Food in Jars (13 page)
Authors: Marisa McClellan
3 pounds/1.4 kg Meyer lemons (approximately 20 lemons)
5½ cups/1.1 kg granulated sugar, divided
Wash the lemons in warm, soapy water and dry thoroughly. Using a very sharp knife, cut both the flower and stem ends off the fruit. Sit each trimmed lemon on one of its newly flat ends and cut it into 6 wedges. Lay each wedge on its side and cut away the strip of inner membrane and the seeds. Reserve the trimmed pith and seeds (we'll be using them as a pectin source).
Take each trimmed wedge (it should look a bit like a pyramid with its top cut off), lay
it rind-side up, and thinly slice from one pointy tip to the other. What you want to end up with are bits of lemon that are no more than a ¼-inch/6 mm thick
(â
-inch/3 mm thick is even better) and no more than 1¼ inches/4 cm in length. Repeat this with all the lemons.
Combine the lemon slices in a bowl or container that will fit in your fridge (I like to use a ½ gallon/2 liter canning jar) and add 2 cups/400 g sugar. Stir to help the sugar dissolve. Bundle up the reserved seeds into a length of cheesecloth, tie the ends tightly and pop that into the container as well. Place it in the refrigerator overnight (it can be left this way up to 48 hours, which is good for those of us who lead busy lives).
Prepare a boiling water bath and 4 regular-mouth 1-pint/500 ml jars according to the process on page 10. Place the lids in a small saucepan, cover them with water, and simmer over very low heat.
After an overnight rest, pour the macerated lemon bits with their juice and the seed bundle into a pot. Add the remaining 3½ cups/700 g sugar and 6 cups/1.4 liter water. Slowly bring to a boil over high heat, stirring regularly. Once it has reached a boil, attach the candy thermometer to the pot.
Continue to cook vigorously until the mixture reaches 220°F/105°C (this takes between 30 and 40 minutes). Stir regularly as it cooks to prevent scorching.
When the marmalade reaches 220°F/105°C and sustains that temperature for 1 minute (even after stirring), remove the pot from the heat. Test the set of the marmalade using the saucer test described on page 77. If it doesn't pass, return the pot to the heat and cook for an additional 5 minutes before repeating the test. Once it seems to be setting to your satisfaction, remove the pot from the heat and stir for about 1 minute, to help the zest bits become evenly distributed throughout the preserves.
Ladle the marmalade into the prepared jars. Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes (see
page 11
).
F
ROM THE OUTSIDE, CARA CARA ORANGES LOOK
like any other orange. However, when you slice into them, the flesh is a brilliant pink and they smell ever so slightly of cranberries. Combined with ginger juice, they make a gorgeous marmalade that has just a touch of gingery sharpness upon the initial taste.
4 pounds/1.8 kg Cara Cara oranges (about 8 or 9)
6 cups/1.2 kg granulated sugar
2 teaspoons powdered pectin (optional; see
note
)
1 cup/240 ml ginger juice (see page
31
)
¼ cup/60 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
Wash the fruit in warm, soapy water and dry thoroughly. Using a serrated-edge vegetable peeler, remove the zest from the fruit. Stack the zest strips in piles and chop into fine confetti. Combine the zest in a pot with 2 quarts/2 liters water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-high, and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, until zest ribbons are tender.
While the zest cooks, “supreme” the fruit by cutting the white pith away from the fruit and cutting the fruit into segments between the membranes. Collect the fruit and any juices in a large measuring cup.
Drain the zest in a fine-mesh sieve, reserving the cooking liquid.
Prepare a boiling water bath, 3 regular-mouth 1-pint/500 ml jars, and 1 half-pint/250 ml jar according to the process on page 10. Place the lids in a small saucepan, cover them with water, and simmer over very low heat.
In a large pot, combine the drained zest, segmented fruit, 4 cups/960 ml of the reserved cooking liquid, the sugar (if you're using the powdered pectin, whisk it into the sugar before adding it to the fruit), and 1 cup/240 ml ginger juice.
Bring to a boil and cook vigorously until the mixture reaches 220°F/105°C (this takes between 30 and 40 minutes). Stir regularly as it cooks to prevent scorching.
When the marmalade reaches 220°F/105°C and sustains that temperature for 1 minute (even after stirring), remove the pot from the heat. Test the set of the marmalade using the saucer test described on page 77. If it doesn't pass, return the pot to the heat and cook for an additional 5 minutes before repeating the test. Once it seems to be setting to your satisfaction, remove the pot from the heat and stir for 1 minute, to help the zest bits become evenly distributed throughout the preserve.
Ladle the marmalade into the prepared jars. Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes (see
page 11
).
