- Cook oranges for a couple of hours until skin is tender. There needs to be enough water to cover the oranges.
- Cool water and oranges down, then measure 1.5l of the cooking water, add extra water if needed.
- Cut the oranges in half, take out the flesh and the pith and put into the water. Juice the lemon(s), and put both juice and pips into the water.
- Bring water with flesh etc. to the boil and cook for 6 min, then sieve it all thoroughly.
- Slice the peel as thinly as your patience will allow.
- Heat the sugar in a low heat oven, i.e. do it at 140 C while also sterilising the jars.
- When all is sliced, combine with the cooking water and the warm sugar.
- Gently bring to boil while the sugar dissolves.
- When dissolved boil vigorously for probably 20 min. (Could be less, could be well more). Start testing for a set when temperature gets to 103 C if using a thermometer, it should set at 104 C.
- When set, stir in a small knob of butter to dissolve the foam.
- Rest for 10 to 15 min., then pour in sterilised jars.
- Makes about 8 jars in varying sizes.
- If you want bigger quantities I recommend making them in several batches, it's easier to get to set when not too big a portion.
Variations
This can be varied with blood oranges, doing exactly the same, apart from using more lemon juice (125 ml, approx. 2 lemons) for one kg of blood oranges.
You can also make a ginger variation with fresh ginger (cooked with the oranges, then sliced), as well as stem ginger. Use approx. 100 ml syrup and use the equivalent less of sugar. Use 3 stems and a (small) thumb size fresh ginger. Measures obviously depends on how gingery a marmalade is wanted, this one you can taste the ginger, but marmalade is still the main taste.