In our back garden at home, we have a big orange tree which gives us a good amount of fruit every year. For the past years, we distributed the oranges between our families because it was impossible to eat that amount by ourselves.
This year, we thought of experimenting and making our own marmalade. We did not use all of them for the marmalade obviously and still had a good amount of oranges to share. We started with a very small batch (like in the recipe below) because we were not sure how this will turn out and if we would be keen on it. Marmalade is not something you would find frequently in our house. However, the first batch has definitely changed my view of marmalade… at least the homemade variety! 🙂 It turned out to be very tasty and in the morning I look forward to a slice of bread with butter and homemade marmalade on top of it!
I also experimented with flavours, by adding some extras to the basic recipe below. I found that fresh ginger adds a good kick to the tartness of the oranges. While doing a bigger batch, I have also included bitter oranges which resulted in a more complex taste. You might also want to try adding a small lemon to the oranges or any other citrus fruit to make your own marmalade.
Although time consuming, the recipe is very simple to make. It is important that you stay close while the pan is simmering and never get distracted doing other stuff. Make sure to use non-waxed and organic oranges, if possible, to ensure that you have a great product in the end! 🙂
Homemade Orange Marmalade
Homemade marmalade - a jar of orange sunshine to brighten your morning toast!
Ingredients
- 6 medium oranges
- 3 tbsp golden syrup, heaped
- Water
- Pinch of sea salt
Directions
- Peel 4 oranges. Remove the pith from the peel of 2 of them.
- Cut the whole oranges, the peeled oranges and the the peel into 2-3cm pieces.
- Put them into a large saucepan and pour water until they are just covered.
- Put on a low heat, uncovered and simmer gently for 1.5-2 hours until the peel has softened. Do not let it boil.
- Blend the oranges until the peel is reduced to small pieces.
- Add the sea salt and golden syrup. Return to low heat, stirring constantly for 20-30 minutes until the marmalade reaches your preferred consistency.
- Pour the marmalade into clean sterilised jars, leaving at least 2 cm to the top.
- Let them cool completely before storing them in the refrigerator.
