It’s that time of the year again, the air is fragrant with the smell of marmalade bubbling away in pots throughout the Ballymaloe Cookery School. Such a joy to be able to welcome students back to start the Spring Program. Seven nationalities this time, all super excited and eager to learn and determined to pack as much as possible into the next 12 weeks.
Many, in fact most have never made marmalade before, so they are delighted to discover how easy and rewarding it is. They are so proud of their jars, carefully lined up on the shelf side by side with the raspberry jam they learned how to make in the first week to slather onto Sweet Crunchy Scones.
So how about a marmalade making session this week. The Seville oranges are in season, you’ll find them in your local greengrocer, Catriona Daunt and Willi Doherty of Organic Republic will have organic oranges on their stalls at Midleton, Bantry, Mahon Point and Douglas Farmers Markets – so worth the little extra they cost – see organic_republic on Instagram. Blood oranges have just arrived into the shops too, as have bergamots, how exotic do they sound and they also make a delicious marmalade.
Jam making doesn’t appeal much to lads but marmalade gets some chaps really excited – older men particularly have very fixed ideas on what perfect marmalade should taste like. Some like it bitter and dark, others prefer a fresh citrusy flavour, a dash of Irish whiskey or a couple of dollops of black treacle for extra depth of flavour. I’m loving our blood orange and Campari marmalade, a twist on one of my favourite aperitif combos. Oranges are not the only citrus that make good marmalade, three-fruit marmalade can be made at any time of the year, e.g. orange, lemon and grapefruit. Kumquat marmalade is also a super delicious luxurious treat and don’t forget clementine, mandarin or tangerine marmalade all made in a similar way and now in season too.
How To Make:
Marmalade is usually made over two days. Juice and slice the oranges and leave them to steep overnight in a little muslin bag with the pips. Cook until the peel is tender. Heat the sugar but be really careful not to add it until the peel is really soft and the original liquid has reduced to between one-third and half of its original volume. If the sugar is added too early, it will harden the peel, resulting in a chewy marmalade – quite the challenge early in the morning.
Enjoy the process, make a cup of coffee, turn on some music and have fun slicing the rind – Yes, I know it’s easier to put it into a blender but the end result will be sludgy – it’s your call and of course will depend on your preference and your time. Either way, enjoy, you may even want to enter a pot of your marmalade into The Marmalade Awards before February 11th, 2022. Check out marketing@dalemain.com
Meanwhile, here are some recipes to get your started.
Classic Seville Orange Marmalade
The bitter Seville and Malaga oranges come into the shops after Christmas and are around for 4-5 weeks.
Makes approx. 3.2kg (7lbs)
900g (2lbs) of Seville oranges, organic if possible
2.3 litres (4 pints) water
1 organic lemon
1.45kg (3 1/4lbs) granulated sugar
Wash the fruit, cut in half and squeeze out the juice. Remove the membrane with a spoon, put with the pips and tie them in a piece of muslin. Slice the peel finely or coarsely, depending on how you like your marmalade. Put the peel, orange and lemon juice, bag of pips and water into a non-reactive bowl or saucepan overnight.
Next day, bring everything to the boil. Cover and simmer gently for about 1 1/2 hours until the peel is really soft. Then cook uncovered until the liquid is reduced to between 1/3 – 1/2 of the original volume (30 minutes approx.). Squeeze all the liquid from the bag of pips and remove it.
Add the warmed sugar and stir until all the sugar has been dissolved. Increase the heat and bring to a full rolling boil rapidly until setting point is reached, 5-10 minutes approx. Test for a set, either with a sugar thermometer (it should register 104˚C/220˚F), or with a saucer. Put a little marmalade on a cold saucer and cool for a few minutes. If it wrinkles when you push it with your finger, it’s done.
Allow marmalade to sit in the saucepan for 15 minutes before bottling to prevent the peel from floating. Pot into hot sterilized jars. Cover immediately and store in a cool dry dark place.
N.B. The peel must be absolutely soft before the sugar is added, otherwise when the sugar is added it will toughen the peel and no amount of boiling will soften it.
Whiskey Marmalade
Add 6 tablespoons of whiskey to the cooking marmalade
just before potting.
