Seville Orange Marmalade

Seville Orange Marmalade
 
The king of preserves

Marmalade is a very personal thing with a host of additions as well as a number of different ways to make it, but one thing shines through - that golden jelly enveloping tender chunks of delicious peel. This recipe is one that I have been using for many years, and one that I have developed to my taste from my Granny’s recipe.

Oranges are a very welcoming fruit, compliantly pairing with so many seasonings it is easy to get carried away. There are a few that I thing make a breakfast conserve hit the spot; green cardamom, star anise and bay leaves. However these are optional. Sugar is a large part of marmalade and the type of sugar is up to you. I prefer to use some demerara as it brings a delightful caramel edge and richness to the granulated sugar.
This recipe uses the SLF marmalade kit, all you need is sugar, jars and some time well spent!

Makes 4-6 jam jars
Preparation time: overnight + 2 hours
Cooking time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
1kg Seville oranges
2 lemons
5 bay leaves
1 tbs whole cardamom pods
2 whole star anise
1.5kg +/- granulated sugar
500g +/- demerara sugar 

1.                Begin the day before to give the pectin a chance to escape the fruit. Begin by piercing the whole fruit and putting it into a large saucepan. Cover with water and weigh it down to keep it submerged. Bring to a boil with the lid on and then simmer gently until tender. Depending on the thickness of the pith this will take anything from 45 minutes to 2 hours.  

2.               Leave to cool in the water overnight. This is a great time to sterilise jars in preparation. Use a dishwasher or oven. 

3.               Drain the fruit but retain the liquid.

4.               This gets messy! Cut the fruit in half and scoop out the pith and seeds into a bowl for later. 

5.               Chop, slice or dice the pith as you wish, bearing in mind the end result is nice to be able to spread with a knife.  

6.               Squeeze out as much juice from the pith as possible into a large pan and add the cooking liquor. Weight is and add equal quantity of sugar (divided between demerara and granulated if you wish). 

7.               Add the spices in a little cloth bag or as they are (make sure to pick them out later) and all of the prepared peel.

8.               Over a gentle heat dissolve the sugar before bringing to a boil. 

9.               Continue to boil until the bubbles on the surface begin to hang around for a second or two. Take out the seasonings if you used them.

10.             The marmalade will set at 105°C so check regularly with either a thermometer or small dish in the freezer (a small dollop of marmalade will hold its shape when its ready). Then remove from the heat and jar.

Serve with tea and toast for a sublime breakfast, or over a toasted tea cake for a delicious afternoon snack.

Chef Notes:
1.                A thermometer is the most accurate way to test for setting point. Testing by hand takes a little practice. 
2.               Leave the marmalade to sit for a week or two to fully set before using it.