Citrus marmalades have been made for centuries. I'd look for a tried-and-true recipe from a publisher with a track record for accuracy, either a deadtrees classic cookbook or a website that I would implicitly trust.
Because of marmalade's popularity on the British Isles, I'd probably search the BBC recipe archives first, followed by the NY Times database. A third choice might be Sunset magazine's recipe collection (they've been around since the 19th century).
No need to struggle to decipher a muddled recipe here at Food52 (or elsewhere for that matter) for such a classic preparation.
Thank you for your comments. It is a shame the recipe is poorly written. I'm always on the lookout for old recipes using different methods but this recipe does look like something was lost in translation.
The recipe does not say specifically to discard the lemons cut into wedges- but the entire recipe is rather confusingly written. It does not call for you to add in those wedges to the thinly sliced lemons, so I must assume you do. In most all lemon marmalade recipes I know of, you soak the lemon slices overnight to soften the peels and help leech out the pectin you will need to set it. Both the soaking liquid and the fruit are boiled together until the peel is tender, and then you add in the sugar. I've never used this particular recipe, and I'm not sure I would because of how poorly it is written. I especially wouldn't use it because I think it does call for wasting 2 pounds of lemons for no apparent reason.
Thank you for your comment. Yes, the recipe seems to be missing important details. I have a book titled, "Preserving Italy: Canning, Curing, Infusing, and Bottling Italian Flavors and Traditions" by Domenica Marchetti, Lauren Volo, that includes the following recipe that also refers to boiling the marmalade until it darkens. This is contrary to marmalade-making principles I have used which is based on having sufficient acid and pectin that enables setting point to be reached with a rapid boil and deliberatly avoids darkening which is a caramelisation of the sugar. I rather like the idea of a darkened marmalade, so, I'll make the recipe below.
"Bitter Citrus Marmalade • • • Makes about 3 pints • • • Ingredients • 2½ pounds (1.1 kg) organic, untreated citrus fruit, such as blood oranges, mandarin oranges, lemons, and so on (use more exotic fruit, such as kumquats, mandarinquats, or Buddha’s hand, if you like) Spring or filtered water • Sugar • 1 vanilla bean Equipment • Cheesecloth • Kitchen twine • Kitchen scale • 3 sterilized 1-pint or six ½-pint jars and their lids • Basic water bath canning equipment (see page 15)
Method 1 • If using small citrus, such as kumquats or mandarinquats, cut them crosswise into very thin wheels. Cut the oranges and lemons into quarters and cut the quarters crosswise into very thin wedges. Remove and collect the seeds of the fruit in a bowl as you work. They contain lots of pectin, which will help to set the marmalade.
2 • Place the fruit in a large nonreactive heavy-bottomed saucepan or preserving pot and cover with 3 to 3½ cups water—enough to just cover the fruit. Put the seeds in a piece of cheesecloth and tie it into a bundle with the kitchen twine. Add this to the pot. 3 • Bring the fruit to a boil over medium-high heat and boil for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature; then cover the pot and refrigerate overnight. 4 • Bring the fruit to a boil once again over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the peel of the fruit is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove and discard the bundle of seeds. 5 • Weigh the fruit mixture; it should weigh about 2½ pounds (1.1 kg). Add an equal weight of sugar to the pot. Slice open the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds into the pot. Reserve the pod for another use (I use it to make vanilla sugar). 6 • Set the pot on the stovetop over medium-low heat and stir until the sugar is fully dissolved. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook at a lively boil, stirring often, until the mixture has darkened and begun to thicken. This will take about 30 minutes. Watch out for spattering. 7 • Continue to boil until the mixture reaches 220°F and you can drag a path along the bottom of the pot with a silicone spatula. Or use the freezer plate method to test for doneness as described on page 83. 8 • Ladle the hot marmalade into the sterilized jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Wipe the rims clean if necessary with a clean, damp cloth, and screw the lids on the jars. 9 • Process the jars in a boiling-water bath for 10 minutes (see Water-Bath Canning, page 15). Remove the jars and set them upright on a clean kitchen towel. Let cool to room temperature before storing in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year. Refrigerate after opening. If any jars have failed to seal properly, refrigerate them and enjoy those first.
