Orange Marmalade

Recipe No: 224

Last week one of our friends came with a bunch of Oranges to see my 'sick husband'... As there were already some Oranges in my fruit basket, I decided to make some Marmalade, which my husband loves a lot.

Ingredients                                   Makes 2 pints

• Orange…………………….1/2 Kg
• Water……………………..4 Cups
• Sugar………………………3 ½ Cups
• Citric acid………………..3/4 Teaspoon

Method of Preparation

1. Keep a plate in the freezer before starting the process so that it will be perfectly cold and ready to test the readiness of the Marmalade.
2. Wash the Oranges thoroughly; cut them into two (I prefer to cut it lengthwise so that it is easy to take the tips off) and slice it as thin as possible.
3. Boil the sliced Oranges together with Water in a non reactive pan on high heat till it boils and then reduce the heat to medium and boil it for another 20 minutes or till the Orange skin is a bit soft.
4. Add the Sugar and Citric Acid to the cooked Oranges and boil it on high for 15 minutes.
5. Skim off the form that appears on top of the cooking Oranges; lower the heat to medium and cook for another 10 minutes or till it is ready. Readiness of the Marmalade can be checked by pouring some liquid portion of the Marmalade on top of a chilled plate; wait for 10- 12 seconds and draw a line through the middle. If the divided halves are not flowing together again, then it is ready to be bottled.
6. Transfer it into bottles and follow the canning process if you prefer (Please read my post on canning (here) if you are interested) and store it in a cool place.
7. Serve it at room temperature on top of Breads, Crackers etc:

Notes:

• As we use acid (Citric Acid) in this recipe, it is preferable to use a non reactive vessel like a Stainless Steel pan. It is good not to use Aluminum or Non Stick cook wares.
• The Marmalade will look kind of runny when it is done, but it will harden up as it sits. Don’t over reduce it or it will become a bit hard to spread when cold.
• The use of Citric Acid is very important as it provides an acidic medium for Pectin, a carbohydrate present in the cell wall of ripe fruits, which are capable of forming gels when dissolved in water in an acidic medium. (This is mostly made use in making Jams, Jellies and Preserves.) You can substitute this with Lime or Lemon Juice. But some sort of Acid is very important. (For more details please read my post on Strawberry Preserve here)
• Citric Acid is readily available in most of the Indian stores. (A fine white powder)
• This Marmalade will stay good outside in cool conditions for weeks, but if you are sure that it is not going to finish in one month, either can it or keep the extra in the refrigerator.
• After opening a canned Marmalade use it within 2-3 weeks or keep the leftover in the refrigerator. (So I prefer to can it in small bottles.)

 





Make it, enjoy the deliciousness and 
serve it to your family with love…