Do you like orange marmalade? It’s never been one of my favorites but I was sure that John’s dad would love it. He’s Australian and his father was Scottish – surely he’d be tickled pink with homemade marmalade, right?
John bought some really pretty oranges for breakfast juice and we took one sip and our tongues twisted in knots. Holy cow it was sour. John thought we should toss them away because nobody was going to drink that without a half kilo of sugar in it.
I remembered making marmalade from seville oranges ages ago and decided to give marmalade a try. I got out my trusty mandoline and sliced the oranges and started cooking. I followed the directions and when it the time was up, into the jars it went.
It didn’t look impressive and I didn’t think it tasted all that great either but I left it to cool and went back to work. Later that evening I tasted it again and thought John was right, give it a toss but I put it in the refrigerator anyway.
In the morning I emptied all three jars of marmalade back into the Thermomix with a bit more sugar and recooked it. Since I hadn’t liked the largish pieces of orange rind very much when I tasted it, I cooked it on a higher speed until the rind was in tiny slivers. I kept tasting and pushing some around on a chilled plate and when I was happy, I got fresh jars, filled them and into the refrigerator they went.
Some of the photos are before and some after. I was going to toss the first pictures but I liked the photos.
Well, imagine my surprise the next morning at breakfast when with a flourish that would match Dame Edna’s, I placed my beautiful marmalade on the table and asked Rob if he’d like some on his toast.
“I’m not all that fond of orange marmalade, Maureen,” he said.
I nearly collapsed! I’d spent hours making this as a surprise and he didn’t even like it.
“I’ll try some just because you made it,” was his next sentence.
I probably shouldn’t have said okay because nobody should be forced to eat what they don’t like but I’d worked hard on that marmalade and it was good.
“Oh, this is good. This is very good. I don’t like marmalade but this is good. I like that it doesn’t have those big pieces of orange peel in it. Can I have some more?”
Yes! It was a winner.
I used my trusty Thermomix but making marmalade in a pot on the stove is just as easy. It just takes a bit longer. Okay a lot longer. You do have more control over the size of the rind that way.
Do you like orange marmalade or would you only make it if you had oranges too sour to squeeze and drink?
- 4 large oranges
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 200ml water
- 500 grams sugar
- I didn't follow the TM cookbook directions - here's how I made mine.
- Put a plate in the freezer.
- Slice oranges thinly with a mandoline.
- Remove pips and stack slices and cut into quarters
- Add the water, lemon and oranges and cook 10 minutes at 100 degrees on speed 3
- Add sugar and cook for another 20 minutes.
- Add some marmalade to the plate that's been in the freezer and if it is the consistency you like, pour into sterilized jars.
- If not, cook another 5 minutes.