From lemon curd tart to orange marmalade, I love cooking with citrus fruit. The sharp and bitter flavor combined with the sweetness of sugar is unique. Although I like my marmalade straight up, you can customize it to suit your taste – infuse it with ginger, vanilla or cloves, use thickly sliced orange peel, add more or less sugar…the jam is completely in your hands.
Here’s my simple recipe.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds oranges
- 2 lemons
- 4 cups sugar
Wash the oranges and lemons thoroughly. Let dry. With a paring knife, remove the orange and lemon zest only leaving the pith behind. Slice the zest thinly and set aside. Cut off the white pith from each orange and lemon. Place the fruit, zest and enough water to cover the mixture in a large heavy pot. Bring to a boil.
Stir in the sugar until it dissolves. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for approximately 2 hours. Turn the heat up to medium, boil gently, stirring often for another 30 minutes. Skim off any foam on the top. If you want to be sure it’s ready, place a small amount in a bowl and refrigerate it until it’s cool. If it’s firm it’s done. If it’s runny continue cooking it and if it’s too hard add more water.
Pour the marmalade into clean, hot jars, seal with lids and store for up to a year.
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