This recipe was in Joanne Kates cookbook. She gives credit to Elizabeth Baird. Makes about 8 small jam jars. We’ve been making this for years and it’s the best!
Ingredients
6 Seville Oranges (available in January)
sugar
cheesecloth
optional: 2 oz. brandy
preserving jars and lids
Instructions
Cut the oranges in half and juice them.
Strain the juice and set aside. Save the orange seeds.
With a spoon, scrape out the white pith from the orange skins. discard the pith.
Put the orange seeds in a small bowl and cover them with warm water. Set aside and leave overnight.
Cut the peels into the finest matchstick shreds you can manage and add them to the juice.
Measure the juice and peels. Add an equal amount of water to them. Set aside and leave overnight.
The next day add the water from the seeds to the peel and juice. (It will contain the pectin from the seeds, which will cause the marmalade to thicken.)
Put the seeds in a cheesecloth bag and place in a pot with the juice and the peel. Simmer very gently for 1 1/2 hours, covered, until the peel is almost soft.
Remove the seeds, squeezing out the juice. Discard the seeds.
Measure what remains and add an equal amount of sugar.
Boil Rapidly for 30 to 45 minutes till the marmalade reaches 220 degrees F on a candy thermometer. (If, like me, you have no candy thermometer, boil for 40 minutes or until somewhat thickened. It’s always worked for me.)
Remove from heat and stir in the optional brandy.
Sterilize the jars by immersing them in boiling water for 5 minutes. Pour in the marmalade and seal immediately with either new Mason lids or melted paraffin.