I learned to make this luscious marmalade from a transplanted English lady living in Palm Beach, Florida, who never stopped complaining about not being able to find the ideal thick-skinned Seville oranges in the States and who, consequently, always referred to the confection as “my Southern marmalade.” Temple oranges will suffice, however, and what I usually do is add an extra half teaspoon of blanched, coarse-cut orange rind to each 1/2-pint jar.
MAKES: seven 1⁄2-pint jars
INGREDIENTS:
- 3 medium Temple oranges, washed thoroughly
- 1 medium grapefruit, washed thoroughly
- 1 lemon, washed thoroughly
- 1 cup water
- 1⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
- 6 cups sugar
- 3 ounces liquid pectin (Certo)
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Remove the rind from the oranges, grapefruit, and lemon with a sharp knife, discarding the outer white pith.
- Place half of the rind and half of the water in a blender or food processor, chop coarsely, and transfer to a large stainless-steel or enameled saucepan.
- Repeat the process with the remaining rind and water, and add it to the saucepan.
- Add the 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda to the saucepan, bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to moderate, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, quarter the fruit and remove all the seeds. Place the fruit in a blender or food processor, cover, and blend until it becomes a purée.
- Add the fruit purée to the saucepan, cover, and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.
- Transfer the mixture to a large kettle or Dutch oven (not cast-iron), add the 6 cups of sugar, and bring it to a full rolling boil. Boil hard for 4 minutes, stirring continuously.
- Remove the kettle from the heat, add the 3 ounces of liquid pectin, skim any foam from the surface, and stir for 5 minutes.
- Ladle the marmalade into seven 1/2-pint sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace.
- Seal the jars and store them for at least 2 months at room temperature before serving.
