Marmalade

Erica said:

Hi all,

I have a few trees in the backyard that produce sour oranges. A large number of them have started
ripening, so I thought that it would be nice to make a batch of marmalade. I have made jam and
preserves before, but I've never made jelly or marmalade, and I have several questions (please
bear with me!). First, I started browsing recipes, and I've found that there are several different
techniques:

a) Simmer whole oranges and scoop out the pulp
b) Cut oranges into wedges and simmer
c) Simmer the orange juice

Does anyone recommend/caution against any of these techniques?

The recipe that I use for Seville Orange Marmalade is pretty easy. I slice the oranges in half and
juice them, saving the juice and the seeds. Remove any blemishes from the skin and and slice them
into thin strips. I use a food processor with a slicing blade for that part. Put the sliced peel
into a large pot, add the juice and add enough water cover. Wrap the seeds in cheesecloth and put it
in with the sliced peel / water. Bring it to a boil and then simmer for 2-3 hours until you can
squish the peel between your thumb and finger.

At this point, you are ready to start cooking it. Add equal amounts of the orange peel mash and
sugar and bring it to a rolling boil until it starts to thicken. I use a cool cup or bowl inverted.
Drop a little of the hot mixture on the side of the bowl near the top. When it gets to the point
where it sets readily, it is ready to bottle in sterilized jars.

Quoted message said:

Second, I just have wild sour (bitter?) oranges growing in the yard, can I substitute these in a
recipe that calls for Seville oranges?

You can use any kind of orange to make marmalade, or other citrus fruits. I have had both lemon and
lime marmalade but was not impressed with either, but my mother used to make a three fruit marmalade
with regular oranges, grapefruit and lemon. It was delicious.

Quoted message said:

Third, I do not have a jelly bag, does anyone know where I'd find one (Williams-Sonoma perhaps?)
or how I could make one? One recipe suggested instead of a jelly bag running the cooked pulp
through a sieve and then a piece of cloth, is this a good approximation, and if so, what sort of
cloth should be used?

Jelly bag for Marmalade? Totally inappropriate. Marmalade isn't marmalade unless it has chunks
of peel in it. The big decision is whether to use thick or thin slices. I prefer thin
strips.... slivers.

Quoted message said:

Lastly, do you recommend the use of pectin or just sugar?

Quoted message said:

And what sort of ratio of fruit to sugar? I would prefer a ratio expressed in terms of cups of
fruit or number of oranges rather than weight, as the fruit is in my backyard and I do not have a
scale at home.

Just sugar. After your mash has steeped long enough to be mushy between your fingers, cook it up in
small batches, and measure it out in measuring cups, equal amounts of mash and granulated sugar.

In article <[email hidden]>,

(Erica) said:

Hi all,

I have a few trees in the backyard that produce sour oranges. A large number of them have started
ripening, so I thought that it would be nice to make a batch of marmalade. I have made jam and
preserves before, but I've never made jelly or marmalade, and I have several questions (please
bear with me!). First, I started browsing recipes, and I've found that there are several different
techniques:

a) Simmer whole oranges and scoop out the pulp
b) Cut oranges into wedges and simmer
c) Simmer the orange juice

Does anyone recommend/caution against any of these techniques?

Marmalade is made with the rind; if there is no rind, it's not marmalade. Peel the oranges and cut
the peel into thin strips about 2-3 inches long and about as wide as a matchstick.

Quoted message said:

Second, I just have wild sour (bitter?) oranges growing in the yard, can I substitute these in a
recipe that calls for Seville oranges?

No absolutely not. Pick all of the oranges and UPS them to me for proper disposal. Email me for
the address.

... of course you can. Seville oranges are bitter oranges. Of course, I don't know the quality of
the oranges you have, but that's a different issue.

Quoted message said:

Third, I do not have a jelly bag, does anyone know where I'd find one (Williams-Sonoma perhaps?)
or how I could make one? One recipe suggested instead of a jelly bag running the cooked pulp
through a sieve and then a piece of cloth, is this a good approximation, and if so, what sort of
cloth should be used?

If you're making marmalade, you don't need a jelly bag; it's only needed for jelly and will serve no
purpose for marmalade--you WANT the marmalade to have the little lumpy bits.

Quoted message said:

Lastly, do you recommend the use of pectin or just sugar? And what sort of ratio of fruit to
sugar? I would prefer a ratio expressed in terms of cups of fruit or number of oranges rather than
weight, as the fruit is in my backyard and I do not have a scale at home.

