Startup reader Jim Cowardin asked for our advice, explaining, “Recently, a friend and I were making orange marmalade for the first time. It turned out tasting very good, but we were confused about the jelling point, and weren’t sure if it was cooked a little too long. The directions we used were a bit confusing, and I was wondering if there is an easier way to get there. Any pointers?”
Sandra Larrinaga of Lynnwood says, “The orange marmalade recipe I have, which comes in the Certo (pectin) box, says it could take two weeks to set. If his recipe didn’t suggest this, it may have been left out. Or he may want to try the Certo recipe in the future. I really enjoy your column and thought I might try to help out this time.”
In the same Forum column, Jim was asking about marmalade, Linda M. Smith of Everett asked if someone could replace a favorite recipe for a brandied raspberry-cherry conserve she’d been making since the 1970s that had failed to turn up last summer after a tear-the-house-apart search.
Sending us an answer to both, longtime Herald reader Susan Ronning of Granbury, Texas, writes, “Based on the requests, I did some searching and was able to locate recipes for both the marmalade (with a jell test) and a conserve at www.recipes4all.com.”
She took the trouble to print them out for us, and adds, “I am going to try these recipes myself!”
Orange and lemon marmalade
2 pounds Seville oranges (about 5)
1 lemon
6 cups water, more if needed
71/2 cups sugar
Put 4 small saucers in the freezer. In a very large pot, combine the oranges, lemon and water. Cover and bring to a simmer. Let simmer 2 hours, but DON’T ALLOW TO BOIL. Turn off heat. Remove fruit. Let cool 5 minutes. Cut in half and scoop pulp, seeds and pith back into pan. Put shells to one side. Bring pan to boil and boil hard 5 minutes. Strain through damp cheesecloth in a sieve. Gather ends and squeeze out remaining juice. You should have 6 cups. Make up any difference with water. Return liquid to pan.
Remove any white pith from skins. Cut skins in fine strips (or as desired) and add to pan with sugar. Place over low heat and stir to dissolve sugar. Bring to boil. Boil hard, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching, until jell point is reached, between 60 and 90 minutes, depending on natural fruit pectin available in the fruit.
Jell point test: Remove a chilled saucer from the freezer. Drop a small amount of hot marmalade on chilled plate and chill for 2 minutes. Run finger through marmalade on plate. If surface wrinkles, it has reached jelling point. If still syrupy, continue boiling. Repeat test at 5 minute intervals until jell point is reached. Remove pan from stove and stir for 5 minutes, removing any foam. Ladle into hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1/2-inch head space. Adjust the caps and process 15 minutes in a boiling water canner. Makes 6 servings.
Cherry-raspberry conserve
Raspberries to make 3 cups pulp (directions follow)
Sweet cherries to make 3 cups (directions follow)
Small amount of water, if needed
4 cups sugar
To prepare the raspberry pulp, press berries through a sieve or food mill to remove the seeds. Measure 3 cups raspberry pulp.
To prepare the cherries, stem and pit them over the pan to be used for cooking to maintain their juice. Simmer cherries in their juice until tender, adding a tiny bit of water if needed; stir in the raspberry pulp. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Cook rapidly until thick, about 30 to 40 minutes. As mixture thickens, stir frequently to prevent sticking. Ladle hot conserve into hot, sterilized jars. Leave 1/4-inch head space. Adjust the caps and process 15 minutes in a boiling water canner. Makes about 4 half-pints..
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