BS: Marmalade

Subject: BS: Marmalade
From: GUEST,Raggytash
Date: 27 Feb 15 - 08:00 AM

The Marmalade making season is upon us. Does anyone out there have a favourite combination. I make standard marmalade with Seville Oranges and also make two varieties one with whisky added and one with rosemary simmered with the oranges.

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 27 Feb 15 - 08:16 AM

We just use the Hartleys Ma Made Seville orange base. IMO it tastes as good as anything we've had home made.

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: GUEST,Raggytash
Date: 27 Feb 15 - 08:22 AM

It just seems wrong to me Jon, I'm sure it's very good marmalade but it comes out of a tin and that doesn't sit well with me.

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 27 Feb 15 - 08:31 AM

I can understand that and don't suppose it would suit everyone but it's popular here.

Pip/my mother does the making here. She does a variety of home made jams, jellies and chutneys (some using our own grown produce) but most of the time opts for the tin for marmalade.

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 27 Feb 15 - 08:31 AM

I would like to know where to get proper bitter marmalade. It seems impossible. I once made the Ma-Made and halved the sugar and it was OK-ish.

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: GUEST,Raggytash
Date: 27 Feb 15 - 08:36 AM

Richard try adding more lemon or lime juice. This helps it set and you can reduce the amount of sugar required.

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 27 Feb 15 - 08:42 AM

Just ordinary Seville orange marmalade for me. The aroma of its being made gives me a headache, but all is forgiven when it's slathered on me toast. Also, I like the bits of peel to be quite thick. If you absolutely can't make your own, the Tiptree Orange (it must say that on the label - there are several other varieties) is very nice.

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: Musket
Date: 27 Feb 15 - 08:54 AM

Yeah, we buy Seville oranges and make our own. As we make jams from our own fruit, we also have some quince puree left over, and a wee bit of that in the marmalade makes all the difference, as well as the lime juice overload.

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: GUEST,Raggytash
Date: 27 Feb 15 - 08:59 AM

My local Fruit and Veg Wholesaler lets me have a 40lb box of Seville Oranges for £5. The marmalade is sold to raise funds for a local rescue boat and I make over 100 jars every year. I do use more than the standard 3lb of fruit to 6lbs of sugar, using 3 1/2 to 4lbs of fruit for each batch.

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: maeve
Date: 27 Feb 15 - 09:52 AM

I'm about to harvest our Meyer lemons- any recipe suggestions for marmalade from them?

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: Musket
Date: 27 Feb 15 - 11:40 AM

Not only did Marmalade cover Ob la Di, Ob la Da, but they are possibly the most famous turn ever to have played Creswell Drill Hall.

Knocked me into second place anyroad.

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: GUEST,CS
Date: 27 Feb 15 - 12:29 PM

Mmm marmalade! Nice idea to go for strong distinctive flavours.

I like it best with really chunky shreds of peel and with a dark brownish amber colour from brown sugar or treacle. Preferably quite bitter too.

I also like grapefruit marmalade, though that's obviously not seasonal in the way Seville oranges are.

I've had chilli laced apple jelly, and I think that would work in marmalade if done gently.
Ginger would be great in marmalade (I love preserved ginger).
Dried cranberries would add a lovely colour splash.

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: Rumncoke
Date: 27 Feb 15 - 01:07 PM

Although not a citrus base, so not exactly marmalade, marrow and ginger conserve makes a great addition to toast.

I grew courgettes one year and a couple of them hid in the jungle of leaves and reached over 6lb each.

The standard recipe starts with 1 inch cubes, but it is better to make them smaller, and as slices rather than cubes.

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Feb 15 - 02:49 PM

We have used Seville oranges and Mamade tins and have decided to stick with Mamade - half the time, half the effort and little difference in taste; but no good if you want thick peel. For a commercial choice I would recommend Tiptree double two, hard to find but delicious.

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Feb 15 - 02:52 PM

That suggestion of using ginger sounds promising, you'd have to get the quantity just right of course.

If whisky is proving popular how about dark rum? Cardamom?

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: GUEST,Dave the Gnome
Date: 27 Feb 15 - 05:46 PM

Heads up for collectors - Bladnoch Whisky Marmalade is becoming rare. Bladnoch distillery has closed down. For the second, (or is it third?) time.