Using pectin is probably easier. The Ball Blue Book (get it, if you don't have it) uses a sugar-only
recipe for marmalade, while Linda Amendt's "Blue Ribbon Preserves" claims that pectin-based recipes
are more reliable and produce better results. I've made them both ways; they produce different
results, but I can't say that one's decidedly better than the other.

The Blue Book calls for a 1:1 ratio by volume of fruit (and juice) to sugar.

Here are two tested recipes; the Blue Book recipe uses regular oranges but should be fine for
Sevilles (don't' fiddle with the quantity of added sugar, or it might not jell). The second recipe
is from "Blue Ribbon Preserves."

Read what the 2nd recipe says about avoiding floating fruit; it works.

Ball Blue Books's Orange Marmalade 2 cups thinly sliced orange peel (about 10 medium) 1 quart
chopped orange pulp (about 10 medium) 1 cup thinly sliced lemon (about 2 medium) 1-1/2 quarts water
Sugar (about 6 cups)

Combine all ingredients, except sugar; simmer 5 minutes. Cover and let stand 12 to 18 hours in a
cool place. Cook rapidly until peel is tender, about 1 hour. Measure fruit and liquid. Add one cup
sugar for each cup fruit mixture, stirring until dissolved. Cook rapidly until jelling point. As
mixture thickens, stir frequently to prevent sticking. Remove from heat. Skim foam if necessary.
Ladle hot marmalade into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Adjust 2-piece caps. Process 10
minutes in a boiling water canner. Yields about 7 half-pints.

Blue Ribbon Preserves Bittersweet Orange Marmalade 1 cup zested or thinly sliced orange peel (do not
pack) 1 cup water
1/2 cup strained fresh orange juice
2/4 cup water
3/8 teaspoon baking soda 2-3/4 cups supremed and finely chopped orange segments plus enough reserved
juice to equal 3 cups (16 to 20 [censored] or sour oranges) 5 cups sugar
4/2 teaspoon unsalted butter
4 (1oz) pouch liquid pectin

In a small bowl, combine the peel and 1 cup water. Let soak 10 minutes. Drain the peel and discard
the water.

In an 8-quart pan, combine the peel with the orange juice, 3/4 cup water and baking soda. Over medium-
high heat, bring to a full boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring
occasionally. Stir in the fruit. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes more.

Remove the cover and stir in the sugar and butter. Heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar is
completely dissolved.

Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly.
Stir in the entire contents of the pectin pouch. Return the mixture to a full rolling boil,
stirring constantly. Boil, stirring constantly, for one minute. Remove the pan from the heat. Skim
off any foam.

To prevent floating fruit, allow the marmalade to cool 5 minutes before filling the jars. Gently
stir the marmalade to distribute the fruit. Ladle the marmalade into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch
headspace. Wipe the jar rims and threads with a clean, damp cloth. Cover the jars with hot lids
and apply screw rings. Process half-pint jars in a 200F water bath for 10 minutes, pint jars for
15 minutes.

--
to respond, change "spamless.invalid" with "optonline.net" please mail OT responses only

Erica said:

Hi all,

I have a few trees in the backyard that produce sour oranges. A large number of them have started
ripening, so I thought that it would be nice to make a batch of marmalade. I have made jam and
preserves before, but I've never made jelly or marmalade, and I have several questions (please
bear with me!). First, I started browsing recipes, and I've found that there are several different
techniques:

a) Simmer whole oranges and scoop out the pulp
b) Cut oranges into wedges and simmer
c) Simmer the orange juice

Does anyone recommend/caution against any of these techniques? Second, I just have wild sour
(bitter?) oranges growing in the yard, can I substitute these in a recipe that calls for Seville
oranges? Third, I do not have a jelly bag, does anyone know where I'd find one (Williams-Sonoma
perhaps?) or how I could make one? One recipe suggested instead of a jelly bag running the cooked
pulp through a sieve and then a piece of cloth, is this a good approximation, and if so, what sort
of cloth should be used? Lastly, do you recommend the use of pectin or just sugar? And what sort
of ratio of fruit to sugar? I would prefer a ratio expressed in terms of cups of fruit or number
of oranges rather than weight, as the fruit is in my backyard and I do not have a scale at home.

