At the beginning of last summer my daughter wanted to learn to make strawberry jam. This seemed to be a catalyst for doing more canning. So far we have made a few types of strawberry jam, pear vanilla bean jam (my favorite) and, now, blood orange marmalade.
My grandmother did a lot of canning. Visits to her house were always filled with all kinds of canned fruits, vegetables, jams and jellies. When we would leave her house, she would load our car with more to take home. Unlike my grandmother (her mother), my mother did little canning. In her defense, she worked outside of the home and had little time to can. The only two things I remember her canning are tomatoes and freezer strawberry jam. The only reason she canned tomatoes is because the farm next to the business she and my father owned would give us boxes of tomatoes. Not wanting to waste the tomatoes, she would can them. I'll note that she did not can them properly and we ate watery tomato sauce for years! But, I'll address that in a later post.
This is my first attempt at making marmalade. To be honest, the kids and I do not like orange marmalade. My husband loves it, so this was made with him in mind. I was intrigued by a recipe I came across on Pinterest for blood orange marmalade, so it is the one I went with. This recipe has changed my mind about marmalade-I love it! It is so bright and fresh tasting, absolutely delicious!
Easy Blood Orange Marmalade
This recipe is adapted from one found @thecafesucrefarine.com. It is perfect for the beginner canner!
Ingredients:
2 1/3 cups prepared blood oranges (5-7, depending on size of the oranges)
Zest from one Meyer lemon
2 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice
4 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup water
1 1.75 ounce box fruit pectin
Instructions:
1. Clean glass jars or plastic containers in dishwasher or hot water; dry thoroughly and set aside.
2. Remove the colored zest from the oranges and lemon using a vegetable peeler. Cut the peel into slivers. Place into a 8 cup (2qt.) microwave proof glass measuring cup.
3. Cut away the remaining white pith of the orange peels and supreme the fruit. (Go to https://www.marthastewart.com/1512359/supreming-citrus for excellent instructions on how to supreme citrus.) Rough chop the supremed fruit. Add prepared citrus and juice to the prepared zest in the microwave proof measuring cup. Squeeze any extra juice from membranes and peel into the cup as well. Mix all together, along with the lemon juice. Make sure the fruit mixture equals 2 1/3 cup. If not, add enough orange juice or water to make exactly 2 1/3 cups.
4. Add sugar to the fruit mixture and mix well.
5. Microwave on high power for 3 minutes. Stir the mixture will and return to the microwave for 2 more minutes. Stir well, checking to make sure all of the sugar is dissolved. If not, try microwaving another minute or two, and stirring well again. A few grains of sugar may remain, but should not be grainy. Set fruit mixture aside.
6. Mix water and pectin in a small saucepan, then bring to a full boil over high heat stirring constantly. Boil and stir for 1 full minute.
7. Add the hot pectin to the fruit mixture and stir for 3 minutes.
8 Fill the prepared containers immediately to within 1/2 inch from the tops. Wipe clean the top edges of the containers with a clean damp paper towel, then cover with lids. Let the marmalade stand at room temperature for 24 hours. The marmalade can be refrigerated for up to 3 weeks or frozen for up to 1 year.* Thaw the marmalade in the refrigerator before serving.
Yields 5 cups of marmalade.
*Note: This is my 1st time making marmalade. The freezing time is recommended on the original recipe. I placed some in the freezer, but we have not tried it yet. I have used the freezer method for strawberry jam with good results.
Tea Scones
This recipe comes from my mother's copy of The New York Times Cook Book, copyright 1961, by Craig Claiborne.
2 cups sifted flour
2 tablespoons sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup milk, approximately
1. Preheat oven to hot (425°F).
2. Sift together the four, sugar, baking powder and salt.
3. Chop in the butter with a pastry blender until the flour-coated particles of butter are the size of coarse cornmeal.
4. Add the egg and about three-quarters of the milk. Stir quickly and lightly, only until no flour shows. Add more milk if needed to make a soft dough.
5. Turn the dough out on a floured surface and knead gently about fifteen times. Cut the dough in half. Shape each half into a ball, press each down into a round one-half inch thick and cut it into eight wedges like a pie.
6. Place the wedges on a greased cookie sheet without allowing the sides to touch. Glaze, if desired, with lightly beaten egg. Bake until deep golden brown, about twelve minutes.
Note: Scones may be cut into two-inch rounds or into squares.
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