Marmalade from Home Grown Oranges

Living in grey, windy Britain, I would not have thought it possible to be posting my own, home grown orange marmalade.   However, the little calamondin orange trees manage to survive even my own lack of care, and have produced a crop of tiny oranges.   My mother contributed some beautiful specimens, much more carefully grown, so I just had enough to make a pot and a half of preserve.    Most marmalade recipes (and there is one on this blog) direct you to use a lot of water and to simmer for a long time in order to soften the peel.  That's definitely not the case with these little oranges!  

Calamondin Orange Marmalade

Calamondin Orange Marmalade

 

1 bowl of calamondin oranges (roughly 10oz/300g)

Zest and juice of 1/4 lemon

8 fl oz/1 cup/240ml of water

4oz/120g sugar (add more if you want after tasting)

 

Slice the oranges and remove the pips.   Put the oranges, lemon juice, zest and water into a medium size pan (wide across the base is better for evaporation) and simmer/slow boil for approximately 10 minutes, so that the peel is very soft.    Add the sugar and taste the mixture.  If you like it sweeter, add more sugar.  Then, boil until setting point is reached - when a cooled dollop of the mixture on a cold plate wrinkles if you push your finger into it.    It won’t take long!  

Remove the pan from the heat and pour into one or two warmed, sterilised jars and cover with waxed paper circles to prevent mould growth.   Top with solid lids, or cellophane pot covers. 

 

This makes about 1 medium or 2 small jars of beautiful orange marmalade.