ORANGE MARMALADE

ORANGE MARMALADE

ORANGES ARE EVERYWHERE...ON STREET CARTS AND IN MOST STORES. I MAKE MY ORANGE MARMALADE EVERY YEAR. IT DOES REQUIRE A WHOLE MORNING TO CHOP AND COOK IT.....BUT THEN ALL GOOD THINGS DO COME TO YOU WHEN YOU HAVE THE PATIENCE. IT ALSO ENABLES ME TO EAT A LITTLE JAM GUILT FREE (in small proportions, of course) (YOU ALSO NEED TO BE EXERCISING EVERYDAY) EVEN THOUGH I AM A BORDERLINE DIABETIC.

3 KG ORANGES (they must be firm and green so it's important to make jams at the start of that fruit's season. Fresh fruit has more pectin. Pectin enables the jams to set).

750 gm sugar

5 cloves

With half the oranges squeeze out the juice. Be careful to retain the pith and the seeds. The other 1 1/2 kg chop the fruit into rough pieces with a very sharp knife so that very little juice is wasted. Now comes the difficult part. Take the peel and slice it into thin juliennes. Take all the peel and keep in a pressure pan. Add 1/4 cup water and pressure for five minutes. Keep aside.

Place the sugar in a large thick-bottomed pan and bring to boil. Tie up the pith and seeds in a clean muslin cloth and add to the pan. Add the chopped oranges and the juice and the cloves allow to cook stirring occasionally. After a while add the cooked peel and simmer till slightly thick.

THIS JAM WILL NOT BE THICK AS THE SUGAR CONTENT IS LESS. IN FACT IT WILL LOOK WATERY. NEVERTHELESS IT WILL TASTE GREAT AND IF STORED IN STERLIZED CONTAINERS AND KEPT IN THE REFIRGERATOR WILL KEEP FOR A YEAR OR TWO. I SHOULD KNOW I HAVE BEEN KEEPING MINE. PLEASE ALSO USE A CLEAN AND DRY SPOON EVERYTIME YOU HAVE SOME.