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 28 Feb 15 - 09:38 AM

There used to be a think cut Mamade but they stopped making it. I prefer thin cut but going by the reviews on amazon.com (yes, the us site), there are people adding rind to the thin cut mix.

Mention of Tiptree reminds me of when we used to go to grandad's in Norwich for a week's holiday. He always had Tiptree jams and marmalades and Lurpack (I think usually the slightly salted) butter.

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: GUEST,Raggytash
Date: 28 Feb 15 - 09:56 AM

Just remembered another reason for not using Mamade. I use my Grandmothers jam pan, she would turn in her grave if used Mamade.

I also make my own butter most weeks and use the whey to make soda bread!!

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 28 Feb 15 - 10:12 AM

I'm not sure my grandmother (and possibly her mother...) would approve of our use of her old brass jam pan. It holds flowers. Still it's well polished and looks nice.

We should get back to making bread. Again we are lazy and use a breadmaker for the standard loafs. When we do bake, we use flour from the localish Letheringsett water mill. It seems to give a better taste.

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: GUEST,Raggytash
Date: 28 Feb 15 - 10:18 AM

That's one of the beauties of Soda Bread Jon, malthouse or wholemeal flour, baking soda, buttermilk, salt, bit of a stir to mix and into the bread tins, about 22 minutes in the oven and you have fresh, very tasty bread. I especially like it with Smoked Salmon

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 28 Feb 15 - 10:55 AM

Thanks, I'll give making soda bread a try.

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 28 Feb 15 - 11:35 AM

We've been happily using our Panasonic bread machine for ten years. It may be lazier than doing all that kneading and stuff, admittedly, but it's not as lazy as buying shop bread and it's cheaper. You can control what goes in (we always use organic flour and we use a lot less salt than the recipes suggest) and the bread is pretty good. The ciabatta loaf recipe is especially nice and very easy. Makes lovely toast for marmalade. No nasties in bread machine bread. A good happy medium for lots of people, I suggest.

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Feb 15 - 03:04 PM

Absolutely agree about bread maker. I love the fact that you have control over what goes into it, no preservatives or 'flavour enhancers'. I do not understand why anyone would hand over the decision about what goes into their food to anyone else. Careful buying and joyful cooking enhances living.

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: GUEST,BobL away from home
Date: 01 Mar 15 - 03:23 AM

Whenever you have a G&T keep the lemon slice, saving them in the freezer. When you have enough, turn them into lemon marmalade.

Although I haven't actually tried this myself (yet).

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: Musket
Date: 01 Mar 15 - 03:24 AM

White Rabbits!

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: Rumncoke
Date: 01 Mar 15 - 11:05 AM

Greetings on St David's Day - or for the welsh speakers, probably -

Cyfarchion ar Ddydd Gwyl Dewi

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: Gallus Moll
Date: 07 Jan 19 - 03:49 PM

Marmalade time again! But...with Brexit looming, will this be the last year we (UK) can obtain Seville oranges at all or at least at an affordable price?

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: Jack Campin
Date: 07 Jan 19 - 03:55 PM

I'd thought the same. I have a stock going back years, but maybe I need to make more anyway?

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: Raggytash
Date: 07 Jan 19 - 04:08 PM

So early? I cannot normally get Seville oranges for weeks yet!

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: Charmion
Date: 07 Jan 19 - 05:48 PM

We never see Seville oranges before St. Valentine's Day. I think ours come from Florida, but I'm not sure; South Africa is also a possibility.

Marmalade is the last sweet preserve for spreading on bread that I still make. We eat jam so rarely now that it's just a waste to make the other kinds, but marmalade is popular throughout the family. I also make chutney, so the preserving kettle is not totally idle.

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: Joe Offer
Date: 07 Jan 19 - 11:16 PM

This sounds wonderful. I confess I use marmalade in peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. One of those on toast with a glass of milk is a perfect nightcap. Does that make me a horrible person?

And I had marmalade on my wife Christina's homemade Polish cheesecake this evening, and it was a trip to heaven.

Is orange the only kind of marmalade there is? The term "orange marmalade" sounds redundant to me.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: BobL
Date: 08 Jan 19 - 02:36 AM

I once heard of "apricot marmalade" as an ingredient in Austrian cuisine. Possibly the essential difference is cutting the skin into strips rather than boiling it to disintegration.

