Orange Marmalade

Orange Marmalade © kvalifood.com

This orange marmalade is made the classic way: thin-skinned oranges and lemons are sliced thin and soaked overnight, then simmered until tender and cooked down with sugar. The result is a bittersweet marmalade with plenty of peel and good texture. The batch is large — about 7¾ lbs (3½ kg).

Ingredients

Yields ca. 3½ kg

  • 1 kg thin-skinned oranges
  • 2 thin-skinned lemons
  • 1 1/2 l water
  • 1 1/2 kg sugar
  • 2 tbsp citric acid

Directions

Preparation

Wash the citrus fruits thoroughly. Cut them in half lengthwise, then slice them crosswise into very thin rounds. Place the slices in the water in a covered pot and leave in a cool spot until the next day.

First cook

Simmer the fruit in the soaking water with the lid on for 1–1½ hours, until the peels are completely soft. Remove the lid.

Reducing

Add the sugar and citric acid and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Continue cooking without the lid over very low heat for 1–1½ hours, until the marmalade thickens. Check the set with a wrinkle test: let a drop fall from the spoon — if it holds its shape and wrinkles when pushed, the marmalade is done.

Finishing

Pour the marmalade into clean, sterilized jars and seal immediately.

Notes

  • You can add 1 tsp liquid preservative if storage conditions are not ideal (cool, dark, dry)
  • Replace 2–3 oranges with bitter (Seville) oranges for a more bitter, complex flavor — the classic British style
  • Replace 2 oranges with 1 grapefruit for a more tart version
  • The citric acid regulates acidity and helps the marmalade set — it can be replaced with the juice of 2 extra lemons
  • Thin-skinned oranges give the best texture; thicker skins produce a more bitter marmalade