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I have a mad idea to make marmalade this year and have impulsively bought loads of Seville oranges! Is Delia's recipe the best? And if so, how difficult to make? I also don't have a preserving pan. Will an ordinary one do?

Sorry, don't know the answers to any of your questions except that I don't think you need a preserving pan.
I use my biggest heavy bottomed saucepan for jam making and it seems to work with no problems.

Marmalade wise I fancy making some this year too.
Found this article and this recipe.
Think I might go with the Spanish one.

Just need to get some oranges now

I made my last delicious batch of marmalade with similar quantities to the Abel and Cole recipe but did it like this:

Juice the oranges and lemons, put juice plus the water in a huge bowl.

Finely chop/slice whatever the peel, pith and all, just discarding the pips. Add to the juice/water mix in the bowl, you can use the lemon peel too, I'm going to for my next batch.

Leave covered overnight.

Put in enormous pan, must be stainless steel or enamel, bring to boil and simmer for 2 hours.

Add the sugar and boil to a set.

I know the recipes all say to separate the pith and pips, but IME the pith melts away and I have it on good authority that the pips make no difference, so no faffing with muslin parcels of gunk with this method!

Easy peasy

Did it

Followed Mrs Magnolia's advice and although chopping the peel took bloody hours a while, chucked all the gubbins in the pan and the pith did indeed melt away.

Just had some on toast and can confirm that it's delicious, totally different taste to shop bought stuff, similar to the revelation I had with strawberry jam during the summer.

Might have to do another batch with whisky before the Seville orange season is over.

What else can I do with marmalade other than spreading on toast?

I chop the peel in the food processor. Saves ages.

Gorgeous with sausages - either as a marinade or in a sarnie used like chutney.

Also marmalade buns, marmalade cake etc

I am in the middle of making marmalade right now - and I am using Delia's classic seville orange marmalade recipe (without the lemon, as I didn't have one) - it's simmering on the stove at the moment, but I suspect I won't want to be bothered with the rest of the faff with the sugar and setting points etc tonight, so I am going to let it cool, and do that bit tomorrow.

One thing to know - you need either two big saucepans or one enormous preserving pan. I thought it was all going to fit in my biggest pan, but I was wrong, so I had to try to share it out between two pans, and am, as a consequence, somewhat sticky and orangy.

I'm going to put whisky in mine - but don't know when to add it - now while the peel is cooking, overnight whilst it is waiting for me to get round to doing the rest of it, whilst the sugar/setting bit is going on, or just before it goes into the jars.

this is the second year we've made marmalade.

I used Hugh FW recipe both years and just made it in a big heavy bottom soup pan. It's amazing!

The link above has another recipe for seville oranges and
I quite fancy this:
Marmalade carrot puddings (Dan Lepard's from the guardian)

These are very quick to make. You can also bake them in teacups in the microwave, covered with clingfilm, in a little over a minute. Excellent with vanilla ice-cream or custard. Makes about eight puddings.

1 jar marmalade
50g unsalted butter
50ml sunflower oil
175g muscovado sugar
3 medium eggs
300g-350g carrot, peeled and grated
2 tsp mixed spice
2 tsp ground ginger
175g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder

Have ready eight buttered dariole moulds and place a generous spoonful of marmalade in each. Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan-assisted)/350F/gas mark 4. Melt the butter, then pour into a bowl and beat in the oil, sugar and eggs. Stir in the carrot, then mix in the spices, flour and baking powder. Divide the mixture between the tins, cover each with foil and bake for 25 minutes. (The uncooked pudding will hold at room temperature for two to three hours before baking.)

To serve, remove the foil while the pudding is still hot, run a knife around the inside to loosen and upturn on to a plate, giving the mould a firm shake to dislodge it.

i use Delias recipe and it always works our well but I use one bag of jam sugar (the kind with added pectin) and one bag of ordinary; it means i don't have to faff around putting the pith and pips in bags and always get a good set. I also don't have to boil it for too long to get a set (therfore nice fresh taste) and i think the jelly is clearer with the pith in. Can't enjoy bought marmalde now we are used to homemade!

I mean jelly clearer 'without' pith in.

Mine is done and setting in its jars. I am a bit sticky, but the house smells delicious and the marmalade tastes good. [proud]

Ooh-am I not too late for sevilles then?