 Put all of the citrus seeds and membranes into 4 layers of cheesecloth, tied up tightly with string, or into a muslin jelly bag.

First stage of cooking

1 Place the orange and lemon juices into a large thick-bottomed pot, either 5 or 6-quart.  Add the julienned orange peels and Meyer lemon pieces and the water.

2 Place the cheesecloth or muslin bag containing the citrus seeds and pulp into the pot and secure the string at the other end to the pot handle. As the mixture cooks, the pectin from the seeds and membranes will be extracted into the mixture.

3 Bring mixture to a boil.  Let boil, uncovered, for about 30 minutes, or until the peels are soft and cooked through.  Remove from heat.
4 Remove the pectin bag and place it in a bowl to let cool until it is comfortable to touch.

Measure the fruit and add sugar and pectin

1 Pour out the mixture from the pot into a large measuring cup.  Measure how much of the mixture you have.  Depending on how hard of a boil and how long the cooking time, you could have anywhere from 4 to 5 cups.  Return the mixture back to the pan.
2 Add to the mixture 7/8 cup of sugar for every cup of mixture.  So, if you measured 4 cups of mixture, add in 3 1/2 cups of sugar.   Once the sugar has dissolved, taste the mixture.  Add more sugar depending on how sweet you want your marmalade to be.  Note that the jelly mixture will reduce further, intensifying both the flavor and the sweetness of the jelly.  I typically use 4 cups of sugar for every 4 cups of fruit mixture.
Once your pectin bag has cooled to the point you can handle it, squeeze it like play-doh to extract extra pectin.  Grasp a tangerine size portion of the bag and squeeze, pulling the bag away from you with one hand as you hold firmly with the other hand. Work your way around the bag. "Milk" the pectin until you have released anywhere from 2 Tbsp to 4 Tbsp of pectin. It should take a few minutes.  The pectin has the consistency of sour cream.  Add it to the orange mixture.

Second stage of cooking

1 Heat the jelly mixture on medium high and bring it to a rapid boil, stirring occasionally, making sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pan.  Secure a candy thermometer to the side of the pan.  The marmalade may take anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes or so to set.  After about 10 minutes, start checking it frequently.

Too runny to be ready	It's wrinkly, so it's ready

2 There are two ways to test that the marmalade is ready to pour out into jars.  One way is to check the thermometer for when the mixture reaches a temperature of 220-222°F (8-10°F above the boiling point at your altitude). Another way is to put a bit of it on a chilled plate and look for signs of it "wrinkling up" when you push it with your finger tip.  Depending on how accurate your thermometer is, you might find the wrinkle test more reliable.  Put several small plates into the freezer.  As the jelly temperature exceeds 218°F, start testing it by placing a small amount of the hot jelly on a chilled plate.  If the jelly spreads out and thins immediately, it isn't ready.  If it holds its shape a bit, that's a good sign.  Push up against it with your finger tip. If the jelly sample wrinkles at all, it is time to take the jelly off the heat and pour it out into jars.
When you use a candy thermometer to test the temperature of your mixture, make sure the probe is NOT touching the bottom of the pan. Make sure the indentation on the probe (with modern candy thermometers this is about an inch and a half from the bottom of the probe) is actually surrounded by the mixture. You may have to tilt the pan to one side, to cover the probe sufficiently to get a good reading.
I find the best jelly results from stopping the cooking as soon as the temp reaches 220° (I use a very accurate digital thermometer).  At this point the test jelly is just barely wrinkling.
Overcooking a marmalade will result in a caramelized flavor or tough orange peels in your marmalade.

Canning

1 There are several ways to sterilize your jars for canning.  You can run them through a short cycle on your dishwasher.  You can place them in a large pot (12 quart) of water on top of a steaming rack (so they don't touch the bottom of the pan), and bring the water to a boil for 10 minutes.  Or you can rinse out the jars, dry them, and place them, without lids, in a 200°F oven for 10 minutes. 
2 As the time approaches for the marmalade to be done, boil some water in a tea pot.  Put the jar lids in a glass or ceramic bowl and pour the boiling water over them to sterilize.

