Making Dark Chunky Marmalade
Asked on 31 Jan 2021 by Mimser
Lindsay. I made the dark chunky marmalade and followed it exactly. I am happy with dark colour and flavour but I found it very very sticky. I feel the second cooking was too long . Any help for future marmalade. Regards Miriam.
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Hello Miriam,
I’m going to make a batch this week.
I'll let you know how it goes.
Best wishes
Lindsey
Hi Lindsey. I made so much of it and it’s fine for us but won’t give a jar to my friends. This recipe is different to anything I made before because I wanted it dark. I’ll be looking forward to hearing how you got on
Regards. Miriam. (From Ireland)
Did you make it with 3lb of oranges or did you make a larger batch?
Hi. No just 3lb and double sugar and followed exactly. In fact the recipe says to start checking at 2 1/2 hours and I knew immediately that it was over set. It’s delicious but very hard and sticky. I made sure sugar melted etc. I make lots jam. So be careful. M
I just made it with 3lbs oranges. How did yours turn out? M
Mine is halfway through the ‘gently bubbling away’ stage!
Hello again Miriam,
As you are an accomplished marmalade maker, and it’s been such a long time since I made this particular marmalade, I thought it was the right time to make a batch and refresh my memory.
Occasionally readers mistakenly discard the poaching liquid from the preserving pan after they measure out the 570ml for simmering the fruit pulp, so it was a good opportunity for me to be able to measure and record exactly how much poaching liquid there is after cooking the oranges.
I started testing for a set from 2 ½ hours as you suggested, and then every 15 minutes after. I achieved a satisfactory crinkle on the 6th test with a total of 3 ¾ hours of gentle bubbling.
I did find that after the first hour or so cooking (after the sugar had dissolved), when the marmalade reduced and darkened, that I had to adjust the heat down a little (and then up a little) to maintain the gentle bubbling.
After resting for 30 minutes, whilst ladling into the jars I thought about how the stickiness of my marmalade may compare to yours. Still warm it was syrupier and less jelly like compared to traditional Seville orange marmalade so I thought it may be ‘bouncy’ this morning if you know what I mean, but it isn’t. It is a little looser than my Traditional marmalade but still thick enough to spoon and spread out.
I ended up with 8 very full 1lb jars which is a bit less than the recipe says, but I did use quite a lot during the testing.
It is as you say very different to traditional marmalade but it tasted lovely when tested on a cracker spread with a little unsalted butter this morning! Yum!
When we’re allowed to have visitors again, I will serve it to them at breakfast and I look forward to using some in Delia’s Bread and Butter Pudding.
I hope this was helpful.
Best wishes
Lindsey
Hi Lindsey and thank you for all your insight and help. Yes, I found the instructions a little confusing with the remaining juice but knew to add it in alright. Im thinking that maybe I let it bubble too much but I still found that 2 1/2 hours was enough. Mine sounds exactly like yours in that it’s not jellyfish but easily spreadable all
the same and delicious taste. I’m having it every morning with Irish soda bread. Must try the pudding .
I’m glad I joined up as am receiving nice recipes. Thank you again. Regards Miriam.