Perfect Seville orange marmalade recipe
Posted by Fiona Nevile in Jam Jelly and Preserves | 265 comments
As the topping for the best slice of toast of the day, good marmalade is a joy. We like it dark, chunky, hand cut and never in moderation.
Marmalade was the first preserve that we made. We were so proud of it that we could hardly bear to move it from the worktop to the larder, let alone eat it. Eventually we opened the first jar and lavished it on slice after slice of hot buttered toast.
We immediately christened it Intellectual Marmalade as so much ground work, research and care had gone into its manufacture. Visitors who spotted the label were wary of it at breakfast. Would it somehow have an effect on the brain? When they saw us slopping it onto our toast they happily did the same. No one ever mentioned the name.
We like dark old fashioned marmalade. We couldn’t find a recipe for this so we based our recipe on the classic Seville Orange Marmalade in Delia’s Complete Illustrated Cookery Course
Marmalade can be a bit of a palaver. It starts with hunting down and bagging the fruit. Despite many forays I couldn’t find any Seville oranges this year. Just as I was about to give up I saw them twinkling out in the Cambridge market on Monday. Investing my small change in three kilos of the fruit, I staggered back to the car park with just enough cash to release Jalopy from the gloomy depths.
Having made no notes on the timings of our Intellectual Marmalade recipe, I couldn’t face another day/night of babysitting the bubbling vats. I was determined to find the best old fashioned marmalade recipe, with proper timings. A couple of days ago I discovered a Dark Chunky Marmalade recipe on Delia Online. It’s made in two steps, so it’s great if you are working full time as you can spread the process over two evenings (I would recommend a spreading the task over a weekend unless your evening starts at 15.00 hours). Seville oranges will survive happily in the fridge for at least a week. They keep for months in the freezer and, if you have the room, you can stash them and make fresh marmalade throughout the year.
We have finally made Delia’s Dark Chunky Marmalade. We combined her recipe with our method and simmered ours for a good six hours before setting point was reached. It looks divine and tastes even better than my mum’s. I’m amazed that Paddington Bear hasn’t dropped by.
N.B. If you try this recipe, the poaching liquid is used in the final marmalade. The recipe isn’t very clear on this point and I found the answer in the DeliaOnline forum (press the Community button on her site to access this great resource). Also you need a very large pot! To stop all the peel rising to the top of the jars let the marmalade cool a little before bottling in sterlised jars.
Update January 14th 2011
We now have several new recipes for Seville orange marmalade to suit every taste:
A super three fruit marmalade. A best seller on our gateside stand.
Easy Seville orange marmalade. This fine shredded marmalade is a classic and gets the thumbs up from my mum and is really easy to make!
Seville orange and quince marmalade. Lots of deep flavours in this orange and quince mix.
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Hi Willie
Yes, you have to keep the marmalade simmering at 104/5c for fifteen minutes. That’s where you have been going wrong, I think.
I’m rapidly coming to the conclusion that there is more to this marmalade-making than meets the eye. The more I learn, the more it seems I still have to learn. For example, in your reply, Mildred, to Fionah, you said that you brought your batch up to temperature, 104/5c, for about 15 minutes. When you bring it up to temperature, do you have to maintain it at that temperature for about 15 minutes? If that’s the case, I think I’ve been taking it off the heat too soon – as soon as it reaches temperature.
Hi Fionah
I think that Mildred has answered your question already. I hope that you managed to fix your runny batch.
Hi Mildred
Thanks as always for your help.
Hi Sonia
I don’t know why this is happening to your marmalade. I only make one type of marmalade (Delia’s recipe with tweaks) and it always works well for me.
Perhaps someone else knows?
Hi – what a great site! I came here inadvertantly, trying to find some clue as to why my lovely new batch of lemon marmalade has gone cloudy. I made a batch from a new recipe last week and it tasted as though I had sligthly overcooked it – dark in colour, slightly toasty in flavour. My guests have unanimously agreed it was the best marmalade they have ever tasted – it was fabulous! Then, a few days later it looks slightly cloudy and sort of “candied” on the top. I dish out my jams into crystal dishes at breakfast time – perhaps there has been too much air exposure? Light? Any clues? It is also in a very large wide jar with screw top lid, which is what made me think of the air thing.
I have a very prolific lemon tree so can easily make more but I don’t want to waste too many batches.
Thanks for any advice and keep up the good work!
Sonia
Matildas of Ranelagh
Heritage Accommodation
Huon Valley, Tasmania
Hi Fionah, I once put my runny marmalade back in the pan with the juice of a big lemon (to about 3lbs marm) and it worked! I brought it up to the boil and kept it at that magical 104/105c for about 15 mins. Worth a try!
Mine has come out runny, I guess not enough pectin as I did use a thermometer and got it to the right temperature. What would happen if put it all back and boiled it up again with more lemon juice? Is there any chance it would set?
Hi Willie M
Don’t give up!
Either making marmalade or experimenting with your runny batch. Thanks for sharing the soufflé recipe, sounds delicious.
Everybody seems to be able to make proper marmalade except me! I’d never have thought of using the microwave, although somebody I spoke to the other day told me I could use the bread-making machine – was she serious? Anyway, well done everybody, and I’ll keep trying.
Found another use for my runny marmalade – ‘Seville Souffle’. I made an ordinary souffle, with the addition of some grated orange zest, and put the souffle mixture into ramekins with a couple of spoonfuls of my patented runny marmalade in the bottom. The result? Marvellous – we’ll be doing this again.
Hi Mildred
A huge thank you for all your help!
Hi Hazel
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. Very handy for busy people.
Hi Jim
I’d love to hear how your marmalade turns out!
Hazel – Thanks for the microwave recipe. I didn’t think it would be possible to do that, and I must to try it.
Jim