Topic: Marmalade disaster

[artichoke]

Does anyone do it this way?

Boil the whole oranges and a lemon until soft, cut in half, scoop out all contents with spoon (including the pith) and put them back in the hot water to boil them some more to get the pectin from the pips.

While they boil, cut the nice dry cooling skins into pieces as fine or coarse as you like them (in my really hectic days I put them in the liquidiser with some of the water).

Pour the boiled pulp/pips/pith through a coarse sieve or fine colander. It retains the pips and pith but lets some of the pulp and all the juice through. I never use muslin.

Reunite the peel with the juice and pulp, add sugar and boil until setting point.

Thank you Mrs Beeton. For decades I have used her proportions: 1.5 lb oranges plus a lemon, twice as much sugar as weight of the fruit, about 2pt water. But I use less sugar because I like it sharp.

I make it in small quantities to keep the fresh taste and so that it doesn't take over my life in Jan. It is quick and easy, and I tend to do it at the same time as other little jobs like washing up, or in the middle of a cold weekend afternoon to warm me up.

[tim]

Happy Catz - SO easy - SO good!

[supersprout]

Yes artichoke, using the pressure cooker for the boiling bit.

I make it in small quantities to keep the fresh taste and so that it doesn't take over my life in Jan. It is quick and easy, and I tend to do it at the same time as other little jobs like washing up, or in the middle of a cold weekend afternoon to warm me up.

BLISS!
:D :D :D

[artichoke]

I had a tragic pressure cooker disaster 40 years ago and have never lived it down. A friend called while I was making marmalade just in time to see a fountain of marmalade whoosh up to the ceiling and spray the rest of the kitchen. I've never quite trusted it since....

[tim]

But aren't you glad that the safety valve actually worked??

[supersprout]

 :-X
In my family it was a fountain of beans :'(
They've changed a lot since then ;)

[HappyCatz]

Thanks for the recipe Tim.  Our local farm shop have got seville oranges in so will have to buy extra to make the ice cream.

Incidentally, I always make seville orange and whisky marmalade which is delicious.  You just add about 8ozs whisky after setting point has been reached and before you pour into jars.  I love it ;D

[tin can]

I do the same as artichoke, and also the pressure cooker to 'soften' the fruit- but I use clementines instead.

[jennym]

I never use the white pith when making marmalade. I peel the zest off the oranges using a potato peeler, then pull off the white pith and discard it. Weigh the oranges and use the same amount of sugar when the time comes. Orange flesh is then processed, boiled for about 30 mins in enough water to cover it, strained through a colander, juice and whatever passes through colander back in pan, fish out any odd pips. Meantime I have chopped the zest and boiled it a couple of times, throwing the water away. Add the zest to the boiled juice mix, add the sugar, bring to 104 deg C, and jar.

[triffid]

I never use the white pith when making marmalade.

The pith is pectin-rich, so it joins the pips and pulp in the 'muslin' (actually nylon mesh) bag
in my recipe. It doesn't actually end up in the marmalade!

[supersprout]

I suppose it's boiled by default in any recipe that cuts the oranges into 2 or 3 and goes through the jelly bag. At the time you can choose to leave the white pith on the rinds for thick homely marmalade, or scrape it out with a spoon (it's like a jelly) for Golden Shred whiskers (happy days!) ;D

[tim]

What a palaver, Jenny. Each to their own - as usual - but, if you boil the fruit first, it's seconds to take out the innards for the bag - pith & all?

[jennym]

Hmmm, maybe I shall review my method. Think I do it that way, because I can do the preparation bit beforehand, whilst something else is occupying the stove, and I don't have to touch the fruit etc after it's been prepared. And I have to make an awful lot at a time. It sounds longer-winded than it actually is  :)
I know the pith doesn't end up in the marmalade, but never had any setting problems here without it, and really do think it affects the bitterness - the most bitter flavour compounds are found in the pith. Not that I knew that when I started making marmalade, I think the method of not using the pith was from May Byron's Jam Book. I do know that fruit juice manufacturers add allsorts in the process to counteract the effect of the bitterness of pith (for juices that use the whole fruit).

[Mrs Ava]

Just wanted to say, I LOVE MARMALADE.  ;D

[dandelion]

2 marmalade recipes, one for clear marmalade and one for chunky:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/03/2007_04_thu.shtml

[jennym]

Oh dear, looking at those recipes dandelion - I always use beet sugar (Silver Spoon) rather than cane sugar (Tate & Lyle) and don't notice the difference!
Chose to do this as I believed that the UK produces fine beet sugar.

[supersprout]

Thanks for the tip about cane sugar Dandelion - must admit I never even looked on the label :P ::)
A chum asked for chunky marmalade last weekend, so this came just in time! ;D

[flowerlady]

You can use either refined cane or beet sugar!  ::) how confusing !!!  :-\

Making jam and marmalade is all about proportions of water to fruit - pectin :o

To achieve a set ...get the proportion correct!!  if too much water,  the proportion of pectin is insufficient.   ( if using the traditional method the quantity of water is only used to give you enough time to soften the fruit!!) The fluid has to be reduced and should be done before you add the sugar ...

prolonged boiling of both together darkens the colour and increases the chances of burring the pan ... or making toffee!!  ... have been there and done that !!  :'( :'( :'(

Once this has been done I use 1 pint of fruit & water / 1 lb of sugar! 

Once the proportion is correct, add sugar, boil flat out and it will set!!  :D ;D

The setting point of jam occurs most readily when the sugar concentration is about 65% of which about 5% will be obtained from the fruit and 60% from the added sugar ... hence the push on good sugar!   :-\

Try this ...  weight the pan ... make a note of it ... then ...     

" The setting point should be reached when the fruit weighs 10lbs for every 6lb sugar used. 

To determin the final weight, the quantity of sugar used should be multiplied by 10
and divided by 6 - (60 / 40 ratio!)

e.g.  if a recipe gives 3 lbs sugar and 3lbs fruit, the jam should be reduced until it weighs 3 x 10 div by 6lbs = 5lbs.  .... remember all this is done in the pan hence weighing it befor you start!!

source of info:  HMSO "Home Pres of Fruit & Veg" ( as Tim wil know ;) )

[tim]

Funny - I've always believed that cane sugar works best, but never compared it. Never had a setting problem.

Proportion of water - hence the convenience of pressure cooking the fruit?

Dark stuff? Yes, I think that EJ prefers it Oxford type, but I prefer it very un-dark.

Reducing? Yes, this is why the fruit doesn't go in until the liquid is up to temperature.

Temperature? If using a thermo, do move it around a bit or you'll get a localised reading. Ours has an alarm, so one can get on with the chores in between times.

[supersprout]

Just been shopping!
sevilles 80p/kg
sugar 80p/kg
= marmalade@ <40p/lb
(not including labour, heat and hospital fees ;))

am I dreaming? I'm sure that's cheaper than last year?