What's a girl to do when faced with a drear grey day but turn to another January pursuit; the bringing of sunshine into the home in the form of marmalade. Sevilles are back in the shops again, fresh and fragrant, ripe for conversion but oh so bitter that a dab of juice makes one wince. (Think eating a wasp. )
Well, it seemed like a good idea but the reality was rather time consuming. Squeeze, remove pith and seeds. Shred. I glanced at the clock - that's 2 hours of my life I won't see again. Add sugar and boil. Furiously. Trial spoonfuls are placed on cool saucers to find if that elusive 'setting' point is reached. Suddenly and before I expect it my finger is pushing a wrinkle across a cooling spoonful. We're there. I've made it. I pot. Job done.
I'd bought 3 kilos which seemed a good idea at the time but actually is twice as much as the jam pan can handle at any one time. Tomorrow I will be stirring my cauldron again for batch no.2. Hopefully there will be another 9 jars, sufficient to see us through this year and maybe next.
Now just add toast.
6 comments:
Hello stranger. Hmmmmmm I can smell that from here. :-)
Hugs,
Annie x
Ah - golden deliciousness for every morning, as long as it lasts.
I've never tried to make marmalade, and admire you for doing so. I had some of Jane's and then she brought me some more when she visited - soooo good. No one else got a bite, I was so greedy.
Lovely to see a post from you over there on your hilltop!
Sounds great but I am the only one who eats marmalade here so never bother making it. I am good at blackberry jam though! x Jo
Heavenly smell !
For want of a pan of bubbling marmalade , I'll just have to make some of my Christmas present tea .... Assam with chunks of dried orange peel in .( It smells better than it tastes , sadly , unlike your marmalade)
I had been planning an email suggesting that you write an annual blog post, seeing that you've been an idle slacker for almost a year, but you got there first! Great to have you back again- don't go leaving so soon this time, will you?
A few years ago, I tried boiling the fruit whole and cutting it up once it was cooked. I'd always thought it would be a sticky mess, but it was a revelation. It took much less time to cook, I suppose the hot juice cooked the peel from the inside as well as the water outside, and it was little bother to cut up. Also, the initial cooking can be done in a saucepan and just the final boiling in the preserving pan, which further simplifies the operation.
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