Winter is the season of oranges and I don’t think they’ve ever been better. Their juice is like sweet liquid sun, giving energy from the second it begins its slide across the palate.

I’m guessing bitter oranges will be as good and flavorful – they certainly smelled like heaven as I squeezed them for their juice, then carefully sliced their peels for this marmalade, which is my favorite thing to put on hot, buttered toast.

The toughest part of this recipe is waiting overnight to cook it, per the instructions.  You must wait, though, because this very important step tenderizes the citrus rinds, giving the marmalade an extra elegance.

In the Case of Marmalade, Hovering is good

Once the oranges start to cook with their juices, the water, the sugar, and the little cheesecloth bag of seeds to help it jell, they’ll send amazing aromas throughout the house until they reach a gentle, rusty color.  This takes a couple of hours but it doesn’t require regular surveillance until right towards the end, when the marmalade really begins to thicken. Then, you want to hover, stirring regularly, until the marmalade is the thickness and color you prefer.

The French home cook reuses jars forever, from bulbous mustard jars to commercial jam jars, and so can you. Just make sure they are sterilized, and as long as the seal on the lid gives that reassuring pop! as it cools, all is well.

So if you’re a marmalade lover, you must make this. Use Seville (bitter) oranges if you can find them. If not, use regular oranges, and always choose organic.  That way, their peels – what you’re going to eat – are pure.

And once your marmalade is ready, bring on the hot, buttered toast, but don’t just reserve it for that. Try it drizzled over hot poundcake or vanilla ice cream. Mix it with chocolate ganache to use as a filling for a chocolate cake. Use it as a glaze for pork, or rub it under the skin of a chicken before you put it in the oven to roast…and I’m sure you’ll think of lots more ways to use this marvelous marmalade.

This jam is made in winter here in France, when Seville oranges (from Spain or Morocco) are in season.  When you come to a class at On Rue Tatin in Louviers or in Paris, we’ll make dishes from all the glorious ingredients of that season.  Reserve your spot now!

[ultimate-recipe id=”7957″ template=”default”]