Every January Mom would make this marmalade and we all went to visit her just to get a jar or two to take home. When Mom moved to The Waterford I knew that someone had to carry on this special recipe, so I decided to try. It is not easy! First you have to find the right kind of Seville oranges. The first year I could not find any in my area. The second year I talked to produce managers in December and found one at QFC who was willing to do the research and found a supplier for Seville Oranges. I think these oranges might be in the markets in BC because of requests by people from the British Isles.
I don't remember if Mom wrote the recipe out for me or if I took it over the phone, but having it written and actually doing it are two different things. Getting it to jell correctly was a challenge.
So I made detailed notes each year and discovered that even that did not always produce the same results. Some years it was great, some years it was runny. But the flavor is always excellent and well worth the effort.
Mom’s Marmalade
12 Seville oranges
2 sweet oranges
1 large lemon
10# white sugar
Day 1
Wash oranges and lemon and remove stems.
Cut oranges in half, remove juice using a juicer. Seville oranges are fragile so don’t press hard.
Remove all pits (I used a 2 pronged pickle fork) into a sieve over a bowl so juice is saved. Put the pits into a medium sized glass bowl, cover the pits with 3 inches water and set aside for day 3.
Slice the orange peels into very thin slivers. OR . . . cut the peels into ½ inch slices and chop in a food chopper.
Add peels to the juice and stir.
Measure out mixture: For every 1 cup of sliced peels and juice add 2 ½ cups water.
Let the peels and water mixture sit 24 hours.
Day 2
Cook peels mixture, bring to hard boil. Boil 1 hour. Mixture cooks down quite a bit.
Let peels mixture stand another 24 hours.
Day 3
Put pits into a strainer over a large bowl and let drain for at least an hour. Add the liquid from the pits to the peel and juice mixture. Measure 1 cup of fruit to 1 cup of sugar. (I use less sugar – 5 c fruit to 4 c sugar)
One recipe made about 21 cups of fruit. Leave extra space at the top of your pot because it boils up and will splatter.
Bring to a hard boil, stir constantly, boil 20 minutes or until 2 drops hang together.
Marmalade that is runny thickens up if left open in the room for a couple of days.
2008 - some nice and firm, some not.
2007 – all batches very thick, got 70 jars of various sizes from quart to ½ cup size.
2006 - boiled 25 minutes and made sure the drops were hanging together well. First batch too thick, second batch too thin, one batch just right.
2005 – slow to set up, cooked 25 – 30 minutes, one pot thickened better than other.
2004 – set up nicely
2003 – it would not set up even though I cooked it more than 20 minutes and it hung together well
2002 - set up in less than 20 minutes
Ordering
2002-2004 - only bought enough for one recipe. After that always I bought a full box.
2005 – QFC - ordered Jan. 15, came Jan. 22, processed Jan. 28-30. $18/box – 26 #, 48 count
2006 – QFC – ordered Jan 11, came Jan. 19 – beautiful oranges. $20/box
2007 – QFC – ordered Jan. 9, came Jan. 27 – very nice - $20/box of 36
2008 - QFC - came Jan. 23, picked up Jan 28 - very nice - $22/box of 48 14# medium size, smaller than some years
2009 - took a year off!
November 28, 2009 8:46 PM
Did not make any in 2009, 10, 11, or 12, but am making some in 2013. Made again January 2015.
I don't remember if Mom wrote the recipe out for me or if I took it over the phone, but having it written and actually doing it are two different things. Getting it to jell correctly was a challenge.
So I made detailed notes each year and discovered that even that did not always produce the same results. Some years it was great, some years it was runny. But the flavor is always excellent and well worth the effort.
Mom’s Marmalade
12 Seville oranges
2 sweet oranges
1 large lemon
10# white sugar
Day 1
Wash oranges and lemon and remove stems.
Cut oranges in half, remove juice using a juicer. Seville oranges are fragile so don’t press hard.
Remove all pits (I used a 2 pronged pickle fork) into a sieve over a bowl so juice is saved. Put the pits into a medium sized glass bowl, cover the pits with 3 inches water and set aside for day 3.
Slice the orange peels into very thin slivers. OR . . . cut the peels into ½ inch slices and chop in a food chopper.
Add peels to the juice and stir.
Measure out mixture: For every 1 cup of sliced peels and juice add 2 ½ cups water.
Let the peels and water mixture sit 24 hours.
Day 2
Cook peels mixture, bring to hard boil. Boil 1 hour. Mixture cooks down quite a bit.
Let peels mixture stand another 24 hours.
Day 3
Put pits into a strainer over a large bowl and let drain for at least an hour. Add the liquid from the pits to the peel and juice mixture. Measure 1 cup of fruit to 1 cup of sugar. (I use less sugar – 5 c fruit to 4 c sugar)
One recipe made about 21 cups of fruit. Leave extra space at the top of your pot because it boils up and will splatter.
Bring to a hard boil, stir constantly, boil 20 minutes or until 2 drops hang together.
Marmalade that is runny thickens up if left open in the room for a couple of days.
2008 - some nice and firm, some not.
2007 – all batches very thick, got 70 jars of various sizes from quart to ½ cup size.
2006 - boiled 25 minutes and made sure the drops were hanging together well. First batch too thick, second batch too thin, one batch just right.
2005 – slow to set up, cooked 25 – 30 minutes, one pot thickened better than other.
2004 – set up nicely
2003 – it would not set up even though I cooked it more than 20 minutes and it hung together well
2002 - set up in less than 20 minutes
Ordering
2002-2004 - only bought enough for one recipe. After that always I bought a full box.
2005 – QFC - ordered Jan. 15, came Jan. 22, processed Jan. 28-30. $18/box – 26 #, 48 count
2006 – QFC – ordered Jan 11, came Jan. 19 – beautiful oranges. $20/box
2007 – QFC – ordered Jan. 9, came Jan. 27 – very nice - $20/box of 36
2008 - QFC - came Jan. 23, picked up Jan 28 - very nice - $22/box of 48 14# medium size, smaller than some years
2009 - took a year off!
November 28, 2009 8:46 PM
Did not make any in 2009, 10, 11, or 12, but am making some in 2013. Made again January 2015.
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