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: Jos
Date: 08 Jan 19 - 02:50 AM

Try googling "onion marmalade", Joe.

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: Jos
Date: 08 Jan 19 - 02:52 AM

PS. I feel ill just thinking about eating anything sweet with peanut butter.

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: Jack Campin
Date: 08 Jan 19 - 04:13 AM

Any citrus fruit works. One of the best I've done lately is lime with fresh shredded galangal. But at this time of year Seville oranges are what's around.

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: Jos
Date: 08 Jan 19 - 05:40 AM

According my 'Shorter (2 huge volumes) Oxford Dictionary', the word 'marmalade' comes from the Portuguese word 'marmelada', a preserve made from quince (marmelo).

I have had quince jelly. In English, jelly is either what Americans call 'jello' or, as in this case, it is a jam (US jelly) made with strained fruit juice, so without any peel or pulp.

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Jan 19 - 10:41 AM

American "Jello" is a gelatin made from marrow of beef bones, it doesn't have any preserved fruit ingredient (pectin).

In the US "jam" is the whole fruit preserve and "jelly" is the juice-only preserve.

Pectin used in jelly/jam making is sourced from apples. There are a number of fruits that you can cook and will thicken to "jam stage" without additional pectin, things like cranberries (whole fruit) to make cranberry sauce.

I use a vintage Mehu-Liisa steam juicer from Finland to juice lots of fruits, and make jelly from wild (Mustang) grapes (it has a sweet/tart strong flavor), and strawberry jelly after steam juicing and then use the remaining strawberry solids to make a really robust jam.

A friend of mine makes the most amazing pineapple marmalade (though technically there is no skin to involve in the process.) And the pineapple has plenty of pectin so once it reached the right temperature and consistency, take it off the heat. I think he may add a small amount of orange peel to it for flavor.

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: G-Force
Date: 08 Jan 19 - 10:46 AM

I think you're all wonderful and put me to shame. I made jam and marmalade (an all sorts of other good things) the first year I was married, many, many years ago. Right, I thought, done that, far too much trouble, and I've never bothered with any of it since. Fortunately we have a daughter who has inherited none of my disgraceful omissions and slips us the odd jar from time to time.

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: Jack Campin
Date: 08 Jan 19 - 11:45 AM

I made pineapple jam a while back - added finely chopped habanero chili to it (MUCH more than you'd think was sane) and it came out great.

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: Mr Red
Date: 11 Jan 19 - 06:52 AM

in translating my FAQ pages into Danish (and others) Goggle, bless its little fluffy AI dendrites, translated jam session into marmalade session. Because I try to get native speakers to correct it, Bente (from Denmark) pointed out how amused she was at the translation!

In Europe marmalade is the generic term for any conserve type delicacy.

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: vectis
Date: 12 Jan 19 - 04:23 PM

I make marmalade from Lemons, grapefruit and limes from the garden. The Seville orange tree has some baby oranges this year for the first time and the thought of making 'proper' marmalade is quite exciting. My two sons started making marmalade last year with citrus fruit from their gardens. We use equal weights of fruit and sugar which seems to work. I have started using the slow cooker to cook the fruit, lazy but it works a treat.

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: Jos
Date: 12 Jan 19 - 04:50 PM

Whatever you do, DON'T believe those people who insist that you must slice the peel first, and then boil it.
Boil the fruit first, and slice it when it's soft and forgiving. Then put the sliced peel, pulp, and a muslin bag containing the pips (extra pectin for setting, and a bit more bitter flavour) back into the liquid and use a pound (450-ish grams) of sugar to a pint of liquid.

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 12 Jan 19 - 07:27 PM

Another vote for Mamade: been using it for years now. Yes, haven't seen the thick cut version for a long time, and they also used to do a lemon variety.
Not a great fan of orange marmalade, so it's my husband who does the Mamade job: but I do like lemon or lime marmalade.

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 12 Jan 19 - 08:16 PM

Decades ago I was an inveterate jam and marmalade maker. I decided many moons ago that experimentation was useless and that only Seville orange marmalade would do. These days, Mrs Steve is at the helm in such matters. I insist that the marmalade contains thick bits of peel, but I make no other interventions. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Raggytash makes beautiful marmalade.

