This recipe was in Joanne Kates cookbook. She gives credit to Elizabeth Baird. Makes about 8 small jam jars. We’ve been making this for years and it’s the best!
Ingredients
- 6 Seville Oranges (available in January)
- sugar
- cheesecloth
- optional: 2 oz. brandy
- preserving jars and lids
Instructions
- Cut the oranges in half and juice them.
- Strain the juice and set aside. Save the orange seeds.
- With a spoon, scrape out the white pith from the orange skins. discard the pith.
- Put the orange seeds in a small bowl and cover them with warm water. Set aside and leave overnight.
- Cut the peels into the finest matchstick shreds you can manage and add them to the juice.
- Measure the juice and peels. Add an equal amount of water to them. Set aside and leave overnight.
- The next day add the water from the seeds to the peel and juice. (It will contain the pectin from the seeds, which will cause the marmalade to thicken.)
- Put the seeds in a cheesecloth bag and place in a pot with the juice and the peel. Simmer very gently for 1 1/2 hours, covered, until the peel is almost soft.
- Remove the seeds, squeezing out the juice. Discard the seeds.
- Measure what remains and add an equal amount of sugar.
- Boil Rapidly for 30 to 45 minutes till the marmalade reaches 220 degrees F on a candy thermometer. (If, like me, you have no candy thermometer, boil for 40 minutes or until somewhat thickened. It’s always worked for me.)
- Remove from heat and stir in the optional brandy.
- Sterilize the jars by immersing them in boiling water for 5 minutes. Pour in the marmalade and seal immediately with either new Mason lids or melted paraffin.