Many thanks, Erica

I bought three sour oranges in October when I was in Houston and visited a Fiesta supermarket. I
wish I had bought more, but didn't know what they were at the time. Here is the summary from when I
made marmalade with them and we had a discussion in r.f.p:

Quoted message said:

It's very bitter, and a nice light orange color. I didn't have to add any red food coloring. I
simmered the quartered fruit for about an hour, stirred it up good to break up the pulp, and
simmered it another half hour. Let it cool a bit and removed the fruit. When that was cooled
enough to handle, I scooped out the pulp and added it back to the water. I mashed a few of the
seeds. Boiled it, strained it, and only had a generous 2 cups of juice when it shoulda been 3. So
I added about 1.5 cups water to the pulp and boiled it again for 5 minutes and strained that. Now
I had almost 3.5 cups of juice. I sliced the orange peel and half the lemon peel into slivers.
Added the sugar to the juice and slowly brought it to a boil. I added the peel and boiled it hard
for about 20 minutes. Then turned it off and went outside to do some errands. I was hoping the
peel would absorb sugar so it wouldn't float. When I got back to it a few hours later, the stuff
was already getting thick, and the spoon I had stirred it with had firm jelly in it. I brought it
back to a hard boil for a few minutes and ladled into half-pint jars. It made exactly 5 jars. (I
wanted an extra half a jar or so to eat tomorrow.) I BWB'ed it for 10 minutes, and set the jars on
a towel to cool. It's really pretty, but the peel is still floating a little. The lids are pinging
as I write this.

Best regards, Bob

LIMEYNO1 said:

Even if they're not Seville oranges, it should turn out quite nice. I'd love to hear your
results.

Helen

"zxcvbob" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I looked at your recipe again a little closer and adjusted my ratios: 3 sour oranges 1 lemon
3.5 cups water
4.5 cups sugar

I probably won't add all the lemon peel back after I extract the juice because I don't want the
lemon to overpower the orange. I quartered all the fruit and picked out a few orange seeds to
plant. The fruit is all simmering right now.

I licked one of the cut oranges and it's quite sour but not very bitter. It looks sort of like a
valencia orange inside, but firmer. The flesh is
a
very pale orangish yellow. They are very likely not seville oranges. The peels are getting a
little brighter colored as they simmer, but I think I will have to add a drop of red food
coloring to the batch.

Best regards, Bob

LIMEYNO1 wrote:

> Perhaps you can work it out with my hubby's recipe?
>
>
> -------------- * Easy Recipe Deluxe Export Format 1.3 * --------------
>
> Title: Jim's Orange Marmalade Recipe By: Category: Preserving; Family Main
> Ingredient: Cuisine Style: Yield: 6 Servings Preparation Time: 0:00 Cooking Time:
> 0:00
>
> [Amount] [Measure] [Ingredient (or Header)] -- [Preparation] ---------- ------------ ----------------------------------------------
> 2 lb Seville oranges (about 5) 6 cup Water 1 Lemon 7 1/2 cup Sugar
>
> [Preparation] Directions: Put 4 small saucers in freezer. In a very large pot, combine oranges,
> lemon and water. Cover and bring to a simmer. Let simmer 2 hours. DON'T ALLOW TO BOIL. Turn off
> heat. Remove fruit. Let cool 5 minutes. Cut in half and scoop pulp, seeds and pith back into
> pan. Put shells to one side. Bring pan to a boil and boil hard 5 minutes. Strain through damp
> cheese cloth in a seive. Gather ends and squeeze out remaining juice. You should have 6 cups.
> Make up any difference with water. Return liquid to pan. Remove all white pith from skins. Cut
> skins in fine strips (or as desired) and add to pan with sugar. Place over low heat and stir to
> dissolve sugar. Bring to boil. Boil hard, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. Boil hard
> til jell point is reached, between 60 and 90 minutes depending on natural fruit pectin
> available. Jell point test. Chill some saucers in freezer while preparing marmalade, 2 or 3.
> Test: drop a small amount of hot marmalade on chilled plate and chill for 2 minutes. Run finger
> through marmelade on plate. If surface wrinkles, it has reached jelling point. If still syrupy,
> continue boiling. Repeat test at 5 minute intervals til jell point is reached. Remove pan from
> stove and stir for 5 minutes, skimming off any foam. Ladle into sterilized jars, leaving 1/2
> inch head space. Seal as you like
>
> - - - - - - - - - - - wensoftware.comwensoftware.comOpen ↗ - - - - - - - - - - -
>

[snip]

[email hidden] (Erica) wrote in
:"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Hi all,

I have a few trees in the backyard that produce sour oranges. A large number of them have started
ripening, so I thought that it would be nice to make a batch of marmalade. I have made jam and
preserves before, but I've never made jelly or marmalade, and I have several questions (please
bear with me!).

