Friday, October 2, 2009

Making Jam: Citrus Marmalade

I've been in a canning frenzy this year and having loads of fun! So far, I've canned several kinds of jams, salsa, and pickles and I'm not done yet!

Jam goes really well with all the homemade bread we've been making in the bread-baking blog so I decided to share my experiences making jam.


Today, we're featuring Citrus Marmalade. I've eaten this marmalade on multigrain bread, light wheat bread, rye bread, challah and any other homemade bread I can get my hands on. I can't seem to get enough of it for some reason.

I ate almost a whole jar by myself! The funny thing is, I don't normally like marmalade, but this one is that good!

My taste tester loved it! Of course, he says that about everything I make. I've trained him well.

I found this recipe in the Artisan Bread in Five Minutes book.  I'm so glad they included it in with the bread recipes. The recipe is adapted from the orange marmalade recipe in the Sure-Jell Pectin box. The combination of oranges, lemon, and grapefruit provides a wonderful and refreshing citrus flavor.
 
I've been enjoying this Citrus Marmalade so much that I decided to enter it in a virtual jam swap at Under the High Chair (Isn't that a cute name!)

View all of the delicious jams in the virtual roundup here.  I can assure you, you'll be drooling!  Yummy!

For more information about the virtual jam swap, click on the image below:



Laura's Three Citrus Marmalade

Makes: 7 to 8 half pints

The first time I made this marmalade I followed the recipe, but I thought it was a bit too sweet and needed just a tad more citrus flavor. So the second time I made it, I used a whole grapefruit rather than just the half of grapefruit. However, I only used half of the zest from the grapefruit so the flavor wouldn't be overwhelming.  I really liked the results and so did my taste tester, but you might want to try the recipe the way it's presented first, then change it the next time as you see fit.

 
Ingredients:
 
  • 4 navel oranges (or Valencia oranges)
  • 1 lemon
  • 1/2 pink grapefruit (or a whole grapefruit if you like citrus flavor)
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
  • 5 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 box (1.75 ounces) Sure-Jell fruit pectin*

Preparation for Water Bath Canning:
Sterilize the canning jars and prepare two-piece canning lids according to manufacturer's directions.  Put the lids in hot but not boiling water to help set the seals.
We'll use the following canning tools: a funnel, jar gripper and magnet tool to lift the lids.





The National Center for Home Preservation has a lot of useful resources to assist you in proper canning techniques.  Here is a good resource for learning about Sterilization of Empty Jars.
 
Directions:
 
Use a vegetable peeler to remove the colored zest from the fruit and discard the white pith.*
 
* You can make this marmalade without adding the box of pectin by including some of the white membrane found just under the skin when you peel the fruits. This is where most of the pectin is located.
 
 
Chop the zest coarsely.
 

 
 
Chop the fruit, discarding any seeds and reserving the juice.
 

 
 
Place the zests, water, and baking soda into a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add fruit and juice; simmer another 10 minutes.
 

 

 
Measure the sugar and set aside.  Note: Do not reduce the amount of sugar or the marmalade may not set properly.

 
Stir the box of pectin into the fruit mixture.  Bring to a full, rolling boil.  Stir in the sugar until it is dissolved into the fruit and pectin mixture.




Return to a full rolling boil, and cook for 1 minute.  Remove from the heat and skim off any foam. 
 
Use the jar lifter to lift the sterilized jars from the hot water.  Place the jars one at a time on a towel covered baking sheet.  Place the funnel in the jar.
 

 
 
Ladle the hot marmalade into the sterilized canning jars quickly. Fill to within 1/8 inch of tops. I used decorative half-pint size jelly jars.  After you fill all of the jars with the marmalade, wipe the jar rims and threads with a clean cloth.
 

 
 
Use the magnet tool to lift the jar lids out of the hot water.  Place the lids squarely on the jars.
 

 
 
Then screw the bands on tightly but not too tightly.  Use the jar lifter to lift the hot jars from the counter.
 

 
 
And, place the jars on elevated rack in the canner.  Be careful!  The jars and the water are very hot!   The water should cover the jars by 1 to 2 inches.  Add boiling water if necessary.  I had to add additional water to cover the tops of the jars.
 
 

 
 
Bring water to a gentle boil and process the jars 10 minutes (according to the altitude chart provided with the instructions in the Sure-Jell pectin box).*  For more detailed instructions, refer to this site National Center for Home Preservation.
 
* If you prefer, you can refrigerate the jars instead of processing them in a water bath.  Just be sure to use within 2 months.  The marmalade can also be frozen, without canning, for up to 1 year.
 

Remove the jars and place upright on a towel to cool completely.  I left the jars on the counter overnight to cool.  Then I transferred them to my basement.
 

 
 
Canning Resources:
 
Here are some of the sites I've been using as a reference in my canning adventures.  You might enjoy them as well:

I've also enjoyed using the resources in the book: Keeping The Harvest: Discover the Homegrown Goodness of Putting Up Your Own Fruits, Vegetables & Herbs by Nancy Chioff & Gretchen Mead.


Here is the Citrus Marmalade all ready for the virtual jam swap.  Enjoy!
 


Now! It's time to make some bread to go with this jam!  Some Light Wheat Bread would taste great! Or, some Multigrain Bread Extraordinaire!  Or, perhaps some healthy Sprouted Wheat Bread.  Yummy!


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