Marmalade Woes

[Mesquite]

I made some marmalade the other day with seville oranges and for some reason the damn stuff just wouldn't set.

I did everything to the recipe apart from using one large lemon I used 2 medium ones. 2.3 kilos of sugar to 2 kilo of fruit and got it up to a rolling boil and the temperature was 106.8 C for at least 15 minutes but as I said it wouldn't set so I've got about 15 jars of very runny marmalade

Any suggestions as to what I can do to rescue it as it's just not thick enough to use at all as is.

 

[Toddy]

Back into the pot with it. Boil it up again, and this time check that it's setting by dribbling a little onto a cold plate. Let it sit for a minute and then push at the surface with your finger. If it crinkles up, the marmalade will set. If it doesn't, it won't.

M

 

[British Red]

What Mary said, but have some pectin on hand. If a hard rolling boil for another 15 minutes doesn't get it to setting point, add some pectin and boil again.

 

[Mesquite]

Back into the pot with it. Boil it up again, and this time check that it's setting by dribbling a little onto a cold plate. Let it sit for a minute and then push at the surface with your finger. If it crinkles up, the marmalade will set. If it doesn't, it won't.

Aye, I figured I'd have to do that.

I did the cold plate test and it seemed to have set but obviously I was a tad too impatient as the wife wanted the kitchen back so she could sort out all the dog food she'd come back with.

 

[Mesquite]

What Mary said, but have some pectin on hand. If a hard rolling boil for another 15 minutes doesn't get it to setting point, add some pectin and boil again.

I haven't got any prepared pectin as such but I do have 4 more lemons I was thinking of using the juice from. Reckon that would be ok Hugh?

 

[British Red]

Lemon juice contains no pectin, but the skin does. You can buy prepared pectin too.

 

[Toddy]

What you could do is chop the lemons up, barely cover them with water, and simmer in a wee pot with the lid on for twenty minutes or so. Squish them down with a spoon and strain through muslin into your pot of not quite ready marmalade, and then just bring it all to the boil again.

Marmalade generally just needs boiled to set. It's like watching waiting for a kettle to boil though, and it will take just as long as it takes to reach a set.

Patience, young Padawan

Mary

 

[Zingmo]

Think outside the box. Just make toast soldiers and dip them in the jar!

Z

 

[Robson Valley]

Pour it on waffles. Can you imagine how good that will be on chocolate ice cream?

Ironically, we can buy a citrus pectin preparation called Pomona's Universal Pectin.
Too much of that and you will be making 3D castings of children's toys.

 

[Mesquite]

...Can you imagine how good that will be on chocolate ice cream?

Nope, for me personally it would be the waste of a good marmalade.

Chocolate ice cream?

 

[cranmere]

Apple cores and peel contain a lot of pectin too.

 

[British Red]

Apple cores and peel contain a lot of pectin too.

Thats how I make my liquid pectin

Pectin mix by British Red, on Flickr

Liquid pectin by British Red, on Flickr