Author Topic: Marmalade (Read 72591 times)

L CC · « **Reply #200 on:** 04 July, 2020, 12:07:39 pm »

Lemons the third fruit? My sister had grapefruit and lemon trees in her last Sydney house.

Tim Hall · « **Reply #201 on:** 04 July, 2020, 01:00:34 pm »

Yes. Jeanette Winterson Marmalade.

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #202 on:** 04 July, 2020, 01:26:24 pm »

If Waitrose don't sell Kumquat Marmalade they're missing a big opportunity

Wowbagger · « **Reply #203 on:** 08 July, 2020, 10:08:39 am »

I just searched the WR site for "kumquat" and it suggested a whole variety of things from quail's eggs to crumpets... but no kumquat marmalade.

robgul · « **Reply #204 on:** 23 July, 2020, 07:59:08 am »

I wonder if the massed ranks of yacf marmalade makers may have any ideas ....

Mrs robgul made copious quantities back at the start of the year - using oranges from Waitrose, Aldi and Abel & Cole (veg box people) to a couple of different recipes. All went to plan, it set, loaded ito normal sized jars etc. - made enough to, usually, last the year of toast and marmalade (one slice) for breakfast every day.

BUT when we come to use it the set has gone - it's still perfectly edible but is quite watery/syrupy. Storage is in a cool pantry.

Any thoughts on the reason?

Thanks

Rob

Wowbagger · « **Reply #205 on:** 23 July, 2020, 09:11:54 am »

Have you managed to seal the jars?

I use "Bonne Maman" style jars as I find them the easiest to fill as their tops are wide. When the marmalade is hot, I make a point of tightening the lids as much as possible. You will need to wear rubber gloves as the jars are too hot to handle. Then the marmalade will vacuum-seal itself as it cools and moisture can't get in. As the jars are cooling you hear a series of satisfying "dink" noises as the vacuum button gets pushed down by air pressure. I reckon to get something like 80% success in the jars sealing themselves in this way.

robgul · « **Reply #206 on:** 23 July, 2020, 09:30:03 am »

Quote from: Wowbagger on 23 July, 2020, 09:11:54 am

Have you managed to seal the jars?

I use "Bonne Maman" style jars as I find them the easiest to fill as their tops are wide. When the marmalade is hot, I make a point of tightening the lids as much as possible. You will need to wear rubber gloves as the jars are too hot to handle. Then the marmalade will vacuum-seal itself as it cools and moisture can't get in. As the jars are cooling you hear a series of satisfying "dink" noises as the vacuum button gets pushed down by air pressure. I reckon to get something like 80% success in the jars sealing themselves in this way.

Cook (!) also uses Bonne Maman jars - some have been in use for 10+ years - and yes the lids do get a good tighten down. Not noticed the "pop" setting itself. Some of the jars appear set when they are opened for consumption but "un-set" quite quickly ... we've tried keeping the current jar in the fridge or not in the fridge ... no real difference.

Rob

pcolbeck · « **Reply #207 on:** 23 July, 2020, 09:31:34 am »

Bonne Maman deliberately make their jars reusable. Its been part of their company sales speel for years.

L CC · « **Reply #208 on:** 23 July, 2020, 09:32:16 am »

I still use old school cellophane circles and elastic bands. Partly because I know you need new lids each time and I resent the cost. I also have a jam funnel so any jar will do.

Watery usually means that it wasn't really set properly in the first place, assuming you did have a clean seal.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #209 on:** 23 July, 2020, 09:53:31 am »

I have never noticed my marmalade going runny, whether the jar seals itself or not. I've noticed that the BM brand raspberry jam in our fridge tends to deliquesce quite rapidly - a jar of that stuff rarely lasts a week in our house and by the end of the week there's a little fluid around the jelly. I wonder whether there's something in the recipe which is causing it? All I put in my marmalade is 3lb Seville oranges, 2 lemons, 6lb sugar and 4 pints water.

hellymedic · « **Reply #210 on:** 23 July, 2020, 05:21:26 pm »

If anything, my old jams (I don't do marmalade) are rock solid.

This seems like a lot of water to me. I'm no food scientist but my understanding is that preserves need an acidic pH, a VERY high sugar content and pectin to set.

I don't know if the pectin can somehow fail.

(My own microwave jams have no added water & are jus equal weights of jam sugar and fruit, microwaved in Pyrex till jammy.)

pcolbeck · « **Reply #211 on:** 23 July, 2020, 06:58:48 pm »

Quote from: Wowbagger on 23 July, 2020, 09:53:31 am

I've noticed that the BM brand raspberry jam in our fridge tends to deliquesce quite rapidly - a jar of that stuff rarely lasts a week in our house and by the end of the week there's a little fluid around the jelly. I wonder whether there's something in the recipe which is causing it?

