The taste of Seville orange marmalade is out of this world but the oranges are only in season for a few short weeks at the beginning of the year. So January is the time to make marmalade. Seville oranges are bitter in comparison to ordinary oranges but they are also higher in pectin, making them perfect for preserves. Harvested in Spain from November onwards and shipped during January, the season is short but if, like Paddington Bear, you love marmalade it's worth seeking them out. You can also freeze them for use later in the year.
Marmalade is a bit more complicated to make than jam and takes a bit longer. I've used an Aga recipe that my mother used to follow and tweaked it slightly to make it more user-friendly.
You will need -
1½ kg Seville oranges
juice of 2 lemons
3kg granulated sugar
2 litres of water
First of all, sterilise your jars (you will need about ten) and put a small plate or saucer into the freezer. You will need this when testing for set.
Then, wash the oranges and place the whole fruit into a large saucepan, add the lemon juice, cover with water and bring to the boil. It will need at least 2 hours with the lid on and you can either do this on the hob, or transfer it to a 140ºC oven.
Once the time is up, remove the fruit with a slotted spoon but keep the orange water. When the fruit has cooled, cut them in half and using a spoon, scoop out the flesh, pith and pips. Add this to the orange water. Boil this for about 5 minutes, without the lid on. Then strain through a sieve, pressing the pulp with a wooden spoon to extract all the juice. Leave the sieve to sit over the bowl while you get on with the next bit.
Cut the peel into thin or thick slices, whichever your preference, and put into a large preserving pan along with the sieved orange water and the sugar. Put onto the hob and heat through slowly, stirring occasionally, until all the sugar has dissolved. Then, turn up the heat and boil rapidly for about 15 minutes.
Remove the plate from the freezer and take the pan off the heat. Drop a small amount of the marmalade onto the cold plate and push with your finger. If wrinkles form, it is ready. If you think it needs a bit longer, boil for another five minutes and try again.
When it's done, leave the marmalade in the preserving pan for a short while to cool before potting up - this means the peel is evenly distributed and will not sink to the bottom of the jars. I use a tablespoon rather than a ladle to spoon the jam straight into a jam funnel and into the warm jars. Cover immediately and label when cool.
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