marmalade virgin

[GlitterKitty]

Am making marmalade RIGHT NOW. Never done anything like jam before- but saw a basket of oranges for £3 in Adsa and got suckered in...

They are in a big pot simmering for 3hrs, will be done at 8.

Will update as I go along for other marmalade virgins.

There seem to be a lot of steps that I need to do and I dont have any 'muslin'- will an old clean baby muslin thing be ok you think?

Erm.....what do you need muslin for?

You put the pips and pith and insidey bits in. Apparently. Let it all drip then SQUEEZE the muslin into pan. Where juice & sliced peel are.

So Delia says.

I don't do the muslin thing either and it always sets fine. Lot of faff! I'm making whisky marmalade this evening.

Good luck OP!

So what do non-muslin-users do instead then?

Whisky marmalade sounds marvellous.

Here is another Q: How do I sterilise jars? I have a few but I'm taking it that a good scub and some boiling water over at the end wont cut the mustard?

I always sterilise in the dishwasher. Haven't killed anyone yet

I dont use Muslin. Just sieve the pips and pith out before I put the slices of peel in. Skim off any scum that rises during boiling.

I wash jars and lids of old jam jars on the hotest temperature setting in dishwasher. Take them out one by one and fill immediately.

Right, the low oven sounds easy- just all sat in baking tray? Mine are kilner type ones- that should be ok?

Ok, good, all sounding do-able.

Tonight I have simmered the oranges (& lemon) whole for 3hrs. Then have to do the chopped peel, put the guts in the muslin thing (feel I have to do this now I have started on this route) and leave it all till morning.

Anyone chopped peel in a processor- prob easier than with fingers, right?

Hooray! Oranges are out and cooling.

I do exactly the same as MrsMagnolia

I once tried the whole fruit method that you're doing OP but I actually found it messier & harder work cutting up cooked oranges than raw ones, so now I do the sliced fruit method. I'm not sure about the processor - I imagine it might go a bit mushy? If you try it let us know how it goes!

Yes apple, I thought it might go mushy too, as the oranges seem quite soft. Going to slice the old fashioned way... expect I'll be back to log next step around midnight

Off to chop them up.

Soooooo any ideas on what you can make with marmalade? Mother dearest has given me about six jars of the stuff!

Ahhh... all peel is sliced and in huge saucepan with juice & squeezed-thru-muslin gunk.

It was actually easier than I had been expecting, the insides did scoop out nicely, and the peel was easy to chop.

Looks v good, now I have to leave it overnight and cook for 3-4hrs (!) tommorow with the sugar.

I got jam sugar but I'm tempted to use some light golden soft sugar as well- will it affect the set?

Oh bugger.

Just checking through the recipe, thinking there dosent seem to be much water in the pan.

Step 8 UNCLEAR UNCLEAR GRR DELIA

I threw away the liquid I poached the oranges in. But you need to keep the 2.5l of poaching water. Arse.

Now I have a pan with about 500ml of liquid in, and all the squeezed pectin stuff. What do I do? If I just add water now it will be rubbish wont it!?

Added water. V sad & traumatised, was all going so well.

Morning and the marmalade is cooking. This stage was quite easy- warmed jam sugar before adding, and have sterilised jars in oven (thanks MrsMagnolia).

Hoping it will be done by midday when we have to go out.

Oh dear GlitterKitty what a shame about the poaching liquid. I would think that plain water will still be ok, although maybe substituting about 500ml with OJ would have made it more orangey, but you know what, I bet it will be ok.

My recipe says demerera (for sliced fruit method) so I think soft brown would be good too.

Although I hesitate to question Delia, to me 3-4 hours of cooking with sugar, when you have already cooked the oranges, seems far too long. How has it come out?

Well, it turned out lovely! Really pleased with it- its very dark and it set nicely- not like solid jam, peel has good texture... very happy!

I thought about orange juice but it is plenty orangey enough.

Didnt use brown sugar in the end, just jam sugar. Would try that next time though.

Glad it was a success