Christmas Spiced Marmalade Recipes

CHRISTMAS-SPICED MARMALADE

Steps:

• Peel the zest off the fruit with a vegetable peeler, leaving as much of the white pith as you can.
• Pile up the strips of zest and snip them into tiny matchsticks with a scissors and set them aside.
• Juice all the dezested fruit, setting the juice aside.
• Roughly cut the dezested, juiced fruit pieces and add them to a large pot along with the pulp and seeds from the juicer. Add the whole spices and the water. Bring the pot to the boil, clamp the lid on, turn the heat down to medium low and allow to simmer for 2 hours.
• Take 3 small plates and put them in the freezer.
• After 2 hours of simmering, pass the water through a fine mesh sieve, making sure you squeeze all the water from the pith. Discard and collected pith, pulp and spices.
• In a very large pot, add the water from the pith, the fruit juice and the snipped up zest. Stir and bring to the boil.
• Add the sugar. Stir it to help the sugar dissolve and bring to a rolling boil.
• If you have a candy thermometer, you will need to let this reach 105 degrees celsius so it will set. If you do not have a candy thermometer, then just let it boil for about 40 minutes.
• To test if it is done, take a not cold plate from the freezer and pour about a tablespoon of marmalade onto it and leave it for 5 minutes. Then slowly drag your finger across it. If the surface of the marmalade forms a crinkly surface and your finger leaves the plate clean behind it then it is done and will set. If that doesn't happen, let it boil for another 10 minutes and check again with the second plate from the freezer.
• Allow the marmalade to cool a bit before pouring it into sterilised jars. To sterilise jars, you can boil them in water or run them through the hottest cycle of the dishwasher, just don't touch the inside of the jars once sterilised. I sterilise the lids by boiling them in a small pot of water.
• Once the jars are filled, put on the lids not so tightly and submerge all the jars in a very large pot of water or a number of smaller pots and bring to the boil. Allow to boil for half an hour before you remove them from the water and tighten the lids.

CELEBRATION SPICED BAKED HAM WITH ORANGE AND MARMALADE GLAZE

Steps:

• If the ham or gammon needs soaking, place in cold, clean water and soak overnight or for up to 24 hours.
• Boiling the Ham:.
• Place ham joint in a roomy saucepan - there should be plenty of space to add the liquids plus the vegetables and spices.
• Stick the cloves into the onion halves - 5 cloves in each half.
• Pour in the cider if using and top up with water - the liquids should just cover the ham.
• Add the onion halves, carrots, bay leaves and black peppercorns.
• Bring to the boil, and remove any scum that rises to the surface.
• Reduce the heat and cook on a rolling simmer for 20 minutes per lb, plus 20 minutes extra; a 3 lb ham will take 1 hour and 20 minutes to cook.
• Take off the heat, and allow to cool slightly.
• Take out the onions and discard the cloves. Skim out the black peppercorns and discard them as well as the bay leaves.
• Allow to cool completely; the ham can be stored in its cooking liquor in a cool place for up to 48 hours now, before baking.
• Before baking, remove the ham and set aside. Skim off any fat that has risen to the surface of the stock, it will be easy once the stock is cold.
• Take out the carrots and onions and chop them up finely, then add them back to the stock.
• The stock can be frozen now or kept in the fridge for about 3-4 days before being cooked and used for soups or a stew base.
• Baking the Ham:.
• Pre-heat the oven to 200C/400F or gas mark 6.
• If the ham has any skin, peel the skin off and discard it, trim any excess fat off the joint as well.
• Take an ovenproof dish large enough to take the ham with ease; skewer the sliced oranges with the cocktail sticks all over the surface of the ham.
• Spoon over the marmalade and then spoon the sugar over the oranges, patting it down firmly.
• Bake in the oven for between 30 and 45 minutes for a 3 lb ham - or until the glaze is sticky, glossy and the oranges are slightly caramelised.
• Serve slices of ham with some of the marmalade glaze over the top, garnished with a slice of orange. (Be careful to remove all the cocktail sticks before serving!).
• You can make extra glaze by heating up some marmalade with a little water or cider in a small saucepan, and serving it in a gravy boat.
• Wonderful with boiled or mashed potatoes, steamed greens or red cabbage. We often eat this with sauerkraut as well!

CHRISTMAS CITRUS MARMALADE

Steps:

• Remove peel from white part of lemons and orange in long strips with sharp paring knife, making sure there is no white on the peel. Stack strips; cut into thin slivers. Combine lemon and orange peels, water and baking soda in 2-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, peel grapefruit. Remove white pith from grapefruit, lemons and orange; discard peel and pith. Separate fruit into sections. With fingers, remove pulp from membrane of each section over large saucepan to save juice. Dice fruit sections into same saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Measure 5 cups fruit mixture into 6-quart saucepan or Dutch oven.
• Wash jars, lids and bands. Leave jars in hot water. Place lids and bands in large pan of water. Mix pectin into fruit mixture. Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Immediately stir in sugar. Bring to a rolling boil and boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; skim off foam with metal spoon.
• Bring water with lids and bands to a boil. Ladle hot mixture into hot jars leaving 1/2-inch space at top. Run metal spatula around inside of jar to remove air bubbles. Wipe tops and sides of jar rims clean. Place hot lids and bands on jar. Screw bands tightly, but do not force. To process, place jars in boiling water; boil 10 minutes. Remove jars with tongs; cool on wire racks. (Check seals by pressing on lid with fingertip; lid should remain concave.) Label and date jars.* Store unopened jars in a cool, dry place up to 12 months. Refrigerate after opening up to 6 months.
• *Marmalade sets slowly. Store in a cool, dry place 2 weeks before serving.

FIVE-MINUTE SPICED ORANGE MARMALADE

Steps:

• Combine first 5 ingredients in large saucepan. Pierce each orange peel strip with 4 cloves, spacing apart; add to pan. Simmer until mixture is reduced to 1/2 cup, about 5 minutes. Add marmalade; bring to simmer, stirring often. Remove from heat.
• Using tongs, transfer 1 star anise, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 vanilla piece and 1 orange-clove strip to each of three 8-ounce canning jars. Fill each jar with hot marmalade and seal with lids. (Can be prepared 4 weeks ahead. Refrigerate.)