January, and this season’s Seville oranges are arriving in the country. The bitter-tasting Seville orange is not pleasant to eat but it is the key component of a great marmalade.
There are dozens of recipes available with all kinds of variants including the use of alternatives to oranges such as peaches, lemons, pineapples, quinces and even rhubarb.
However I prefer the traditional approach and looking back at recipes from the past and present it is the Seville orange that dominates.
In our ebook Mrs Beeton's Jam-making and Preserves the eponymous cook has a number of recipes for orange marmalade. Here are two of them.
Beeton 1
Take 12 Seville oranges, 2 lemons and some preserving sugar.
Slice the fruit thinly, removing inner pith and pips. Weigh it, and to each lb. add 3 pints of cold water. Let the whole remain covered in an earthenware vessel for 3 days, then turn the preparation into a preserving-pan and boil gently until quite tender. Let it cool, weigh again, and to each lb. of fruit add 1lb of sugar. Bring the mix to boiling point, skim well, and cook gently until the syrup stiffens quickly when tested on a cold plate. Turn into pots, cover with paper brushed over on both sides with white of egg, and store in a cool, dry place.
A very simple and straightforward recipe although I suggest that you turn the marmalade into jars, cover with wax discs – shiny-side down – and then screw on the lids while the marmalade is still hot.
Beeton 2
Have ready 24 Seville oranges, their weight in preserving sugar, and 2 pints of cold water.
Take off the rinds of the oranges, divide the pulp into small pieces, and remove the pips. Boil the rinds in water for 2 hours, changing it two or three times to reduce the bitter flavour; when quite tender, drain well, and shred them finely. Boil the sugar and water to a syrup, skimming well meanwhile, then add the pulp and shredded rinds. Boil gently for about ½ an hour, or until the marmalade sets quickly when tested on a cold plate, then pour into pots and cover down with paper brushed over on both sides with white of egg. Keep the marmalade in a cool, dry place until required for use.
As with the first recipe it is easier today to use jars and ready-made wax discs for storage of the marmalade.
Both these recipes are simple to follow and will provide some tasty marmalade for your toast over the next few months.
And, if you're feeling adventurous, there are enough other marmalade recipes in Mrs Beeton's book to keep Paddington a happy bear!
There are dozens of recipes available with all kinds of variants including the use of alternatives to oranges such as peaches, lemons, pineapples, quinces and even rhubarb.
However I prefer the traditional approach and looking back at recipes from the past and present it is the Seville orange that dominates.
In our ebook Mrs Beeton's Jam-making and Preserves the eponymous cook has a number of recipes for orange marmalade. Here are two of them.
Beeton 1
Take 12 Seville oranges, 2 lemons and some preserving sugar.
Slice the fruit thinly, removing inner pith and pips. Weigh it, and to each lb. add 3 pints of cold water. Let the whole remain covered in an earthenware vessel for 3 days, then turn the preparation into a preserving-pan and boil gently until quite tender. Let it cool, weigh again, and to each lb. of fruit add 1lb of sugar. Bring the mix to boiling point, skim well, and cook gently until the syrup stiffens quickly when tested on a cold plate. Turn into pots, cover with paper brushed over on both sides with white of egg, and store in a cool, dry place.
A very simple and straightforward recipe although I suggest that you turn the marmalade into jars, cover with wax discs – shiny-side down – and then screw on the lids while the marmalade is still hot.
Beeton 2
Have ready 24 Seville oranges, their weight in preserving sugar, and 2 pints of cold water.
Take off the rinds of the oranges, divide the pulp into small pieces, and remove the pips. Boil the rinds in water for 2 hours, changing it two or three times to reduce the bitter flavour; when quite tender, drain well, and shred them finely. Boil the sugar and water to a syrup, skimming well meanwhile, then add the pulp and shredded rinds. Boil gently for about ½ an hour, or until the marmalade sets quickly when tested on a cold plate, then pour into pots and cover down with paper brushed over on both sides with white of egg. Keep the marmalade in a cool, dry place until required for use.
As with the first recipe it is easier today to use jars and ready-made wax discs for storage of the marmalade.
Both these recipes are simple to follow and will provide some tasty marmalade for your toast over the next few months.
And, if you're feeling adventurous, there are enough other marmalade recipes in Mrs Beeton's book to keep Paddington a happy bear!
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