Marmalade!

Living in an Orange and lemon grove I feel obliged to make

produce...maybe this is a human instinct? So far we have made 8 jars
of marmalade, 7 jars of orange, lemon and Ginger chutney
(1 jar down, 6 to go). And a stack of oat, nut and orange flapjacks
( mostly sold to the students as power bars that improve climbing
performance).  Oh and lots and lots of fresh orange juice.  Infact I
have eaten more oranges in the last 3 weeks than I have in my whole
life!  Definitly no scurvy here!

There are so many orange trees in the surrounding hills that are just
teaming with ripe, zesty, juicy oranges, they really are delicious. 
I've never been much of an orange fan until now, I always find it's a
bit pot luck as to whether you'll find a succulent enough bounty
that's worth all the peeling, sticky hands and pip spitting. ...I am
truly converted!

Anyway I thought I would share some of the recipes with you so you can
try them at home with Spanish oranges that you can find for sale.



Zesty Orange House Marmalade with fresh Ginger:

10 ripe Spanish oranges
1 ripe Spanish lemons
Chunk of fresh Ginger
1 kg sugar

Cut 5 whole oranges in to small pieces excluding any pips and place in
large deep pan. Peel and cut the remaining 5 oranges excluding pith,
peel and pips.
Cut lemon in to small pieces excluding pips and place in pan.

Cut up chunk of ginger in to small pieces and add to fruit in pan. 
Add the sugar and heat with lid off, stirring occasionally.  It should
take between half an hour and an hour with intermittant stirring for
marmalade to be ready...it's so easy!

Potting:

Clean out 6-7 old jars with lids and place in oven for 15 minutes to
sterilise.  Use oven gloves to hold jar while carefully spooning the
marmalade in to the jars.  Try to aggitate jar as you fill it to avoid
air bubbles. Leave 1cm at top of jar and place cling film/ grease
proof paper over top to seal it before screwing on lid.

Date the jar and give to friends.  It lasts for 6 weeks in the fridge
or a really long time in a sealed, sterilised jar.

Delicious on toasted wholemeal brown bread with butter....
and lashings  of Ginger beer
(if you're in The Famous Five apparently).