Orange Marmalade

The following recipe is reprinted from Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It, by Karen Solomon. Copyright © 2009 Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Crown Publishing Group, Inc.

ORANGE MARMALADE
Makes 10 (8-ounce) or 20 (4-ounce) jars

Time Commitment: 2 days

Sweet but tart, this marmalade has a lot going for it: tender fruit, piquant flavor, and vibrant color. While it is possible to use sweet oranges, like navels, the finished product would lack the complexity of one made from tart fruit. Be sure to avoid using thin-skinned fruits, like Satsumas or Mandarins, as the results will be too watery. This orange marmalade functions as more than just a toast topper. Rub it on a roast chicken, add a lump of it to make a salad dressing tangy, or spread it between layers of cake.

Prep Ahead: Marmalade should be cooked in a large stockpot to help contain some of the foamy overflows. You will need 10 half-pint jars, or their equivalent, to store your bounty. Make sure they are free of rust and odors and the lids seal tightly. Prepare a label that lists the contents and date prepared.

5 pounds tart oranges, like Seville or Valencia
4 lemons
7 to 8 cups of sugar

Instructions: Scrub the skins of the oranges and lemons well, and dry them. Peel the skins from the fruit, and set the fruit aside keep it covered and airtight. Mince the skins and pith; or, if you have food processor technology, now is the time to use it. You can achieve the right size and thinness by running the skins through the thin slicing blade twice. Cover the skins with water in a large bowl and let them soak overnight.

The next day, chop the orange and lemon pulp into small bits, reserving as much of the juice as you can as you go and saving the seeds. Tie the seeds up in cheesecloth or an empty tea bag.

Drain the water from the skins and transfer them to a large stockpot. Add the fruit pulp, juice, and seed bag. Bring to a boil, then let it simmer gently over medium to medium-low heat for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally and scraping up from the bottom to prevent sticking.

Add the sugar starting with 7 cups, then adding up to 1 cup more, depending on the sweetness of the fruit and thoroughly combine it with the fruit. Let it simmer about 30 minutes longer, or until the marmalade is sweet and thick.

Transfer the marmalade to jars, wipe the rim clean, and cover.

How to Store It Refrigerated: You can refrigerate the marmalade for up to 4 months.

How to Can It: Soak the orange and lemon peels and cook them with the pulp and sugar as directed until sweet and thick, then test for the jell point, check with a thermometer you want it to register 221ºF or the ice-cold plate test. Ladle into sterilized half-pint jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace, and process in a hot-water bath for 15 minutes.