It’s Seville orange season and that can only mean one thing: my Grandma’s Seville orange marmalade. As a child, I remember my Grandma cooking batches upon batches of her infamous Seville orange marmalade. The worktop would be crammed with glistening glass jars, and breakfasts in Norfolk were always a Sainsbury’s bakers brown loaf, a spread of margarine and a think layer of chunky marmalade. Homemade marmalade really is unbeatable. It’s glossy and sweet, with delicate slivers of orange peel that give you just the right amount of bite.

Seville Orange Marmalade

What you’ll need to make my Grandma’s Seville Orange Marmalade:

  • Jam sugar. There is a naturally occurring high level of pectin in Seville oranges, which is why jam sugar isn’t usually called for in marmalade recipes. If you’re using regular oranges, boost the pectin by making your marmalade purely with jam sugar. I like a 50/50 balance of jam sugar and granulated sugar to aid setting.
  • Granulated sugar. The go-to sugar for marmalade making. Granulated sugar has larger crystals that dissolve quickly, producing a beautifully clear, amber liquid to perfect display all that gorgeous sliced orange peel.
  • Seville oranges. An obvious ingredient considering this is a recipe for Seville orange marmalade. If you’re using regular juicing oranges, you’ll need to sub out the granulated sugar for jam sugar to boost pectin levels. This will ensure your marmalade sets properly and isn’t liquidy!
  • Lemons. A nice little addition to balance out all the sweetness of the sugar.
Seville Orange Marmalade

The golden rules of making Seville orange marmalade:

You might have never made marmalade before, or you may have made it a thousand times. Either way, here are the golden rules to stick by when making your own at home:

The fruit

  1. Know your oranges. If you’ve come across this recipe between December and February, then you’d better have a pretty good excuse for not using seasonal Seville oranges! These orange are a classic and make the most delicious marmalade. Sharp and bitter, they marry with the sweetness of the sugar to yield a preserve that’s both bitter and delicately sweet.
  2. Get to grips with pectin. The notes in my Grandma’s recipe said: “Don’t over-boil, or you’ll end up with glue!”. Seville oranges are particularly rich in pectin, so use your muslin cloth to collet all the goodness from the pips and pith ā€“ adding it to the pan with your peel before the sugar is added. This will help your marmalade set.
  3. Perfect your peel. I personally prefer slimmer slivers of peel in my marmalade, but if you like a chunkier mouthfeel I’m not going to stop you! Whatever you choose though ā€“ thin or thick ā€“ make sure all the peel in your marmalade is uniform. Make sure it’s sufficiently softened in the boiling process before adding the sugars.

The kit for making Seville orange marmalade

  1. Use the right equipment. There are ways to make marmalade without all the bells and whistles. However, kitting yourself out makes it so much easier.
    • A maslin pan. A heavy-bottomed pan that dissipates heat for an even boil. It’s also has wide and deep sides which aid evaporation.
    • Muslin squares are also useful to gather all the pectin-rich pip and inner pith, to squeeze out all the goodness from them. Tie up with a rubber band, and then add to your pan!
    • A sugar thermometer.If you’re a beginner, using a thermometer is a great way to tell your marmalade is ready. Clamp it to the side of your pan and when it reads 104.5C, the setting point has been reached.
    • Glass Kilner jars are excellent for storing your marmalade.
    • A wide-necked funnel is ideal for reducing mess when pouring.

The process

  1. Embrace the process. This is a Sunday afternoon or weekend activity that can be indulged in. Pop your favourite playlist on and don’t rush the process. Marmalade making takes a while, but I encourage you to take your time over each step.
  2. Choose your sugar carefully. This recipe calls for 50/50 granulated to jam sugar ratio. However, Seville oranges have enough pectin in them already, meaning you can actually just use granulated sugar in this recipe. White granulated sugar makes a brighter marmalade that’s glossy and translucent.
  3. Timing is everything. The shorted you boil your marmalade the brighter it will be. You can soak the peel overnight before boiling everything up but I love my Grandma’s method for a mean and moodier marmalade colour.
  4. Sterilise everything. If you want to avoid your marmalade going mouldy, make sure you sterilise your jars and equipment sufficiently. Wash all of you jam jars, lids and rubber Kilner-style jar rings in hot soapy water. Rinse, everything and boil your kettle. Place everything into a high-sided tin, and pour boiling water into the jars and over the lids and seals. Leave for 15 minutes, then transfer the jars and lids to a roasting tin and heat in an oven preheated to 120C fan for ~20 minutes.
Seville Orange Marmalade

How do I know when my Seville Orange Marmalade is ready?