Seville Orange and Treacle Marmalade
Seville and Malaga oranges come into the shops after Christmas and are around for 4-5 weeks.
Makes approx. 3.2kg (7lbs)
900g (2lbs) of Seville oranges, organic if possible
2.3 litres (4 pints) water
1 organic lemon
1.45kg (3 1/4lbs) granulated sugar
175ml (6fl oz) treacle
Wash the fruit, cut in half and squeeze out the juice. Remove the membrane with a spoon, put with the pips and tie them in a piece of muslin. Slice the peel fairly coarsely, depending on how you like your marmalade. Put the peel, orange and lemon juice, bag of pips and water into a non-reactive bowl or saucepan overnight.
Next day, bring everything to the boil. Cover and simmer gently for about 1 1/2 hours until the peel is really soft. Then cook uncovered until the liquid is reduced to between 1/3 – 1/2 of the original volume (30 minutes approx.). Squeeze all the liquid from the bag of pips and remove it.
Add the warmed sugar and stir until all the sugar has been dissolved. Increase the heat and bring to a full rolling boil rapidly until setting point is almost reached, 5-6 minutes approx. Stir in the treacle, bring back to the boil and cook for 4-5 minutes or until a set is reached.
Test for a set, either with a sugar thermometer (it should register 104˚F/220˚F), or with a saucer. Put a little marmalade on a cold saucer and cool for a few minutes. If it wrinkles when you push it with your finger, it’s done.
Allow marmalade to sit in the saucepan for 15 minutes before bottling to prevent the peel from floating. Pot into hot sterilized jars. Cover immediately and store in a cool dry dark place.
N.B. The peel must be absolutely soft before the sugar is
added, otherwise when the sugar is added it will toughen and no amount of
boiling will soften it.
Seville Whole Orange Marmalade
Makes 5.9 – 6.6kg (13-15lbs) approx.
When the Seville and Malaga oranges in the shops for just a few short weeks after Christmas. Buy what you need and make the marmalade while the oranges are fresh, if possible. If not just pop them into the freezer, this recipe works brilliantly for frozen oranges, it’s not even necessary to defrost them.
Some recipes sliced the peel first but the majority boiled the whole oranges first and then sliced the peel.
With any marmalade its vital that the original liquid has reduced by half or better still two-thirds before the sugar is added otherwise it takes ages to reach a set and both the flavour and colour will be spoiled. A wide low-sided stainless-steel saucepan is best for this recipe, say 35.5 x 40.5cm (14- 16 inch) wide. If you don’t have one approx. that size cook the marmalade in two batches.
2.2kg (4 1/2lbs) Seville or Malaga oranges (organic if possible)
5.1 litres (9 pints) water
3.6kg (8lbs) sugar
Wash the oranges. Put them in a stainless-steel saucepan with the water. Put a plate on top to keep them under the surface of the water. Cover with the lid of the saucepan, simmer gently until soft, 2 hours approx. cool and drain, reserving the water. (If more convenient, leave overnight and continue next day.) Put your chopping board onto a large baking tray with sides so you won’t lose any juice. Cut the oranges in half and scoop out the soft centre. Slice the peel finely. Put the pips into a muslin bag.
Put the escaped juice, sliced oranges and the muslin bag of pips in a large wide stainless-steel saucepan with the reserved marmalade liquid. Bring to the boil, reduce by half or better still two-thirds, add the warm sugar, stir over a brisk heat until all the sugar is dissolved. Boil fast until setting point is reached. Pot in sterilized jars and cover at once. Store in a dark airy cupboard.
With any marmalade its vital that the original liquid has reduced by half or better still two-thirds before the sugar is added otherwise it takes ages to reach a set and both the flavour and colour will be spoiled. A wide low-sided stainless-steel saucepan is best for this recipe, say, 35.5 – 40.5cm (14-16 inch) wide. If you don’t have one around that size, cook the marmalade in two batches.
Pam’s Bergamot Lemon Marmalade
One of our senior tutors, Pamela Black has a passion for bergamots – this is her recipe…tart and delicious!
6 – 8 pots
1kg (2 1/4lbs) un-waxed Bergamot lemons
1 3kgs (3lbs) granulated sugar
2 1/2 litres (4 1/4 pints) cold water
Scrub the skin of the lemons in warm water with a soft brush. Put into a deep stainless-steel saucepan with the water. Cover and bring to the boil. Simmer for 2 hours until the lemons are soft and tender.
