Seville orange marmalade

Seville orange marmalade

Seize the short Seville orange season and boil up homemade marmalade to put on your toast and use in Jane's recipes

Difficulty and servings

Moderately easy

Makes 8 x 450g/1lb jars

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 45 mins

Cook time

Cook 1 hr - 2 hrs

Plus overnight soaking

Method

  1. Squeeze the oranges and keep their juice. Scrape out the pith and pips with a metal spoon, again keeping everything. Juice the lemon, too, then put the lemon shells, orange pith and seeds into a square of muslin about 30 x 30cm, and tie it with string. Leave the string long - that way you can tie it to your wooden spoon, which will make it easier to lift out later.
  2. Cut each orange shell into 3 petals, then finely shred with a large, sharp knife. Put the peel into a preserving pan, tip in the juices, then sit the bag in the juice. Pour in 2.4 litres/4 pints cold water and leave to steep overnight.
  3. Next day, leaving the bag in the pan, bring the liquid to the boil, then simmer for about 1 hr, or until the peel is soft and translucent and the liquid has reduced by one third. Turn off the heat and lift the muslin bag into a large bowl. Leave the bag until it's cool enough to handle.
  4. While you wait, get your jars ready. Wash 8 x 450g/1lb jars (or the equivalent volume larger or smaller jars) in hot, soapy water, then leave in a low oven to dry completely. Keep them warm. Alternatively, if you've got a dishwasher you can run the jars and lids though a hot cycle, then let them dry. Put a saucer in the freezer at this point, too.
  5. Now for the messy bit - I like to don a pair of rubber gloves at this point. Hold the bag over its bowl, and squeeze and pummel it until you've extracted every last drop of juice and gunge through the muslin. This stuff contains the pectin - the crucial ingredient to the perfect set. You can now throw away what's left in the bag and wash the muslin, ready to re-use.
  6. Stir the contents of the bowl, plus all the sugar, into the pan. Stir every so often over a very gentle heat until the sugar has completely dissolved. Don't boil before all the sugar has melted.
  7. Slowly bring the pan to the boil. After 10 mins boiling, spoon a small blob of marmalade onto the cold saucer. Leave for a few secs, then push the marmalade with your finger. If it wrinkles, it's ready. If not, boil for 10 mins more then try again. Even if you have a sugar thermometer (look for 105C or where it says 'jam'), I'd still recommend the saucer test. If yours seems to be taking a while don't worry, it can take anything from 10 mins to 45 mins for marmalade to reach setting point, depending on your oranges. Skim off any scum that comes to the surface in the meantime.
  8. Once you've reached setting point, ladle the marmalade into the warm jars and seal. A funnel is really handy if you have one. The marmalade will keep for up to 1 year in a cool, dark place, and for up to a month in the fridge once opened.
Try

Crucial equipment

A preserving pan is the key bit of equipment if you want to make a good marmalade, jam or chutney. It's all about evaporation - the sloping sides and wide top help to drive off liquid quickly, so your preserve can reach the perfect consistency without overcooking.

Freezing oranges

If you don't have time to make marmalade while Seville oranges are in season, snap them up and stick them in the freezer, whole, for up to 3 months. Defrost and use as fresh. They may take longer to reach setting point than fresh, but they taste just as good.

57 kcalories, protein 0g, carbohydrate 15g, fat 0 g, saturated fat 0g, fibre 0g, sugar 15g, salt 0 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, February 2010.

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Latest comments and suggestions

  • Binder photo Beth

    21 January 2010

    Beth rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo Gouldy

    28 January 2010

    Gouldy rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo Kelly=)

    31 January 2010

    Kelly=) rated this recipe

    2 stars

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  • Binder photo Katrina

    08 February 2010

    Katrina rated this recipe

    4 stars

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  • Binder photo edsbur

    08 January 2011

    edsbur rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Great recipe, only didn't get top stars because it took me a lot longer than the supposed 45 mins prepping time. To juice, scrape and cut the peel of the oranges took me 2 hours and I'm no novice. That said, the finished marmalade was lovely - orangey and not too sweet, but not bitter either. I've made it twice now, with batch no. 3 steeping ready for tomorrow.

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  • Binder photo Hattie Bulldog

    20 January 2011

    Hattie Bulldog rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I quite agree with the other reviewer, the preparation time takes well over 45 mins, however, the result is well worth it! We own a guest house and I have just finished making 60 jars of marmalade and have almost lost the will to live. If like me, you are making this recipe in bulk I would certainly invest in a grapefruit spoon when removing the pith and pips - far easier!

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  • Binder photo Linda

    07 August 2011

    Linda rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    The recipe is excellent but there is absolutely no need to steep everything overnight. Also,don't worry about getting every last bit of membrane ( I assume this is what is meant by 'pith' )out of the oranges. Any bits left on will simply dissolve when cooking. Purely personally I use two lemons and treat them just the same as the oranges-it doesn't affect the taste and means setting is reached that little bit sooner-so more marmalade for your money! Also I NEVER skim off the scum,you just loose a lot of marmalade that way Just add a good knob of butter (approx 25g) after setting point is reached and stir.The scum disappears as if by magic.This works for jam too.

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  • Binder photo tari

    07 October 2011

    tari commented on this recipe

    what does steep mean?

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  • Binder photo becky_boo

    27 November 2011

    becky_boo commented on this recipe

    I am hoping to make this marmalade during the week i don't think saville oranges are in season yet or if they are can't find them any ideas where I can find them or what they can be replaced with?

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  • Binder photo Kate Allen

    12 January 2012

    Kate Allen rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Excellent - made this a couple of days ago. Added juice of an extra 2 lemons, plus peel etc in muslin bag - made a really tart marmalade. Yum!

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  • Binder photo Kate Allen

    12 January 2012

    Kate Allen commented on this recipe

    Excellent - made this a couple of days ago. Added juice of an extra 2 lemons, plus peel etc in muslin bag - made a really tart marmalade. Yum!

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  • Binder photo Kate Allen

    12 January 2012

    Kate Allen commented on this recipe

    Excellent - made this a couple of days ago. Added juice of an extra 2 lemons, plus peel etc in muslin bag - made a really tart marmalade. Yum!

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  • Binder photo doll

    21 January 2012

    doll commented on this recipe

    halve your preperation time by peeling the oranges with a potato peeler,then use a juicing attachment on a food processer to juice the fruit

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  • Binder photo dobelove

    27 January 2012

    dobelove rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    This is fab!! I have never made jam or marmalade and last week I got the urge and found recipes. I made it half following this and half an eye on an old Delia Smith and so all I did was cut and juice the oranges then quatered them and then thinly sliced. Put the juice, peel and water into the pan and simmer, it took no more than and hour, then went on to the fast boil bit. I used the saucer and a digital thermometer to check my way. I also used caster sugar as all I had. I failed to realise how much it would boil up and had to decant half to a smaller aluminum pan and due to me not trusting my equipment, managed to burn the smaller amount but the one in the heavier pan was fine. The marmalade has received many compliments. Today I have just made the lemon marmalade using brown granulated sugar, bigger pands and so far it tastes great!!

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Difficulty and servings

Moderately easy

Makes 8 x 450g/1lb jars

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 45 mins

Cook time

Cook 1 hr - 2 hrs

Plus overnight soaking

Ingredients

  • 1kg Seville oranges , well scrubbed and halved
  • 1 unwaxed lemon
  • 2kg granulated sugar
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57 kcalories, protein 0g, carbohydrate 15g, fat 0 g, saturated fat 0g, fibre 0g, sugar 15g, salt 0 g

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