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!
- 3 pounds oranges (if you can find Seville or bitter oranges, use those), preferably organic, or more if needed, rinsed, 1-1/2 kg
- 2 or more large lemons preferably organic, rinsed
- 2-1/2 quarts water 2-1/2 liters
- 7 cups sugar 3 pounds; 750g
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Halve and squeeze the oranges and keep the juice and the seeds, separately. You need 2 cups; 500ml of juice, so you may need a few more than 3 pounds of oranges. Reserve the skins from the 3 pounds of oranges; discard the rest or use for another purpose.
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Squeeze the lemons; you need ½ cup (125ml) juice so you may need to squeeze an extra lemon to get enough. Reserve the skins of the 2 lemons.
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Place the orange seeds in a piece of cheesecloth and tie them tightly in it. They contain pectin and will cook with the marmalade, helping it thicken.
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Slice the orange and the lemon skins, which will have some pith clinging to them, as fine as you can. You may dice them if you like. It’s fine to keep some of the pith; check it carefully for seeds, and get rid of any you find. Place the citrus skins, the citrus juices, and the water in a large, non-reactive pan, stir, cover, and let sit overnight.
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When you’re ready to make the marmalade, prepare eight 8-ounce; 250ml jars and lids by sterilizing them in boiling water, according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
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Stir the sugar into the fruit peels, and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat so the mixture is at a rolling boil, and cook until the jam is thickened to your liking, stirring it from time to time. As it thickens, after at least 1 hour of cooking, you can test the thickness by dripping some of the jam on a plate, putting it in the refrigerator, and checking it a minute or two later to test its thickness. As the marmalade gets closer to its ideal thickness, you’ll need to stir it more frequently.
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When the marmalade is cooked to your liking, remove it from the heat and pour it into the sterilized jars. Seal according to the manufacturer’s instructions, or do as the French do: once a hot, dry lid is placed on the clean jar, turn it tight and turn the jar upside down. When the jars are cool, wash and store them. The jam will keep indefinitely, except that you’ll eat it up quickly!