3 Once the jelly has reached 220-222°F (or 8-10°F over the boiling temperature of water at your altitude) remove the jelly pot from the heat.  Carefully ladle the jelly into the jars, one at a time, leaving 1/4 inch head space at the top of the jars for a vacuum seal.  Wipe the rim clean with a clean, wet paper towel.  Place the lid on the jar, securing with a jar ring.  Work quickly. 
If you want, you can process the jars in a hot water bath for 5 minutes to help get a better seal and to help prevent mold.  If you used boiling water in an earlier step to sterilize the jars, you can just keep the same set-up for the water bath. You want to make sure there is a rack at the bottom of the pot so that the jars aren't actually resting on the bottom of the pot.
4 Allow the jars to sit overnight.  You will hear them make a popping sound as a vacuum seal is created.
Makes 5-6 8-ounce jars.  http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/seville_orange_marmalade/

Tangerine Jam

My friend Billy gave me eight pounds of tangerines and four pounds of lemons off his backyard tree. Since I’m not a huge fan of marmalade, I decided to try and make a citrus jam instead.

Recipe
32 ounces of tangerine juice
4 cups of granulated cane sugar
juice of 2 lemons
3 tablespoons of tangerine zest
1 cinnamon stick
Regency Spice Bags or cheese cloth

Using a zester, remove only the outer layer of the tangerine peels. Juice the tangerines, setting aside the pith and the seeds. In a non-reactive pot add the tangerine and lemon juices, sugar, and cinnamon.
Put the pith and the seeds into a cloth spice bag or wrap and tie with Natural Cheese Cloth and kitchen twine. (The pith and seeds contain pectin which will allow the jam to jell. You may substitute fruit pectin for this step if you want a firmer jam). Add the bag to the pot with the other ingredients.
Bring ingredients to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes, or until ingredients begin to jell, stirring constantly. Remove the spice bag containing the pith and the seeds, and the cinnamon stick.
Pour the hot jam into hot, sterilized glass jars. Process in a hot water bath for 15 minutes. Remove processed jars from canner and allow to cool overnight.
Unfortunately, eight pounds of tangerines cook down to just TEN 4 ounce jelly jars. Now I know why people make marmalade–you get a lot more preserved citrus if you use the peel too and not just the juice.
On the upside, the tangerine jam is insanely delicious. My boyfriend has already eaten his way through half the jars, and asked me to make a second batch using tangerine juice from Trader Joe’s…a scratch cooking cheat that I’m actually considering.
While the tangerine jam is yummy on bread, its bright flavor deserves better. The ultimate use for this tangerine jam is as an ice cream topping. Combine this jam with homemade vanilla ice cream for the greatest Creamsicle ever.

http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=7054630814097701751

Strawberry And Apple Jam

I
get really fussy sometimes. Today is one of those times. I wanted to make a
'perfect jam'. Bringing home some beautiful strawberries yesterday and some
crispy green apples, the jam's fate was sealed. Strawberry and Apple it
is.

I've
made this jam before and I adored it's brilliant ruby colour and the tangy taste
it left on my palate as opposed to the often sickly sweet associated with some
jams. The last one I made didn't jell to the extent I would have liked so I
decided to add a small muslin bag together with lemon seeds inside. See; I told
you I was feeling fussy. I also had a bowl of water with fresh lemon slices in
it and a couple of good squeezes of lemon juice to receive the apples slices as
I cut them so as to avoid any browning whatsoever. Fussy? Sure, but it worked
and I was glad I did. You can decide how fussy you would like to be.

Once
today is over I shall have my first preserve ready for the show. You see our
local agricultural show is on at the end of June and my family always goes
through the chaos, fun, pain, effort and joy at participating and competing on
some level. Hubby always has his amazing produce entered (thanks to The Borb and
I). The Borb takes ages carefully selecting and picking the top quality fruit
whilst I spend ages washing and polishing the fruit before painstakingly
arranging it in the little cane baskets. Hubby simply walks up to the pavillion
and walks away with the ribbons and prize money whilst we shake our heads
without any credit at all. But we love it.

Photographic daughter has
entered her photographic works for the last two years and has had astounding
success. Really. I'm not just saying that. Last year, she entered seven
categories and she won four firsts, one second and one third. It goes without
saying she took the coveted purple grand champion ribbon. Oh my; I was bursting
with pride.

