Marvellous marmalade a-peels to all
ONE OF THE best truly seasonal moments of the year is the short but tart window of the Seville Orange harvest. I love the satisfaction of jam and marmalade making and pre parenthood used to make the stuff in industrial quantities.
A taste for whisky in the morning might be a bad thing but my favourite variation of Seville orange marmalade is the addition of chopped stem ginger and a glug of whisky. Seville oranges aren't just for the sweet stuff.
I like to add a couple of slices on top of a piece of wild salmon or trout cooked en papillote. A slice of aromatic Seville also works brilliantly in a gin and tonic, and should you have a wood burning stove, a few slices on the top will make your room smell terrific. If you miss the rush for Seville oranges don't attempt to make marmalade with any other variety. Highly acidic citrus fruits work well so you could attempt a lemon and lime version or go for another of my favourites, pink grapefruit with a few scoops of passion fruit added at the setting stage.
Put the water and the juices of the oranges and lemon into a large, heavy based pan. To render the most juice possible give the fruits 20 seconds in a microwave in small batches. Place the pips from the fruit into a square of
muslin, tie with string and suspend the bag into the liquid. The pectin in the pips will help the marmalade set. Scrape clean the peel of the fruits and cut into thin strips or chunkier if you prefer. Place the peel in the liquid and gently simmer for one and a half hours until all the peel is soft. Once cooled slightly, remove the muslin bag, squeezing as much liquid out of it as possible. Add the sugar and stir over a medium heat until all the sugar is dissolved. Bring to the boil and use a sugar thermometer to check for the setting point of 104oC. Do the setting test of putting a spoonful of the liquid onto a chilled plate. If it wrinkles to the touch it is ready, if not boil again, testing at one minute intervals. Once setting point is reached add 100ml whisky of your choice and a cupful of chopped stem ginger. Allow to sit for ten minutes before filling and sealing in sterilised jars.