Jam season is reaching its end and with it comes Autumn, 'season of mists and mellow fruitfulness', and the arrival of citrus fruits rather than berries. Your preserving adventures don't have to end as the blackberries disappear, because marmalade comes next. Add a touch of sophistication by foregoing the traditional Seville oranges and make grapefruit marmalade instead.
Pink grapefruit marmalade ingredients:
750g pink grapefruits - about 2
1.5kg granulated sugar
2 lemons, juiced
You will also need six or seven jars, sterilised in boiling water or by placing them in the oven at 100C for at least 15 minutes. Use new lids, which should also be sterilised.
Pink grapefruit marmalade method:
Cut the grapefruits in half and juice them. The shells left behind are to be cut into thin or thick shreds, according to your preference. Place the shredded rind and juice into a large bowl, add 1.9 litres of water and allow the lot to soak overnight.
The next day, pour the mixture into a preserving pan - any large, heavy based pan will do if you don't have a preserving pan. Cook over a low heat until the rind softens and the liquid reduces by a about a third - this should take two or three hours.
Add the lemon juice and sugar to the pan and stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar has completely dissolved. Turn up the heat and bring the mixture to a rapid boil, holding it until the marmalade reaches setting point, probably about 15-30 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and give the mixture a gentle stir every couple of minutes until any bubbles have dispersed. Transfer the marmalade into warm, sterilised jars while still quite hot and seal immediately. The marmalade will keep for up to two years if stored in a cool, dark place.
Setting point
When you make grapefruit marmalade, you can check for a setting point the same way as you do for any other jam. Before you start, place a couple of small saucers in the freezer. When you are ready to test, spoon a drop of marmalade onto a frozen saucer and leave it for a minute, before using the tip of a clean finger to push the drop. If a skin has formed which wrinkles when you push it, the marmalade has reached setting point. If not, keep boiling and retesting regularly until the drop wrinkles when pushed.