I always enter something in the cake section; and I am happy
to say I usually come away with a couple of ribbons. I'll talk more about this
as the show gets closer. But for now, let's concentrate on the preserves. I have
some tomatoes that are sitting, trying to ripen; emphasis on "trying". So
instead of the tomato relish I was meant to be doing, strawberry and apple jam
is first off the rank.

Strawberry and Apple
Jam

500gm strawberries
3 medium green apples
1/4 cup lemon
juice
1kg white or caster sugar
extra lemon

Hull and halve the
strawberries. Cut out bruised spots and do not use any that are too ripe. Set
aside in a clean bowl.



Get
some lemons; if you're fortunate enough to have a tree, pick them straight from
the tree as the pectin content will be at it's highest. Select lemons that are
slightly underripe. You will get the best possible jelling results doing
this.



Squeeze
a whole lemon into a big bowl of water; peel and quarter the green apples;
remove seeds and core; slice thinly. Place the apple slices straight into the
lemon water.


Take
some muslin fabric and cut out a small square. You only need enough to hold the
pips from a couple of lemons.



Take
a clean bowl; pour in some boiling hot water and place your muslin square into
the water. This is the next best step to sterilising the cloth.



Squeeze
a couple of lemons and reserve the juice.



Line
a small bowl with the well rinsed muslin square and place all the lemon pips you
can extract from the lemons.



Secure
the pips well and tie a knot with some twine to create a small muslin
bag.



In
a heavy based pan place the strawberries, drained apples, muslin bag, 1/4 cup of
lemon juice and three cups of water. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer
covered for about 20 minutes or until the apples have softened. Take out muslin
bag; pour the sugar into the centre of the pot; stir gently till the sugar has
dissolved then boil steadily for about 30 minutes or till the jam has set. I
place a saucer in the freezer and test the jam by dropping a little onto the
saucer; then pressing to see how wrinkled it looks. If it is quite runny then
more cooking is required.



I
was delighted with the jell consistency of my jam. Although it looks like it is
quite runny and I'm thinking it will never take, it somehow magically all comes
together. Patience and watching the pot are critical ingredients for jam
making.



It
is important to allow the jam to sit for about 10 minutes before pouring into
sterilized jars. You risk the fruit sinking to the bottom if you pour it in
right away. Make sure that any scum has been removed. You will find scum always
rises to the top and moves to the sides of the pot so it is easy to spoon off. I
use the pictured ladle to fill the jam jars. Seal while hot.



I
quickly whipped up my scone recipe (this time I didn't forget the butter); beat
some thickened cream and enjoyed the fruits of my "fussy" labour. And boy was it
worth it!



So
is my Strawberry and Apple Jam worthy of a ribbon? Only time will
tell.


http://thrumykitchenwindow.blogspot.com/2009/06/strawberry-and-apple-jam.html

Orange Marmalade The Old Fashioned Way

At
the exact time I was ladelling my homemade marmalade into sterilized jars I
heard Ready, Steady, Cook in the background. One of the guest chefs had
blueberries in her mystery bag and she decided to make blueberry jam in the
microwave in ten minutes. Okay then. She also made a passing comment that went
something like this; "in this day and age there is no other way you would ever
consider making jam other than in the microwave".

Funny how she happened
to say that at the very moment I had expended a lot of time and energy into
making jam (okay marmalade) the old fashioned way. Is somebody trying to tell me
something? Well I'm afraid Miss Bloom, I am making jam (marmalade) and I am
definitely not making it in the microwave. Incidentally, her blueberry jam
resembled more of a runny blueberry sauce. If you are not interested in making
marmalade from scratch, I mean it, from scratch, then it's best to save your
time and look no further. And I am guessing if you are that person, then perhaps
microwave jam would appeal to you.

If
you are still with me, then let's soldier on. This jam and marmalade making is a
real labour of love. Is it worth it? In my case I have beautiful oranges that I
can pick straight from the tree, so that is a big motivation for me. Long after
the last orange has fallen, or been eaten by hubby or been hacked into by
cockies; I will have my homemade marmalade for months. I always keep some for
Christmas, because I use it in my glaze for the baked ham. I know everyone in my
family just looooooves that ham and using my homemade marmalade makes me feel
that it's a touch more special.

