Orange Marmalade

       
          I was in search for a perfect fruit cake recipe and  came across Chef Alison's beautiful recipe. Leafing through it, I thought.. "Well, this is just perfect. I must give it a try right away". But must admit the ingredients list daunted me for sure, I had to buy everything from black raisins to marmalade. Being an Indian who (almost) sticks to Indian foods for break fast, I did not have marmalade at hand and I seldom use it for break fast. But I had noticed that many of the delicious cakes and desserts used marmalade in the process.

          So I thought "why not make it at home". It sure looks wonderful and should taste nothing less. After all my son loves anything on earth if they are nearer to jams or jellies. So I developed a plan in my head for the next culinary adventure and promptly googled for the recipes and fell in love with this Orange Marmalade. I must admit the process is a little tedious and surely time consuming but you will definitely be satisfied with the end results. I had my son digging into it for so long until it was necessary to lock it safely off in the fridge. I desperately wanted some, left over for my cake and most definitely was not in a mood to deal with a pediatric bowel problem..And the subject of talk was filed away into the refrigerator with convincing promises of serving it the next day with bread.. :)

         Here goes the recipe..

Things you need:

6 to 8 small oranges, weighing about 550g
Juice of one lemon
1.4 Lr water
1 kg granulated sugar

Method:

1.  Slice the oranges in half. Using a metal spoon, scoop out the flesh over a bowl to collect any juice leaving the pith behind. Reserve the shells.Put the flesh, juice and pips in a food processor and blend until smooth. Push the puree through a sieve into a preserving pan or large heavy bottomed saucepan.
2. Now scoop out as much of pith from the shells as possible. Slice the rind into very thin match stick strips and add these to the sieved flesh in the pan.
3. Pour in the lemon juice and water.
4. Bring to boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 to 1 and 1/2 hours until the rind is very soft and the mixture has reduced by half.
5. Over a low heat add the sugar and stir until it has dissolved. Boil for about ten minutes, skimming off any froth on the surface.
6. After ten minutes, spoon a little of marmalade on to a cold plate and place in the fridge. If it sets to a jelly, the marmalade is cooked. If necessary, cook for a further 5 to 10 minutes and test again..Allow the marmalade to cool slightly, then pour into sterilized jars.
7. Serve with bread, biscuits or cakes.