Oxford Marmalade Recipes

ORANGE MARMALADE

Steps:

• Wash the oranges and lemon thoroughly. Cut the oranges into 1/8-inch slices using a mandoline, removing the seeds as you go. Stack the orange slices and cut them into quarters. Place the oranges into an 8-quart stainless steel pot. Add the lemon zest and juice and the water to the pot, set over high heat and bring to a boil, approximately 10 minutes. Once boiling, reduce the heat to maintain a rapid simmer and cook, stirring frequently, for 40 minutes or until the fruit is very soft.
• While the fruit is cooking, fill a large pot (at least 12-quart) 3/4 full with water, set over high heat and bring to a boil. Place 10 (8-ounce) jars and rings, canning funnel, ladle, and tongs into the boiling water and make sure the water covers the jars by at least an inch. Boil for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the lids and leave everything in the pot until the marmalade is ready.
• Meanwhile, place a small plate in the freezer. Increase the heat under the orange mixture to return to full boil. Add the sugar and stir the mixture continually, until it reaches 222 to 223 degrees F on a deep-fry or candy thermometer, and darkens in color, approximately 15 to 20 minutes. You may need to adjust the heat in order to prevent boil over. Test the readiness of the marmalade by placing a teaspoon of the mixture onto the chilled plate and allowing it to sit for 30 seconds. Tilt the plate. The mixture should be a soft gel that moves slightly. If mixture is thin and runs easily, it is not ready.
• Remove jars from the water and drain on a clean towel. Place a canning funnel onto the top of 1 of the jars and ladle in the marmalade just to below the bottom of the threads of the jar. Repeat until all of the mixture has been used. The amount of marmalade may vary by 1 to 2 jars. Wipe the rims and threads of the jars with a moist paper towel and top each with a lid. Place a ring on each jar and tighten.
• Return the jars to the pot with boiling water, being certain that they don't touch the bottom of the pot or each other. (If you don't have a jar rack, try a round cake rack, or metal mesh basket. Even a folded kitchen towel on the pot bottom will do in a pinch.) Add additional water if necessary to cover the jars by at least an inch. Boil for 10 minutes. Using canning tongs, carefully remove the jars from the water, place in a cool dry place and allow to sit at room temperature for at least 24 hours before opening. Once open, store in the refrigerator. Unopened marmalade will last for up to 6 months.

GRAPEFRUIT MARMALADE

Steps:

• Inspect two 5-ounce jars for cracks and rings for rust, discarding any defective ones. Immerse in simmering water until marmalade is ready. Wash new, unused lids and rings in warm soapy water.
• Thoroughly wash and dry the grapefruits. Run a zester around 2 grapefruits to produce ribbons of zest. Set aside. Cut away thin strips of peel from the other two grapefruits with a sharp paring knife.
• Peel off all remaining outer white parts of the fruit and discard. Cut the grapefruits into wheels. Remove any seeds.
• Put grapefruit wheels and zest strips into a non-reactive saucepan. Add sugar and stir well to cover fruit. Heat over medium-high heat until bubbling, mixing constantly. Smash the heated fruit until it liquefies. Reduce heat to low and cook over a steady boil, stirring often. Remove and discard any persistent white froth that won't disappear after being stirred. Continue to cook for about 10 minutes until marmalade begins to coat the back of a spoon.
• Add zest ribbons and cook for 5 minutes more. Place a small amount of marmalade on a plate and put it in the freezer. Test the consistency after 3 minutes.
• Remove the marmalade from the heat when the freezer sample meets your desired consistency.
• Pack grapefruit jam into hot, sterilized jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of the top. Run a clean knife or thin spatula around the insides of the jars to remove any air bubbles. Wipe rims with a moist paper towel to remove any residue. Top with lids and screw rings on tightly.
• Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil and lower jars 2 inches apart into the boiling water using a holder. Pour in more boiling water to cover jars by at least 1 inch. Bring to a rolling boil, cover, and process for 10 minutes.
• Remove the jars from the stockpot and let rest, several inches apart, for 24 hours. Press the center of each lid with a finger to ensure the lid does not move up or down. Remove the rings for storage and store in a cool, dark area.