Note:
I call for an optional 2 teaspoons of pectin in this recipe. Typically you don't need to include it in marmalade because the seeds contain so much pectin. However, Cara Cara oranges are a nearly seedless hybrid, so we can't depend on them for a pectin boost. You can achieve a loose set just by cooking this marmalade to 220°F/105°C. For a firmer marmalade, additional pectin is required.
I
'VE LEARNED THAT EVERY JANUARY, I COME DOWN
with a miserable cold that is best treated with a day on the couch and many steaming mugs of honey, ginger, and lemon tea. This marmalade evokes those infusions, and makes me want to stir a spoonful into a glass of hot water. Because the honey plays such a dominant role, make sure to choose one that tastes good to you. I particularly like buckwheat honey for its assertive grassiness. Blackberry or wildflower honeys are also good choices. Note the overnight sitting time and plan accordingly.
4½ pounds/2 kg lemons
4 cups/800 g sugar
2 cups/480 ml honey
Wash the fruit in warm, soapy water and dry thoroughly. Using a very sharp knife, cut both the flower and stem ends off the fruit. Set each trimmed lemon on one of its newly flat ends and cut it into 6 wedges. Lay each wedge on its side and cut away the
strip of inner membrane and seeds. Reserve the seeds (we'll be using them as a pectin source).
Take a trimmed wedge (it should look a bit like a pyramid with its top cut off), lay it rind-side up and thinly slice from one point to the other. What you want to end up with are bits of lemon that are no more than a ¼-inch/6 mm thick (â
-inch/3 mm thick is even better) and no more than 1 to 1½ inches/2.5 to 4 cm in length. Repeat this with all the lemons.
Bundle up the reserved seeds in a length of cheesecloth and tie the ends well, so that no seeds can escape.
Heap the lemon slices into a nonreactive pot with the seed bundle and add 2 quarts/2 liters water. Bring to a boil over high heat. As soon as the fruit has reached a rolling boil, remove the pot from the heat. Cover the pot and let it sit at room temperature overnight.
On day two, prepare a boiling water bath and 4 regular-mouth 1-pint/500 ml jars according to the process on page 10. Place the lids in a small saucepan, cover them with water, and simmer over very low heat.
Remove the seed bundle from the pot and discard. Strain the fruit, reserving all the liquid. Put the softened lemon into your jam pot. Measure out 6 cups/1.4 liters of the cooking liquid and pour it into the pot. Add the sugar and honey and bring to a boil. Cook vigorously over high heat until the mixture reaches 220°F/105°C (this takes between 30 and 40 minutes). Stir regularly as it cooks to prevent scorching.
When the marmalade reaches 220°F/105°C and sustains that temperature for 1 minute (even after stirring), remove the pot from the heat. Test the set of the marmalade using the saucer test described on page 77. If it doesn't pass, return the pot to the heat and cook for an additional 5 minutes before repeating the test. Once it seems to be setting to your satisfaction, remove the pot from the heat and stir for about 1 minute, to help the zest bits become evenly distributed throughout the preserve.
Ladle the marmalade into the prepared jars. Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes (see
page 11
).
W
HEN BLOOD ORANGES WERE FIRST INTRODUCED
to the American market in the 1930s, marketers tried to brand them “citrus tomatoes,” fearing that shoppers would be put off by thoughts of bodily fluid. Thankfully, the name never caught on. These scarlet-fleshed fruits drip with crimson juice and make the most wonderfully hued marmalade.
3½ pounds/1.6 kg blood oranges (about 10 to 12)
6 cups/1.2 kg sugar
2 teaspoons powdered pectin (optional; see note on
page 82
)
Wash the fruit in warm, soapy water and dry thoroughly. Using a serrated-edge vegetable peeler, remove the zest from the fruit. Stack the zest strips in piles and chop into fine confetti. Combine the zest in a pot with 2 quarts/2 liters water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-high, and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, until zest ribbons are tender.
While the zest cooks, “supreme” the fruit by cutting the white pith away from the fruit and cutting the fruit into segments between the membranes. Collect the fruit and any juices in a large measuring cup.
Drain the zest in a fine-mesh sieve, reserving the cooking liquid.
Prepare a boiling water bath and 4 regular-mouth 1-pint/500 ml jars according to the process on page 10. Place the lids in a small saucepan, cover them with water, and simmer over very low heat.
In a large pot, combine the drained zest, the segmented fruit and any juices, 6 cups/1.4 liters of the reserved cooking liquid, and the sugar (if you are using the powdered pectin, whisk it into the sugar before adding it to the fruit).
Bring to a boil and cook vigorously over high heat until the mixture reaches 220°F/105°C (this takes between 30 and 40 minutes). Stir regularly as it cooks to prevent scorching.