Erica,

There are many different methods for producing marmalade. The one you detailed is common, but I find
it messier to deal with and the end product is not measurably better than any other I've tried.

The sour/bitter oranges you have will work beautifully in marmalade. These oranges are grown all
over the valley surrounding Phoenix, AZ, and the only type easily available to me. I can't tell the
difference in the finished product from genuine Seville oranges.

The following recipe is one I have used many times and is from Delia Smith's website. The results
are delicious and consistent.

Traditional Seville Orange Marmalade

Makes six 1 lb (350 ml capacity) jars

2 lb (900 g) Seville oranges 1 lemon 4 lb (1.8 kg) granulated sugar (to speed the dissolving, this
can be warmed in the oven)

You will also need a preserving pan or a large, heavy-based saucepan; a 9 inch (23 cm) square of
muslin (or gauze); some string; a funnel; and six 1 lb (350 ml capacity) jars, sterilised.

Begin by measuring 4 pints (2.25 litres) water into a preserving pan, then cut the lemon and oranges
in half and squeeze the juice out of them. Add the juice to the water and place the pips and any
bits of pith that cling to the squeezer on the square of muslin (laid over a dish or cereal bowl
first). Now cut the orange peel into quarters with a sharp knife, and then cut each quarter into
thinnish shreds. As you cut, add the shreds to the water and any pips or spare pith you come across
should go on to the muslin. The pith contains a lot of pectin so don't discard any and don't worry
about any pith and skin that clings to the shreds – it all gets dissolved in the boiling.

Now tie the pips and pith up loosely in the muslin to form a little bag, and tie this on to the
handle of the pan so that the bag is suspended in the water. Then bring the liquid up to simmering
point and simmer gently, uncovered, for 2 hours or thereabouts until the peel is completely soft
(test a piece carefully by pressing it between your finger and thumb). Meanwhile, chill the saucers
in the freezer compartment of the fridge.

Next, remove the bag of pips and leave it to cool on a saucer. Then pour the sugar into the pan and
stir it now and then over a low heat, until all the crystals have dissolved (check this carefully,
it's important). Now increase the heat to very high and squeeze the bag of pips over the pan to
extract all of the sticky, jelly-like substance that contains the pectin. As you squeeze you'll see
it ooze out. You can do this by placing the bag between two saucers or using your hands. Then stir
or whisk it into the rest.

As soon as the mixture reaches a really fast boil, start timing. Then after 15 minutes spoon a
little of the marmalade on to one of the cold saucers from the fridge, and let it cool back in the
fridge. You can tell – when it has cooled – if you have a 'set' by pushing the mixture with your
little finger: if it has a really crinkly skin, it is set. If not, continue to boil the marmalade
and give it the same test at about 10- minute intervals until it does set.

After that remove the pan from the heat (if there's a lot of scum, most of it can be dispersed by
stirring in half a teaspoon of butter, and the rest can be spooned off). Leave the marmalade to
settle for 20 minutes.

In the meantime, the jars should be washed, dried and heated in a moderate oven for 5 minutes. Pour
the marmalade, with the aid of a funnel or a ladle, into the jars, cover with waxed discs and seal
while still hot. Label when cold and store in a dry, cool, dark place. Then hurry up and make some
toast to try some!

Scott <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Marmalade is made with the rind; if there is no rind, it's not marmalade. Peel the oranges and cut
the peel into thin strips about 2-3 inches long and about as wide as a matchstick.

Should I leave the pith attached to the zest, or just use the zest? I know that the pith is rich in
pectin, but I don't want the finished product to be TOO bitter.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Second, I just have wild sour (bitter?) oranges growing in the yard, can I substitute these in a
recipe that calls for Seville oranges?

No absolutely not. Pick all of the oranges and UPS them to me for proper disposal. Email me for
the address.

... of course you can. Seville oranges are bitter oranges. Of course, I don't know the quality of
the oranges you have, but that's a different issue.

My primary concern is that the oranges in the backyard have very thick peels, and I was wondering if
it is thinner on Sevilles.

If you want some bitter oranges, I'll mail them to you if you pay the shipping cost. I have more of
these than I know what to do with, and they tend to fall, rot, and attract bugs. They're great
instead of lime in mojitos, or in black beans, or roast pork...

If you're interested, I'll drop you an email. Don't email the address I use for posting, as it is
just my "spam address".

Thanks to all who replied for the help!