Remove the lemons and allow to cool. Bring back the liquid to the boil and reduce the liquid to 1.5 litres (2 1/2 pints).
Heat the sugar in a moderate oven 180°C/350°F/Mark 4 for 10 to 15 minutes.
Cut the lemons in half, save the pips and tie with the soft membrane in a little muslin bag. Chop the peel and put into a stainless-steel saucepan with the reduced juice, liquid and the bag of pips. Put back on the heat, add the sugar, bring to the boil and cook to a setting point – 15-20 minutes approx. Test for a set in the usual way.
Allow to cool in the saucepan for 15 minutes. Pot into sterilised jars, cool and store in a dark dry cupboard.
Blood Orange Marmalade
Makes 4 jars approximately
4 blood oranges (1 1/2lbs approx.)
1.2 litres (2 pints)
finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
570g (1lb 4 1/2oz) granulated sugar, or more to taste
2 tablespoons Cointreau or Grand Marnier (optional)
Wash the fruit, cut in half around the ‘equator’ and squeeze out the juice. Remove the membrane with a sharp spoon, keep aside. Cut the peel in quarters and slice the rind across rather than lengthways. Put the juice, sliced rind and water in a stainless-steel saucepan. Put the pips and membrane into a muslin bag and add to the saucepan. Leave overnight.
The following day.
Add the zest and juice of the lime to the saucepan and simmer with the bag of pips for 40-60 minutes until the peel is really soft. (Cover for the first 30 minutes). Then cook uncovered until the liquid is reduced to between 1/3 – 1/2 of the original volume.
Remove the muslin bag and discard the pips and membrane. They have already yielded their pectin to the marmalade. Add the warmed sugar to the soft peel, stir until the sugar has dissolved: boil until it reaches setting point (104˚C/220°F) on a sugar thermometer), about 8-10 minutes.
Stir in the Cointreau (use Blood Orange Cointreau if you can source it) or Grand Marnier if you are using it.
Note: If the sugar is added before the rind is really soft, the rind will toughen, and no amount of boiling will soften it.
Use the ‘wrinkle test’ to double-check for a firm set.
Allow to stand in the saucepan for 5 minutes before ladling into hot, sterilized jam jars leaving 5mm (1/4 inch) of headspace. Seal. Store in a cool, dark place.
Campari and Blood Orange Marmalade
Add 1-2 tablespoons of Campari to the marmalade 1-2 minutes before end of cooking, taste, pot and seal ASAP.
Sweet Crunchy Scones with Marmalade and a blob of cream
Makes 9-10 scones using a 7 1/2 cm (3 inch) cutter
450g (1lb) plain white flour
75g (3oz) butter
2 small free-range eggs
pinch of salt
25g (1oz) castor sugar
1 heaped teaspoon plus 1 rounded teaspoon baking powder (25g/1oz approx.)
200ml (7fl oz) approx. milk to mix
Glaze
Egg Wash (see below)
crunchy Demerara sugar or coarse granulated sugar for coating the top of the scones
To Serve
your favourite marmalade
softly whipped cream
First preheat the oven to 250°C/475°F/Gas Mark 9.
Sieve all the dry ingredients together in a large wide bowl. Cut the butter into cubes, toss in the flour and rub in the butter. Make a well in the centre. Whisk the eggs, put into a measure and add milk to bring the liquid up to 300ml (10fl oz), add all but 2 tablespoons (save to egg wash the top of the scones to help them to brown in the oven) to the dry ingredients in one go and mix to a soft dough.
Turn out onto a floured worktop. Don’t knead but shape just enough to make a round. Roll out to about 2 1/2cm (1 inch) thick and cut or stamp into scones.* Brush the tops with egg wash and dip each one in crunchy Demerara or coarse granulated sugar.
Put onto a baking tray – no need to grease.
Bake in a hot oven for 10 minutes until golden brown on top. Cool on a wire rack.
Serve split in half. Top with homemade marmalade and a blob of softly whipped cream.
* Top Tip – Stamp them out with as little waste as possible, the first scones will be lighter than the second rolling.
