For the last couple of years I have made marmalade from Seville Oranges, the first batch in January/February when the oranges are in the supermarkets, the second batch about now using oranges that I process and freeze.
Home made marmalade is one of those things that is far superior to any that can be bought (but then you can say that about almost all home made preserves) so the second batch is important.
Not sure if I got confused when adding the water or if it was the freezing process but the first of the batches I made today didn't set - not even close.
It could have been he water because C was babbling at me whilst I was doing it so I could have added more, it certainly looked like a lot in the pan which made me compound the problem by adding the rest of the pith and juice and sugar and a bit more water with a view to boiling up the whole lot.
However, it filled the preserving pan - no room for a rolling boil so I took out half and boiled up the rest. It was clear it wasn't going to set, the boil was all wrong, the liquid was thin. When it is right the water transmutes into something heavier and slightly viscous.
So, what to do?
I will put a jar in the fridge and see what chilling does to it. Sometimes it firms it up enough to use.
I could slosh it all back into the pan and reboil it with more sugar and more lemon.
I still have the other half, I could add more sugar and boil it up, probably with more lemon.
Or all of the above, but tomorrow!
Update:
The un-set jars sat in the roasting pan on the stove accusingly for a couple of days until I ripped off the cellophane tops and poured them all back into the preserving pan. I added the juice of a lemon and another 1lb of sugar and boiled it back to boiling point. Its a bit overboiled and a bit sweet but set marmalade it now is.
The second batch was a bit odd - had to take out some peel because it was very dense. I suspected in needed a bit more sugar but didn't add it, only the lemon juice. It took a while to boil up and it reduced in volume quite drastically so before I potted it I took out more peel - which I have saved because it is wonderfully crystallised. The result was one big jar of very orangey marmalade.
Lessons learned? Next time pay more attention.