--Erica

Wayne Boatwright said:

[email hidden] (Erica) wrote in :"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Hi all,

I have a few trees in the backyard that produce sour oranges. A large number of them have started
ripening, so I thought that it would be nice to make a batch of marmalade. I have made jam and
preserves before, but I've never made jelly or marmalade, and I have several questions (please
bear with me!).

Erica,

There are many different methods for producing marmalade. The one you detailed is common, but
I find it messier to deal with and the end product is not measurably better than any other
I've tried.

The sour/bitter oranges you have will work beautifully in marmalade. These oranges are grown all
over the valley surrounding Phoenix, AZ, and the only type easily available to me. I can't tell the
difference in the finished product from genuine Seville oranges.

The following recipe is one I have used many times and is from Delia Smith's website. The results
are delicious and consistent.

Traditional Seville Orange Marmalade

Makes six 1 lb (350 ml capacity) jars

2 lb (900 g) Seville oranges 1 lemon 4 lb (1.8 kg) granulated sugar (to speed the dissolving, this
can be warmed in the oven)

You will also need a preserving pan or a large, heavy-based saucepan; a 9 inch (23 cm) square of
muslin (or gauze); some string; a funnel; and six 1 lb (350 ml capacity) jars, sterilised.

Begin by measuring 4 pints (2.25 litres) water into a preserving pan, then cut the lemon and
oranges in half and squeeze the juice out of them. Add the juice to the water and place the pips
and any bits of pith that cling to the squeezer on the square of muslin (laid over a dish or cereal
bowl first). Now cut the orange peel into quarters with a sharp knife, and then cut each quarter
into thinnish shreds. As you cut, add the shreds to the water and any pips or spare pith you come
across should go on to the muslin. The pith contains a lot of pectin so don't discard any and don't
worry about any pith and skin that clings to the shreds – it all gets dissolved in the boiling.

Now tie the pips and pith up loosely in the muslin to form a little bag, and tie this on to the
handle of the pan so that the bag is suspended in the water. Then bring the liquid up to simmering
point and simmer gently, uncovered, for 2 hours or thereabouts until the peel is completely soft
(test a piece carefully by pressing it between your finger and thumb). Meanwhile, chill the saucers
in the freezer compartment of the fridge.

Next, remove the bag of pips and leave it to cool on a saucer. Then pour the sugar into the pan and
stir it now and then over a low heat, until all the crystals have dissolved (check this carefully,
it's important). Now increase the heat to very high and squeeze the bag of pips over the pan to
extract all of the sticky, jelly-like substance that contains the pectin. As you squeeze you'll see
it ooze out. You can do this by placing the bag between two saucers or using your hands. Then stir
or whisk it into the rest.

As soon as the mixture reaches a really fast boil, start timing. Then after 15 minutes spoon a
little of the marmalade on to one of the cold saucers from the fridge, and let it cool back in the
fridge. You can tell – when it has cooled – if you have a 'set' by pushing the mixture with your
little finger: if it has a really crinkly skin, it is set. If not, continue to boil the marmalade
and give it the same test at about 10- minute intervals until it does set.

After that remove the pan from the heat (if there's a lot of scum, most of it can be dispersed by
stirring in half a teaspoon of butter, and the rest can be spooned off). Leave the marmalade to
settle for 20 minutes.

In the meantime, the jars should be washed, dried and heated in a moderate oven for 5 minutes. Pour
the marmalade, with the aid of a funnel or a ladle, into the jars, cover with waxed discs and seal
while still hot. Label when cold and store in a dry, cool, dark place. Then hurry up and make some
toast to try some!

I agree whole-heartedly. Over many years of making marmalade, this is the easiest and the best and
pretty well fail safe if you follow the easy directions exactly.

I give it to friends and that usually gets them started on making their own. We all think it is the
most 'orangey' marmalade recipe of the lot.

Sheena

Quoted message said:

The recipes I have for making marmalade, say from oranges,
call for just using the thin pigmented layer at the
outside of the peel, [...]

Quoted message said:

I'm cross posting this to sci.chem just in case [...]

This might not be helpful, but I recall an unusual incident
whereat a recombinant hen was reported to have laid an
orange (rather than an egg). Her other baby chicks were
amazed and peeped, "Hay! Look at the orange marmalade!"

futureworlds said:

Her other baby chicks were amazed and peeped, "Hay! Look
at the orange marmalade!"

LOL! Good joke, but hasn't anyone ever you "hay" is
for horses?

Practice safe eating - always use condiments