It’s National Marmalade Week!
To “celebrate all things marmalade,” the World’s Original Marmalade Awards have created National Marmalade Week, just when Seville oranges are showing up in shops and supermarkets around the UK. I’ve never made real marmalade before but I know how easy it is to make fruit spread (or “jamalade” as I call it) in my Thermomix with what’s left after making Old Fashioned Lemonade, so I decided to give it a go.
Off I went to buy some Waitrose Organic Seville oranges and off I trundled to my Thermomix cookbook shelf (yes, I have an extensive collection) to find a recipe. I found what I needed in “Everyday Cooking.” Here is their “Citrus Marmalade” recipe, which can be used with any citrus fruit such as orange, lime, lemon, grapefruit, and even cumquats.
Citrus Marmalade
Recipe from Everyday Cooking… for every family published by Thermomix in Australia Pty Ltd.
Ingredients
1 kg citrus fruit (I used Seville oranges which have just come in season)
300 g water
800 g sugar (I used jam sugar)
Method
- Finely slice the whole fruit with a mandolin, retaining some pips.* Place fruit and water into TM bowl and cook long enough to soften the skin/rind; about 10 minutes/100° C/Reverse Blade/Speed Spoon. Time varies depending on fruit (my kilo of oranges took 13 minutes to soften).
- Add sugar and cook 5 minutes/100° C/Reverse Blade/Speed 1 to 2.
- Remove Measuring Cup or tip on its side to prevent spitting, or you can even put the internal steamer basket on top of the lid. Cook 10 minutes/Varoma setting/ Reverse Blade/Speed 1 to 2 until setting point is reached and marmalade gels when tested.
- Pour into sterilised jars (don’t forget to sterilise your jam funnel, too), cover with sterilised lids, label and store.
*ThermoHubby John only ever eats orange marmalade so I consider him a specialist. He agreed with me that there were too many pips in the marmalade – even though I removed literally hundreds – and that the pieces of rind were enormous. I have a second kilo of Seville oranges to make into marmalade this week and next time I will not only remove as many pips as I can, but I will also roughly chop the fruit at the end of step 2.
Despite these tweaks for our preferences, the taste of this homemade marmalade is fantastic. I’ve never been a fan of store bought marmalade but I definitely love my homemade Thermomix orange marmalade!
Bon appétit and happy national marmalade week!
Madame Thermomix’s Top Tip:
Use your Varoma steamer to sterilise your jars, lids and jam funnel. Just put 500 g water in the bowl, a few jars and your jam funnel in the Varoma dish, your lids on the Varoma tray, then 20 minutes/Varoma setting/Speed 2. Voilà! Another brilliant way to use your best friend in the kitchen!
Hi Carol, thanks for taking the time to read Why Is There Air and for leaving your comment.
I would think that by adding water to your marmalade mixture you would have to cook it longer to evaporate the extra water. It sounds to me like you have answered your own question and that you should stick to the EDC recipe 😉
Happy Thermomix cooking!
I made the marmalade from the new EDC using cumquats which I didn’t peel. It was my first effort and the end result was great. I just cut them into halves or quarters.
However, yesterday I used a different recipe where water was called for and the cooking time was less … my end result was runnier than I would have liked.
Any comments would be appreciated … and perhaps I should just stick to the new EDC recipe!
Hi Megan! No I haven’t tried the new EDC recipe because I don’t have a copy of the new version. I hear the book is great and need to get my hands on one. In the meantime I’ll stick to this version with my tweaks – peel and chop the zest, and remove as many pips as possible. I wonder why it took you so long to peel your limes, Megan? I use a standard vegetable peeler and this helps me peel citrus fruit quite quickly. Try it and see! And do let us know how your new-recipe batch of lime marmalade turns out, please!
Have you tried the recipe in the new EDC? It’s much more complicated. Took me forever to peel my little limes! It’s cooking now, so I hope it’s going to turn out alright.
Hi Sam, thanks for reading Why Is There Air and leaving a comment. I am not an expert on preserving jams or other foods, so I would urge you to consult authorities such as Le Parfait and Mason, such as here on Le Parfait’s FAQ section: http://www.leparfait.com/faq
However, the whole idea of preserving is to provide a method for keeping – i.e. preserving – foods for long periods without the need for refrigeration. Just as you find jams on a regular supermarket shelf, you can keep well-sealed jars of homemade jam in a cupboard rather than in the fridge. Do make sure that you thoroughly sterilise the jars and especially the lids that you use. An easy way to do this is to add 1000 g water to your Thermomix bowl and sterilise a few jars at a time in the Varoma dish, 20 minutes/Varoma setting/Speed 2.
Your homemade Thermomix orange marmalade should last quite easily until your anniversary party!
Happy Thermomix cooking!
Just wondering in regards to orange marmalade, once it is put into Jars, does it need to go into the fridge or can I store in cupboard until I open it?
Just needing to make a very large batch for an anniversary party and don’t have the room in my fridge.
Glad to hear you – and your husband – like this recipe, Maggie! And thanks for the tip about peeling the fruit first. I’ll have to try it!
I am thrilled with the success i have had while making this recipe. However I peel my fruit 1st from the pith to avoid the bitterness, chop it in the thermomix and then continue as the recipe. It is so easy, quick to make and you don’t have to stand and stir it. Husband approves 100% and he’s the marmalade and jam expert!
What a delicious idea – cumquat marmalade! Once you see how easy it is to make marmalade in the Thermomix you’ll not make it any other way again! Let me know how it turns out, Gill 🙂
Fantastic, I am going to use cumquats instead.
I usuallyl use traditional method, but why not use the TM
thanks and happy jam making
Gill