4 lemons (500g)
2 grapefruits (500g)
3 sweet oranges (500g)
1 muslin cloth
3 litres water
8 cups sugar
Method
- Wash the fruit thoroughly.
- Using a potato peeler, thinly peel the outer rind of your citrus fruits and place in the bowl of a food processor with a stainless-steel blade.
- Work over the processor to catch juices, peel white pith from fruit and place pith on top of a muslin cloth and set aside.
- Halve the fruits and remove pips.
- Place the pips with pith in muslin cloth. Tie the pith and pips inside the muslin cloth.
- Roughly chop the fruit’s flesh and rind in the food processor.
- Place the chopped fruit, water and muslin ‘bag’ into a large, shallow preserving pan or a large, wide saucepan with a solid base.
- Simmer for about 1 hour or until peel is tender.
- Remove muslin ‘bag’ and place between 2 plates and squeeze juices into marmalade. Discard the bag.
- Add the sugar and stir until dissolved.
- Bring mixture to the boil and boil rapidly for about 1 hour without a lid, stirring regularly until setting point is reached (see below).
- Remove from heat and allow to stand for a few minutes.
- Ladle into sterilised jars and seal.
- Turn bottles upside down to sterilise lids.
- Place a side plate in the freezer.
- Spoon a little of the syrup onto the chilled side plate and leave to cool.
- If the syrup forms a skin that wrinkles when pushed with your finger the marmalade is ready.
- Boil the syrup again if the marmalade isn’t set yet and test again.
This recipe makes a slightly bitter marmalade, if you prefer something a little sweeter then replace one of the grapefruits with two oranges.
Makes about 7 x 400ml jars
