Leigh-Anne HarberOrange marmalade is popular in our household, but with how expensive it has become, I can’t justify spending so much and getting so little (both in quantity and quality).
So, when citrus season rolled around, I decided to make as much marmalade as I could, and to give the mix an extra healthy kick, I added ginger.
In total, aside from the gas I used to cook the mix, I spent R40 on a 7kg pocket of oranges, R15 for 2 grapefruit, and R60 for 2.5kg of refined white sugar. I also spent R20 on some fresh ginger.
From that, I got 7 honey jars and 2 chutney-size jars (from half the pocket and a couple of cups of sugar) of deliciously zingy marmalade.
Orange, Grapefruit and Ginger Marmalade
A delicious, full-of-fruit, no-nonsense recipe for a syrupy marmalade.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Give your oranges and grapefruit a good scrub and peel the skin off your ginger.
- With a serrated knife, very finely slice the fruit. I like to cut the fruit in half, slice it finely and then cut those pieces into smaller pieces. You can slice it as you like.
- Slice and then dice the ginger.
- Add your oranges, grapefruit and ginger to a large enough pot and cover it with water and sugar. Put a lid (or plastic wrap) on the pot and leave it on a counter overnight to absorb the sugar.
- The next day, place the pot on the stove and bring it to a boil. Once the mixture is boiling slightly, reduce the heat and let your marmalade simmer for about an hour. Resist the urge to disturb the fruit while it cooks.
- While the marmalade cooks, sterilise your honey jars and place a dish in the fridge to cool. Once an hour or so has passed, you can test the consistency of your syrup by placing a small amount on the cold plate. The thicker the mixture, the closer it is to being ready.
- When the marmalade has cooked and has a nice consistency, bottle it while it is hot. This will help the bottles to seal.
