There are so any ways to make marmalade- from the farmhouse roughly chopped mixture to the fine thread-like peel which appears suspended in its translucent golden jelly. I personally prefer to boil my oranges first and then slice the rind as finely as possible before boiling with the liquid and sugar. But beware! Making marmalade requires time and patience and I tend to burn mine almost as often as I make a successful batch, much to everyone’s consternation.

Ingredients

•  3 kg Seville oranges
• 2-3 kg granulated sugar
• 2 litres of combined orange juice and water

 Method

1. Wash the fruit thoroughly and dry with a cloth.

2. Prick the oranges with a skewer, put in a large pot, cover completely with water and simmer for 2 hours – then allow cooling in the liquid.

3. Once cool, remove them from the water, cut them in half and scoop out the pulp and remove the pips.

4. Scrape out excess pith. Finely slice the peel, pouring the juice back into the pot with the fruit. (You need at least 2 litres of liquid)
Add the sugar and start to heat the mixture slowly, stirring well with a wooden spoon until dissolved.

 5. Then bring to the boil until setting point is reached. This should take about 20 minutes. (If it hasn’t, keep on boiling, keeping a close watch.)

6. The shorter the boiling process the lighter and more translucent your marmalade will be. Pour the marmalade into sterilised jars, and seal with melted paraffin.