French "jam" typically doesn't have as much sugar in it as British jam. The really solid jelly like set is a British thing.

hellymedic · « **Reply #212 on:** 23 July, 2020, 07:05:59 pm »

I think the preserves that set solid are around 65-70% sugar by weight.

Preserves with less sugar tend to be runny and get mouldy.

Sugar crystallises out if there's too much.

robgul · « **Reply #213 on:** 23 July, 2020, 07:46:06 pm »

Jury still seems undecided - cook says she's going to add separate pectin next year (in the past she's relied on the fruit having it??)

Rob

hellymedic · « **Reply #214 on:** 23 July, 2020, 07:57:21 pm »

I would have thought there was a lot in citrus peel but need to check this.

Jam sugar contains added pectin but is quite pricy.

I never finished the Certo I bought.

robgul · « **Reply #215 on:** 23 July, 2020, 08:01:18 pm »

Quote from: hellymedic on 23 July, 2020, 07:57:21 pm

I would have thought there was a lot in citrus peel but need to check this.

Jam sugar contains added pectin but is quite pricy.

I never finished the Certo I bought.

. . . . the key may well be the pectin content in the peel - I understand you can buy it and add it as another ingredient, presumably to supplement the fruit's contribution.

hellymedic · « **Reply #216 on:** 23 July, 2020, 08:15:26 pm »

Reading the Wikipedia article on pectin, it seems orange peel is 30% pectin, which is pretty huge. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pectin
I suspect too much water/not enough sugar/boiling.

Preserves need to be acidic to set but you've added lemon juice.

robgul · « **Reply #217 on:** 24 July, 2020, 07:50:47 am »

UPDATE: New jar was opened yesterday - pretty much set - decided to keep it in the fridge rather than the pantry (we had thought that refrigeration had been causing the un-setting?) - still pretty firm this morning.

BUT of course it could just be another making batch, the labelling and coding system is a bit vague "Maramalade 2020" doesn't reveal much detail!

Rob

Ginger Cat · « **Reply #218 on:** 14 November, 2020, 11:24:29 am »

I made marmalade with graprfruit (50% ruby 50% pink) a couple weeks ago.

Over the summer I practiced making jam- started in response to a glut of allotment fruit (raspberries & rhubarb) and having gotten into jam-making a bit, decided to try marmalade. I got the recipe from my "National Trust Book of Jam"- a rather excellent little tome.

Whilst making a double-quantity was in hindsight not that wise (maslin pan brimmed when boiling) it worked OK in the end- just the fast boil took longer. (I did a pectin test on the juice, it was not great so I added a bit).

The result surprised me- I didn't realise marmalade could be this sticky, bitter, sweet and flavoursome all at once.

Will be looking out for Seville oranges in the new year.........

GC

Ginger Cat · « **Reply #219 on:** 28 December, 2020, 01:55:03 pm »

Calling all marmalade makers.............

...... looks like Waitrose has this years Seville oranges in stock..................... https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/waitrose-cooks-ingredients-seville-oranges/088451-45393-45394

On "2 for 3" offer too. 3 boxes added to the delivery order due to arrive tomorrow afternoon.....................

GC

citoyen · « **Reply #220 on:** 29 December, 2020, 12:13:04 am »

Quote from: Ginger Cat on 28 December, 2020, 01:55:03 pm

Calling all marmalade makers.............

...... looks like Waitrose has this years Seville oranges in stock.....................

Damn, if only I'd seen this before I went to Waitrose this afternoon.

Ginger Cat · « **Reply #221 on:** 29 December, 2020, 07:29:56 pm »

3 boxes arrived. Just over a kilo in each box. 2 boxes-worth in the freezer.........

Nice and fresh they are.

GC

Wowbagger · « **Reply #222 on:** 29 December, 2020, 11:34:34 pm »

Quote from: Ginger Cat on 29 December, 2020, 07:29:56 pm

3 boxes arrived. Just over a kilo in each box. 2 boxes-worth in the freezer.........

Nice and fresh they are.

GC

Same for me. they had a 3 for 2 offer on.

There is a difference: I put all 3 boxes in the freezer to sit with last year's which I have yet to use...

Wowbagger · « **Reply #223 on:** 02 January, 2021, 10:22:02 pm »

The forecast for tomorrow is for rain pretty well all day. First batch of marmalade for 2021 will be the Main Event.

robgul · « **Reply #224 on:** 02 January, 2021, 10:57:24 pm »

Mrs robgul has finished batch 3 with a further 6kg of oranges due here on Tuesday .... she may need to buy some more empty jars!