During lockdown we’ve been spending a lot more time in the kitchen, cooking meals from scratch. This week, we decided to so something a little different with the children. Rather than baking, we decided to make marmalade. We have made it before – a couple of years ago, when Seville oranges were in season.
But the season is over, so we’ve had to make a ‘cheat batch’ of marmalade. It uses just two ingredients.
Ingredients – marmalade
- 1 x tin Ma Made Seville oranges
- 1.8 kilo sugar
Method
- Wash your empty jars, lids and seals in boiling hot water
- Put the jars, mouth-side down, on an oven tray and heat at 140 degrees while you follow the steps below
- Put a clean saucer in the fridge
- Pour the tin of oranges (smells divine!) into a large saucepan
- Add all the sugar (yes, it’s a lot)
- On the side of the tin is a level mark – fill to here with water and add into the saucepan
- Bring to the boil, stirring regularly
- Reduce heat, but keep the mixture boiling away, for around 20 minutes
- If you get lots of white scum on the top, add a small piece of butter and while you stir as it melts the scum will disappear
- Get the cold saucer from the fridge
- Remove marmalade from the heat and with a teaspoon drop a small amount on to the saucer. Set aside for 3 minutes
- After 3 minutes, with a clean finger, push into the marmalade on the saucer. If the surface of the marmalade wrinkles, it is ready to pot up
- Carefully (because the tray is both hot and heavy) remove the jars from the oven. Use tongs to turn them over
- Using a ladle or clean small jug, pour marmalade into the jars, being careful not to spill down the side or overfill
- Seal the jars tightly with the lids and leave to cool
Thoughts
I couldn’t believe how easy this marmalade was to make, compared to making it from scratch last year! From scratch there’s a LOT of preparation and the process is a long one. This took under an hour from start to finish. We had the jars already, and the sugar and tin of Ma Made cost exactly £5. We made 11 jars of marmalade – so great value too!
If you wanted to made a more grown-up version, once the marmalade cools a little add a tablespoon of whisky on the top before sealing the lids. This adds a fantastic ‘tang’ when you come to open the jar 😊
Although the marmalade is ready to eat as soon as it has cooled and set, unopened jars will last up to and beyond a year. It’s very yummy!
