Citrus season is now in full swing, and I plan on taking advantage of it in a variety of ways, not least of which is by making a bunch of different marmalades. Given that tangerines were on sale in 2kg bags, I started with those. There are a number of ways of making marmalade, some of which involve juicing the fruit and then placing the solids in a muslin , cooking them with the juice and then removing them, or straining and mincing the zest etc. I opted for the easiest possible route and just cooked it all together then blitzed the juice with the zest and pulp before adding the sugar. It does mean that the end product is less pretty - there is no golden jelly with elegant slivers of zest suspended in it - but it tastes none the worse for it, and I happen to like the bits. I kept mine less sweet, but feel free to add more, if that's your thing. Using less sugar, it is a little runnier, too, though.
Ingredients:
2 kg tangerines, halved and deseeded
1,5l water
3 1/2 c sugar
1) Halve the tangerines and squeeze them into a large heavy bottomed pot. Add the water and bring to a simmer. Cook for 1 - 1 1/2 hours until reduced by about a third.
2) Blitz until all the big bits are gone. Add the sugar and stir, on medium-low heat, until the marmalade has reached the consistency of your choice. You can check the consistency by placing a saucer in the freezer. Spoon a little onto the saucer and give it a minute to cool. You'll now be able to get an idea of the consistency of your marmalade.
3) Meanwhile, boil clean jars for about 15 minutes to sterilise them. Extract the jars carefully (at this point, canning tongs might come in handy...) and spoon the marmalade into them. Wipe the rims, seal and place the jars upside down to cool.
I really like the balance of flavours in this marmalade. Not too sweet, with a lovely tang. It also caramelised a little, deepening the flavour nicely (this was not planned but because I stopped stirring briefly while helping Little One with something. We've been enjoying this on toast and in yoghurt with oats. There are also plans afoot to put some in a bread pudding one of these days... This is the first time I've made marmalade with tangerines, but it won't be the last! I am so pleased with this one.
Book Pairing: While making this, I have started listening to Les Misérables by Victor Hugo. It's years since I read it, but I've been meaning to reread it since watching the movie a few years ago. I enjoyed the movie, but it felt very melodramatic, which is not how I remembered the book. I am thoroughly enjoying the book, and am indeed finding it less melodramatic. Hugo writes beautifully, but he is a tad verbose at times...
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