Thank you for your comment. We have a glut of citrus in Canberra, in particular lemons. There is a saying here, 'if you have to buy lemons, you don't have any friends!'. I've made litres of lemon and lime curd, diversified to Lemons Preserved in Salt and I did find Laurie Colwin’s Lemon Chutney to help use up the fruit. It looks wonderful and I'll be making some for Summer, when cold chicken and other picnic foods will be enhanced by the chutney.
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8 Comments
Citrus marmalades have been made for centuries. I'd look for a tried-and-true recipe from a publisher with a track record for accuracy, either a deadtrees classic cookbook or a website that I would implicitly trust.
Because of marmalade's popularity on the British Isles, I'd probably search the BBC recipe archives first, followed by the NY Times database. A third choice might be Sunset magazine's recipe collection (they've been around since the 19th century).
No need to struggle to decipher a muddled recipe here at Food52 (or elsewhere for that matter) for such a classic preparation.
Best of luck.
If you like a sweet and sour condiment, make Laurie Colwin’s Lemon Chutney (available many places and here on food52).
Reliable and easy from the first time you make it, complex taste that gets better as it ages in the jar, also a lively homemade food gift.
https://www.thespruceeats.com/spicy-lemon-chutney-2217725
https://food52.com/recipes/8639-lemon-chutney
"Bitter Citrus Marmalade • • • Makes about 3 pints • • •
Ingredients
• 2½ pounds (1.1 kg) organic, untreated citrus fruit, such as blood oranges, mandarin oranges, lemons, and so on (use more exotic fruit, such as kumquats, mandarinquats, or Buddha’s hand, if you like) Spring or filtered water
• Sugar
• 1 vanilla bean
Equipment
• Cheesecloth
• Kitchen twine
• Kitchen scale
• 3 sterilized 1-pint or six ½-pint jars and their lids
• Basic water bath canning equipment (see page 15)
Method
1 • If using small citrus, such as kumquats or mandarinquats, cut them crosswise into very thin wheels. Cut the oranges and lemons into quarters and cut the quarters crosswise into very thin wedges. Remove and collect the seeds of the fruit in a bowl as you work. They contain lots of pectin, which will help to set the marmalade.
2 • Place the fruit in a large nonreactive heavy-bottomed saucepan or preserving pot and cover with 3 to 3½ cups water—enough to just cover the fruit. Put the seeds in a piece of cheesecloth and tie it into a bundle with the kitchen twine. Add this to the pot. 3 • Bring the fruit to a boil over medium-high heat and boil for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature; then cover the pot and refrigerate overnight.
4 • Bring the fruit to a boil once again over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the peel of the fruit is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove and discard the bundle of seeds.
5 • Weigh the fruit mixture; it should weigh about 2½ pounds (1.1 kg). Add an equal weight of sugar to the pot. Slice open the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds into the pot. Reserve the pod for another use (I use it to make vanilla sugar).
6 • Set the pot on the stovetop over medium-low heat and stir until the sugar is fully dissolved. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook at a lively boil, stirring often, until the mixture has darkened and begun to thicken. This will take about 30 minutes. Watch out for spattering.
7 • Continue to boil until the mixture reaches 220°F and you can drag a path along the bottom of the pot with a silicone spatula. Or use the freezer plate method to test for doneness as described on page 83.
8 • Ladle the hot marmalade into the sterilized jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Wipe the rims clean if necessary with a clean, damp cloth, and screw the lids on the jars.
9 • Process the jars in a boiling-water bath for 10 minutes (see Water-Bath Canning, page 15). Remove the jars and set them upright on a clean kitchen towel. Let cool to room temperature before storing in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year. Refrigerate after opening. If any jars have failed to seal properly, refrigerate them and enjoy those first.