Blood Orange Marmalade

Create this easy homemade marmalade using blood oranges to capture the beautiful and vibrant shades of pink of this amazing citrus fruit! The incredible flavours make this marmalade extremely versatile. Delicious on toasts, stirred through yoghurt, on a piping hot scone with lashings of butter, or on sourdough toast with crumpled Feta, rosemary and crispy prosciutto with a squeeze of lemon.

Ingredients

• 6 Blood oranges (approx 1.2kg)
• 1 L water
• 1 kg white sugar
• 250g brown sugar
• 2 lemons, juiced

Yields 4 x 300ml Jars

Method

1. Wash and dry the oranges. Cut into halves and extract the juice of the oranges over a muslin cloth over a bowl, catching the seeds. (A new, clean, two-ply Chux cloth works just as well) Scrape out the white pith with a spoon and place into the cloth along with the seeds. Tie up the cloth and place it back into the juice.
2. The seeds and pith help set the marmalade.
3. Cut up all the orange peel into thin slivers and add to the bowl of juice and bag. Add the water and cover tightly and refrigerate overnight to let the peel soak up and to soften.
4. Wash and sterilise 4 x 300ml jam jars in boiling water for 5 minutes. Let air dry overnight.
5. The next day, in a saucepan, bring to a simmer the juice, peel and bag and water mixture. Let simmer for 1 hour, till rind is further softened.
6. Add the sugars and lemon juice and turn up the heat and let boil for further 30 to 40 minutes.
7. Pre-chill a saucer or a small dish in the freezer for testing the marmalade later.
8. To check if marmalade is done, scoop a spoonful into the chilled saucer. Return to freezer to cool for a few minutes. Once cooled, test with running a finger through the centre. If it wrinkles and doesn’t join up in the middle again, then it’s ready. It may take a further 15 to 20 minutes more to thicken, depending on how juicy the oranges are.
9. Let cool before scooping into the jars. Place lids on tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 12 months.

Tip: This marmalade is also great as a basting sauce for Christmas Ham. Add 1/3 cup of Bourbon to a jar of marmalade, mix well and baste ham periodically throughout baking.

Happy cooking!
Chef Nelly