It is Seville orange season, so I have my first ever attempt at marmalade bubbling away on the stove as we speak! 3 Ib seville oranges - well washed juice of 2 lemons (1/4 pint) - I needed 4 lemons to get that amount of juice! 6 Ib sugar 2 tablespoons black treacle Wash the oranges well and place into a large pan with 5 pints of water. (I had about 6 ounces of kumquats in the freezer and I tossed those in also) Bring to the boil and cook for about 1 hour until the fruit is soft. Remove fruit from pan and leave to cool, reserving the cooking liquid. When cool enough to handle, quarter the fruit, remove and reserve pips and loose pulp then slice the peel as thickly as you like it. (I am a thick cut kinda gal!) Place pips and pulp into a mulsin bag. Put the chopped fruit, lemon juice and pip bag into the reserved water and bring to the boil. Simmer until reduced by about one third (about an hour) Warm the sugar in a low oven for 20 minutes, then stir it into the liquid and keep stirring until completely dissolved. Bring the liquid up to a rolling boil and keep boiling until setting point is reached. This will take between 30 and 40 minutes. Finally, stir in treacle. Now leave to settle for about an hour, then remove any scum, stir well to distribute the peel and bottle in sterile bottles. ENJOY ON HOT TOAST! ROLL ON BREAKFAST!!!
EJ I've never tried to make marmalade as I don't eat it. However, Ian does. I have a question, probably a stupid one knowing me , but, why do you add black treacle to yours? I've honestly never seen that in a marmalade recipe before so am wondering how it enhances or alters the taste.
It is from a recipe that mum gave me. When I googled 'Oxford Marmalade' some add black treacle, and some use dark brown sugar rather than white. Mum says you can't really taste it, other than there is a slightly bitter rich flavour, but it enhances the colour.
Ahhh right!!! I think I might just give your recipe a go EJ. I'll let you know what Ian thinks of it.
Well, so far so good. I have cooked the fruits for an hour, nearly scalded the skin off my fingers because I am so impatient and wanted to get the skin shredded and they were still BOILING hot!! But now they are shredded (quite thickly for me please) and back in the stock for another hours gentle simmer. Wow they are soooooooooooooooo bitter!
Oh, and I forgot to say, do away with buying artificial air freshners, just boil up a pan full of oranges. My house smells amazing!
Wow! I was worried that the recipe seemed in have a lot of sugar and I would end up with a sweetly sickly jam rather than a bitter orangey marmalade, but you know what, it is fab! It is sharp, orangey and the black treacle has given it a lovely dark amber colour. Now, I have a three fruit recipe....think I might have a go....if only I could acquire an orange grove!
