16 February 2011

Colonel Gore's Marmalade

Seville oranges are coming to the end of their season. I have masses of marmalade left over from my last mega-marmalade session so won't be going into a frenzy of boiling. But here is the favourite family recipe:

Cut Seville oranges into four, remove pips and set aside. Slice oranges, weigh, and to every pound of pulp take 3 pints cold water. Mix and allow to soak for 24 hours. Before using the preserving pan, rub it with a piece of lemon ‘that the colour of the marmalade may be kept pure.’ Then simmer, with the pips in a muslin bag, approximately 4 hours or until the slices are quite tender. Turn into a basin, remove pips, and stand 12 hours or until the next day. Weigh and add 1 ¼ lb sugar to every pound of pulp. Bring slowly to the boil, then boil rapidly until the syrup jellies and the slices are quite transparent. Cool slightly and pot with plenty of the jelly.

Any surplus jelly may be strained off and potted separately. Pot when very hot. This marmalade sets considerably more after a fortnight in the pots.

1 comment:

  1. Anonymous4:42 pm

    Back in Fresh Food Co days, a 2 year old pot of our own home made Colonel Gore won a marmalade blind tasting on the Food Programme on Radio 4; suggesting an untapped market for properly vintaged marmalade.

    There are two surviving British household brands which are a let down now on these grounds: Frank Cooper's vintage marmalade - thinner and less tangy than in its glory days (and not vintage in any sense) - and Pear's soap, now made to a chemical-laden recipe in India.

    Thoby K

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