Lady (Blood Orange) Marmalade.

Ah, winter. Orange season. Look at those blood oranges! They are lovely.

I only recently got into marmalade. Now I eat it pretty much everyday. Dad and I were talking about making marmalade a little while ago, and one day he called me up.
"What are you doing this weekend?" he says.
"I don't know, Dad. Why's that?"
"It's seville orange season!"

So we made marmalade.

The great thing about blood oranges is that you get an amazing red colour scheme, along with the tangy orange flavour. Not that plain old orange isn't a nice colour. I didn't say that.

The thing I enjoyed most about making the marmalade (apart from spending some quality time with old Dad, of course) was slicing the oranges up as thinly as I could. It was like a competition with myself to see how thin I could get them. I won.

Dad says you need to use a big, wide pot for this, rather than a big, high pot, as the heat distributes better. Dad also says that the sugar makes the fruit break down faster. So if you like your marmalade a bit less peely, put the sugar in earlier. 

Blood Orange Marmalade:

The same weight of oranges as sugar.

We used 1kg oranges : 1kg sugar

We also used a few seville oranges, along with the blood oranges.

Make sure you wash your jars and lids thoroughly in soapy water, and, when dry, steralise them (just pop them in the microwave for 5 mins).

Cut the oranges in half lengthways.

Cut the pithy bit out of the middle and slice the ends off. Put these, and any pips, in a muslin bag for later.
Slice the oranges as thinly as you can and put in a big, wide pot.
Tie up the muslin bag with all the orange bits and add this to the pot.
Pour in enough cold water to just cover the oranges.
Cook for about an hour, stirring occasionally, until the oranges are starting to break down.
Take out the muslin bag.
Add the sugar and stir.
Cook until the marmalade is at setting stage.
Pour into your steralised jars.
Leave the lids off the jars until a dry skin starts to form on the top, then put the lids on. If you put the lids on too soon, the tops will go mouldy. Gross.

Serve on toast with heaps of butter and lots of tea.


Also, check out this girls outfit! I hope you wear something like that when you make your marmalade.