Satsuma Marmalade Recipe

While the end of the summer is jamming time for the abundance of soft fruits available at the time, winter is for marmalade. This version is made with satsumas rather than the traditional oranges but you can easily substitute clementines, depending upon what's available near you. Both satsumas and clementines are a kind f mandarin orange and a sweet and easy to peel. One of the beauties of making marmalade is that you use almost all of the fruit rather than wasting the peel, so it's even ecologically sound!

Ingredients:

This flavour of this marmalade recipe is deepened by the addition of spices and vanilla for a beautifully Christmassy taste. Don't be afraid of the quantity of sugar - it sounds like a lot and it is! But marmalade is supposed to be sweet so just dive in...

1 kg satsumas
100ml lemon juice
1500ml water
1.5kg granulated sugar
Half a teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method:

First of all, peel the satsumas and thinly slice the rind, then measure out two cups worth. You can discard the rest of the rind, any seeds and really tough or stringy pith.
Put the peeled satsumas with the softer pith into a food processor and give it a few pulses to break it all a bit and release some of the pectin in the segment skins. This is what allows the jam to thicken up during the cooking process. Put the fruit pulp, sliced rind, and lemon juice with the water into a large preserving pan, bring to the boil and simmer for about 40 minutes to cook the skins down and turn them into a nice, soft base for the marmalade.

Bring the mixture to back to boiling and add the sugar and spices, stir well to combine and give it 20-30 minutes at a rolling boil, stirring regularly. If you have a thermometer, test to make sure the mixture reaches 106C. This is the temperature needed for the sugar and pectin to set properly. You can buy pectin to add in if you can't reach this temperature on your hob.

Pour the marmalade into clean, sterilised jars and seal while still warm. These can be stored for up to six months in a cool, dark place but should be refrigerated once opened.
If you're giving the marmalade as a gift, decorate your jars with pretty labels and ribbons, otherwise enjoy it for breakfast or afternoon tea spread on hot toast, scones or crumpets!