Lemon and Orange Marmalade

I made this marmalade a few months ago, and although I do not really like marmalade I made it to give away to friends and family as gifts.

They seem to like it so perhaps you can also give it a try! I found the recipe here and it’s actually really easy to make:

Lemon and Orange Marmalade Ingredients:

6   oranges, halved, thinly sliced, seeds removed 
2   lemons, halved, thinly sliced, seeds removed 
4 cups water 
2 1/2 cups white sugar 
Juice of 1 lemon

Lemon and Orange Marmalade Method:

1. Place fruit and water in a large saucepan. Bring to the boil on high. Boil rapidly for 25-30 minutes, or until oranges are very tender. (My note - it took longer)
2. Reduce heat to low and add sugar, stirring, until completely dissolved. Stir in lemon juice.
3. Increase heat to medium and boil, without stirring, for a further 20-25 minutes, or until set, when tested. Pour into sterilised jars and seal while still hot.

The marmalade took much longer than the 20-25 minutes the recipe above mentions to reduce. As far as I can remember also I added less water than the recipe calls for.  (I think I only used two cups of water) It also says you should not stir the marmalade while it is cooking. Well, let me just say I stirred it almost all the time, literally begging it to reduce!!

I also almost think we added more sugar.. (The “We” I refer to here is my mom and I , because after standing over this pot for what for what felt like forever, out of sheer desperation I had to summon the matriarch for advice!!)

You need to test if the marmalade is ready before putting it into your sterilised bottles by dropping a teaspoon of it onto a cooled plate. I kept some in my freezer for this. Eventually though, after numerous “tests” and copious amounts of plates later I just bottled the batch!

Yes! Sometimes you just have to grab that wooden spoon, put down your foot and say “enough!”

It all turned out pretty well in the end, as it cooled the marmalade did thicken beautifully. Just be prepared to love and nurture your marmalade for an entire afternoon - literally!