Marmalade is a lot fussier than jam. I
must separate the segments of orange flesh without the pith, then I have to
remove the pith from the rind, then I have to slice the rind as finely as
possible. Then it's a two day wait before I can even cook it because it must be
left overnight. Make no mistake, it is fussy stuff. No bother. Just knuckle down
and do it. Knowing if the jelly set is right can be a tricky business too, but
you live and learn and then you know. So I conclude that it is time consuming,
it does take effort and it can be tricky.

In this fast world; time,
effort and risk are simply not convenient and not worth the trouble especially
with lovely local or exotic imported jams in fancy jars alluring you to "pick
me, pick me", on our overcrowded supermarket shelves. You may well be thinking
"am I nuts". Maybe I am. For you see this nutter yearns for a simple life and an
enjoyment of simple pleasures.

And
yet to me homemade jam or marmalade is far from simple. It is luxurious and
wonderful and when I sit down to enjoy it, I take my time and savour each and
every bite. And I look at it. Intently. I admire the rind cooked to perfection.
A nice "al dente" texture has been achieved. I'm thrilled. The colour is
amazing. I haven't overcooked it and it is a shiny, transparent glistening
orange colour. The olfactory senses kick in and the tangy, rich, deep soul of
the orange whack me in the nose. No bubbles, hurray, the judges will like that.
As for the setting; well that is the best part; it's perfect. And my very
unshowy marmalade sits displayed in a very ordinary straight sided jar. Plain
and simple. Just how I like it. All things considered I feel happy and I feel
clever. Funny isn't it, how some simple homemade marmalade can make me feel this
excited. Next time I push my trolley past the jam isle, I shall watch shoppers
deliberating over which variety to buy. And I will overtake them with a smile on
my face feeling very, very clever.




Sweet
Orange Marmalade
adapted from The Australian Women's Weekly

5
large (1kg) oranges
1 1/4 litres water
1 1/4 kg sugar
2 tablespoons
lemon juice
A couple of extra lemons

PS: This recipe in the Weekly
includes 2 teaspoons citric acid but I leave it out.

Cut oranges into
quarters. Using a sharp knife carefully cut the orange flesh away making sure to
leave all the pith behind. Cut the orange flesh into thin slices; place into a
clean bowl; reserve seeds.



Take
each quarter; with your sharp knife carefully and slowly cut into the pith up
against the rind as closely as possible and remove all the pith. If it doesn't
all come away then attempt to remove the remaining pith. A small sharp knife may
come in handy for this. Reserve half the pith; discard remaining pith.



The
orange rind should look like the picture below; nice fine quarters with no white
left on them.



Cut
the rind into very fine strips. Take your time. For me this step is quite
critical. Aesthetically, it is very unattractive to find huge chunky pieces of
rind but the most important reason is if the pieces are not even then they may
not be cooked all the way through ultimately affecting the keeping time of the
marmalade.



Place
the fine strips of rind together with the orange flesh and half the water.
Cover; stand overnight.



Take
out all the seeds you can get from an extra couple of lemons. Place these with
any seeds you may have taken out from the oranges. Add to the reserved orange
pith.



Tie
seeds and pith in a piece of muslin; place muslin bag into a separate bowl and
the remaining water. Cover; stand overnight. (The citric acid was added at this
stage in the AWW's recipe).



Next
day combine contents of both bowls in a large saucepan. Add lemon juice. Bring
to boil; simmer, covered for about 40 minutes or until rind is soft. Discard
muslin bag. Pour sugar carefully into the centre of the pot. Stir over heat
without boiling until sugar is dissolved. Bring to boil; boil uncovered without
stirring, for about 15 minutes or until marmalade jells when tested. Allow to
sit in pot for about 10 minutes before placing into sterilized jars. You will
get better distribution of the fruit that way.



Pour
into jars carefully; seal immediately. (Unlike the recipe in
the AWW, which states to seal when cold. No way. Rubbish!)



Toast
and marmalade for tea. And I'm happee.



I
served my tea in a lovely "April Rose" fine bone china cup and saucer made in
England. It belonged to my father-in-law's mother so I couldn't tell you how old
it is. Didn't I tell you I was into "old fashion"? http://thrumykitchenwindow.blogspot.com/2009/06/orange-marmalade-old-fashioned-way.html