ORANGE MARMALADE

Steps:

• Rinse oranges under hot water. Quarter oranges lengthwise; slice crosswise as thinly as possible with a sharp knife.
• Bring the orange slices, orange and lemon juices, and 6 cups water to a boil in a large nonreactive saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until orange peels are translucent and tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Stir in sugar. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved. Continue cooking, stirring often and skimming foam from surface with a slotted spoon, until mixture is set and registers 220 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 15 minutes. (To test if the marmalade has set, place a small amount on a well-chilled plate. Press gently with your finger; marmalade should wrinkle. If it doesn't, continue to simmer, 5 to 10 minutes more. Test again; repeat as needed.)
• Let cool, then transfer to an airtight container. (Alternatively, transfer marmalade to sterilized canning jars and process according to the jar manufacturer's instructions.)

OXFORD MARMALADE

Steps:

• Wash and weigh the fruit. Put into a large pan with (1 pint for every 500g of fruit) water. Cover and let boil for 1 hour.
• Place a colander over a bowl. Transfer the fruit and its liquid to the colander, and let the liquid drain to the bowl below. Reserve the liquid.
• Chop the fruit into quarters. Remove the pips and set them aside. Chop the fruit into equal sized pieces - thinly or coarsely - depending on how chunky you like your marmalade. Wrap the pips in a muslin bag.
• Pour the reserved cooking liquid back into the pan and add the sugar. Use 500g sugar for the same weight of fruit. Stir the mixture over a low heat to dissolve the sugar, then boil the syrup for about 5 minutes. Use a metal spoon to remove any scum on the surface. Stir in the fruit and bag of pips.
• Continue boiling until the setting point is reached (this will be roughly 30-40 minutes). Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Remove the pan from the heat, discard the muslin pip bag and skim the marmalade. Allow it to cool slightly before spooning it into sterilized jars. (To sterilize jars, put in oven at 100 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes).

THREE FRUIT MARMALADE

Steps:

• Remove seeds from fruits. Put through food grinder. Measure and put into large saucepan.
• For each 1 cup pulp, add 3 cups water. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
• Simmer for 20 minutes. Boil rapidly, stirring 2 or 3 times, for 20 minutes. Measure quantity.
• To each 1 cup pulp, add 1 1/2 cups sugar. Return to a boil, stirring.
• Boil rapidly until thickened and a small amount cooled on a chilled saucer jells. This will take about 20 minutes.
• Pour into hot sterilized half pint jars to within 1/4 inch of the top. Place sterilized metal lids on jars and screw metal bands on securely. For added assurance against spoilage, you may choose to process in boiling water bath for 5 minutes.

DARK MUSCOVADO & WHISKY MARMALADE

Steps:

• Place the whole oranges and lemon juice in a large preserving pan and cover with 2 litres/ 4 pints water. If this is not enough to cover the fruit, put it in a smaller pan. If necessary, weight the oranges with a heat-proof plate to keep them under the water. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer very gently for about 2 hours, or until the peel can be pierced easily with a fork.
• Warm half of the white and dark sugar in a very low oven. Pour off the cooking water from the oranges into a jug and tip the oranges into a bowl. Return the cooking liquid to the pan. Leave the oranges to cool until they are easy to handle, then cut them in half. Scoop out all the pips and pith and add these to reserved orange liquid in the pan. Bring to the boil for 6 minutes then strain this liquid through a sieve into a bowl, pressing the pulp through with a wooden spoon; the result is high in pectin, which helps to ensure the marmalade has a good set.
• Pour half this liquid into a preserving pan. Cut the peel into chunky shreds, using a sharp knife. Add half the peel to the liquid in the preserving pan with the warm white and dark muscovado sugars. Stir over a low heat until all the sugar has dissolved, then bring to the boil and bubble rapidly for 15-25 minutes until setting point is reached. Stir in half the whisky.
• Take the pan off the heat and skim any scum from the surface. (To dissolve any excess scum, drop a small knob of butter on the surface, and gently stir.) Leave the marmalade to stand in the pan for 20 minutes to cool a little and to allow the peel to settle, then pot in sterilised jars, seal and label. Repeat for the remaining batch.