The “wrinkle” test

Firstly, put some small plates or saucers in the freezer to chill. Once the marmalade has been on a rolling boil for at least 15min, take a small spoonful and place it on your cold plate. Leave it for a minute to cool, then push your finger through the mixture. If the surface of your marmalade starts to wrinkle, it’s ready. If not, continue to boil for a further 15 minutes and repeat the test.

The “flake” test

Dip a wooden spoon into the marmalade, and then hold it above your pan, rotating the spoon a few times. If your marmalade is ready, it’ll drop from the spoon in a flake of drips.

The “failsafe” test

This it the easiest method for beginners is using a sugar thermometer to measure the temperature of your marmalade. The setting point is 104.5C so once the temperature has reached this point, you can remove your pan from the hob. Use the wrinkle test to see how it behaves just to be sure.

Got a question? Drop me a DM on Instagram and I’ll be more than happy to help!

Seville Orange Marmalade

Seville Orange Marmalade

My Grandma's Seville orange marmalade is a must-make between December and February. Serve it with a lather of butter on crunchy, warm toast.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course Breakfast
Servings 5 jars

Ingredients
  

  • 900 g Seville oranges
  • 2 large lemons
  • 1.8 kg granulated sugar or use half granulated, half jam sugar
  • 2 pints water If you don't have a pressure cooker and are using a regular saucepan with lid, use 4 pints of water

Instructions
 

  • Put the oranges and lemons into a pressure cooker with 1 pint of water (or 2 pints if you're using a regular saucepan). Make sure they all fit on the bottom by halving the lemons and fitting them in between the oranges.
  • Bring to pressure and cook for 12 minutes. The end of a spoon should go through the oranges easily when cooked. If the skin of the oranges is still a bit tough, add a touch more water and cook for a few more minutes. If you're boiling them in a regular saucepan, boil for 30 minutes.
  • Be careful when opening your pressure cooker or the lid of your saucepan, as the contents will be piping and steam can burn. When the oranges are cool enough to handle, quarter or halve the cooked fruit and remove all the pips.
  • Scrape out all the flesh and throw it into the saucepan, making sure no pips have escaped into the leftover liquid that's still in there.
    N.B.Ā Any surplus bits of flesh, pips, etc. can be put into a muslin cloth tied with an elastic band and added to your saucepan. Alternatively, strain well through a sieve to get all the "goo" into the water.
  • Chop the skins as thinly or thickly as you like, and add everything else to the saucepan, plus another 1 pint of water (or 2 if using a saucepan).
  • Warm your sugar on a sheet of baking parchment on a tray in the oven. Choose a low heat ā€“ around 140C for 5-10mins.
  • Place your saucepan back over the heat and then add your warmed sugar gradually to the pan, stirring into your fruits and water. Make sure the sugar is completely dissolved or it tends to crystallise later.
  • Bring to a fast boil, skim if necessary and stir constantly to avoid the sugar burning. Boil until setting point is reached. This will usually take around 35 minutes.
  • Let the marmalade stand and cool for a while until a skin starts to develop.
  • Prepare your jars by boiling a kettle full of water and filling them and the lids to the brim. Let them stand for 10-15mins or so before pouring out the water and placing in your still-hot oven to dry off.
  • Spoon the marmalade into your now dry jars and immediately place waxed discs on top before sealing with the lids whilst still hot. This creates suction and preserves your jam for longer.
Keyword confiture, jam, marmalade, orange, preserve, Seville orange, Seville oranges

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February 7, 2020

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