As for jam, we tended not to eat all that we made, so we don't make much these days. I had a bumper crop of raspberries this year and my freezer is packed with them. I offered to make a big batch of raspberry jam but Mrs Steve said no. So I'm having a crack at making raspberry gin. I bought a bottle of Sainsbury's cheapest and have put it in a Kilner jar with sugar and raspberries. I'll let you know...

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: Gallus Moll
Date: 12 Jan 19 - 08:40 PM

In Autumn I set out to make Sloe Gin (which I love) but -- couldny find any sloes in my usual secret places! That happens some years- - so I made Bramble Gin -- turned out well but - not as nice as Sloe!
However -- I also had a go at Quince Vodka - but refrained from adding the 'normal' sugar quantity, just put in a little. The drink is absolutely gorgeous - delicate but really pleasant on my palate. I would never think of sipping neat vodka normally but this is truly lovely!!
Definitely doing it again (as long as my pal's Quince tree produces; it is an old fashioned one, really difficult to make Quince jelly or paste from it, unlike more contemporary strains of the fruit.)

Re chopping the Seville oranges -- it is all part of the ceremony Jos! Whole process (chopping, steeping, initial boiling, adding sugar and second boiling etc) should take two days - in fact I know someone who takes 3 -- - -
My marmalade is really great, I love it (so do lots of others)
I do admit to using the food processor once I have halved / extracted juice and separated pips - partly cos tho I like the peel I don't like huge chunks!

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: Jos
Date: 13 Jan 19 - 01:42 PM

Hey - I have the ceremony. It's just that my ceremony involves slicing really soft peel (and it's so much easier to slice it really thinly).

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: Raggytash
Date: 13 Jan 19 - 01:52 PM

Thanks for the acknowledgement Steve, I may be back in the UK to make some more at the end of next month.

Two reasons. One is my Grandmothers Jam pan is back there and two I cannot control the heat required from my electric hob here.

This year may be the first time in decades that I haven't made any.

Having said that the cupboard is bare and bought Marmalade tends to be a very poor substitute ....... I believe (not having bought any for years)

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 13 Jan 19 - 02:03 PM

Tiptree's ordinary isn't the worst in the world.

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: Jos
Date: 13 Jan 19 - 02:07 PM

Waitrose organic is the nearest bought marmalade I've come across to home made.

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: Jos
Date: 13 Jan 19 - 02:11 PM

Sometimes years ago I used to make toast with white sliced bread and have it with 'Golden Shred' because it reminded me of breakfast in the student hall of residence - so nostalgic.

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: wysiwyg
Date: 13 Jan 19 - 03:33 PM

Grapefruit.

Lime.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: Gallus Moll
Date: 13 Jan 19 - 05:29 PM

Well Jos, while I am able to make marmalade I'll continue to follow the method of the elderly lady I watched doing it the way her mother had.....

Same for clootie dumpling! My grandma made them for special occasions like birthdays - it was YOUR dumpling and it seemed like it took all day to prepare then boil in its cloot. A rare treat. Yes, I am aware there is a microwave option...but it is just not the same with that skin - and silver thruppenny charms wrapped in twists of greaseproof paper!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: Jos
Date: 14 Jan 19 - 04:38 AM

Fair enough, Gallus Moll. And I shall continue to make marmalade the way my mother and grandmother did it.
(It really is so much easier and quicker.)

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 14 Jan 19 - 06:44 PM

On raspberry jam. In past years when we did have the odd abundance of raspberries and redcurrants, mum would sometimes make a mixed jam using both fruit. I quite like that one, where the tartness of the redcurrants sort of balances out the sweetness of the raspberries.

I'm not sure what was made here last year but I think at least a few jars of blackcurrant jelly, blackcurrant jam and plum jam. Perhaps this year, one of our less reliable trees, a greengage and a damson, may decide to fruit... I don't think we buy any fruit in these days (although there are a few pick your own places in the area) but we try to make use of what happens to grow here.

Subject: RE: BS: Marmalade
From: Charmion
Date: 15 Jan 19 - 09:46 AM

Clootie dumpling! A rare treat, indeed -- especially since the technique of boiling a pudding in a cloth is almost lost today. I had to figure it out from sketchy instructions in a cookbook dating from the 1930s, and what a mess I made! The resulting pud was a bit ragged and inelegant, but very delicious with custard sauce.