seville orange marmalade
taste of summer in the depths of winter, August 2023
adapted from this delightful video and yields about seven 240mL jars
ingredients
1 kg seville oranges (bought mine here, yes I had them shipped to me while on holiday)
1kg water
1kg sugar
half a lemon
method
in a large pot, add the oranges (1kg) and water (1L)
bring to a simmer and cook, covered, for about 45 minutes until the skin of the oranges is easily pierced with a knife. flip them over a few times to make sure all the peel gets cooked
remove the oranges and place in the fridge to cool
leave the cooking water in the pot to cool at room temperature
place 2 small plates in the freezer
once the oranges are cooled, set out three bowls
working with one orange at a time, cut out and discard the stem
cut the orange into quarters
separate the orange seeds and membrane bits into bowl A, and orange flesh into bowl B
gently scrape away the pith from the inside of the skin with a spoon and place the pith into bowl A
finely chop the skin into long strands (about 2cm long and 2mm wide, or to your preference) and place in bowl C
continue with the remaining oranges
transfer the pips and pith from bowl A into a cheesecloth bag, tie loosely, and place in the cooking water on the stove
warm over medium heat for 10-15 minutes
lay out your prepared jars
remove the cheesecloth bag and place in a sieve set over a bowl to catch all the liquid that comes out
while the cheesecloth bag is cooling, add the sugar (1kg) to the pot
stir over medium-low heat until the sugar has fully dissolved
add bowls B (orange flesh), C (chopped rinds), and the juice of half a lemon to the pot and let sit over low heat to gently warm
returning to the cheesecloth bag, squeeze and twist gently to extract the pectin from the piths. the liquid should feel thickened and smooth
add the pectin liquid to the pot
transfer the pot to your biggest burner and heat over high to a rolling boil
cook the marmalade, stirring occasionally until done (anywhere between 25 and 45 minutes)
it’s done when the mixture hits 104°C on a sugar thermometer (if you have one) or when a spoonful of the mixture placed onto one of the chilled plates wrinkles when you push your finger through. when stirring, it will feel thicker and less watery and the bubbles will be more glassy and slower to pop
remove from the heat and let sit for 15 minutes to cool
transfer to jars and let cool completely
should keep at least 3 months in the pantry or fridge
variations
other oranges: replace the seville oranges with blood or navel oranges and two lemons (for a total of 1kg fruit). it won’t have the same bittersweet kick as the seville orange marmalade but it will definitely still be lovely!
tangelos or kumquats: replace the seville oranges with tangelos or kumquats and one lemon
scotch whiskey: add a shot of scotch whiskey to the cooled marmalade and stir through before putting into the jars
The trees in Sevilla are currently filled with these oranges, have to give this recipe a go! ;)