Johns Sunshine Marmalade Recipes

Steps:

• Cut oranges and lemon in half, squeeze out the juice, remove and save all the seeds.
• Using a chef's knife, not a food processor or blender, slice the rinds, with fruit pulp still attached, into slivers, thick and thin and of the length you prefer.
• Place all the cut fruit and the juice into a large, stainless steel pot and add just enough water to cover.
• Place all the seeds in a cheesecloth bag and drop in the pot with the other ingerdients (I tie a string to the neck of the bag and tie an end to the pot handle, making sure the bag is submerged).
• Bring to a boil and immediately reduce heat and let simmer for about 2 hours Let cool over night.
• Next day, remove bag of seeds and squeeze out the liquid back into the pot.
• Place pot over heat and using your eye, add enough sugar to raise the level of the mixture to twice its original height, that is, if there are 6 inches of fruit in the pot, add white sugar until the pot has 12 inches of mixture in it.
• Bring to a boil, stirring constantly to avoid scorching and boil for at least 30 minutes until the marmalade will set when placed on a china a plate and cooled in the fridge for ten minutes.
• Pour at least 1/4 inch of cooking Scotch- your favourite- into clean preserving jars (I use Bell's when using a blend or Glenfiddich when using a single malt).
• Top each with marmalade.
• Add caps and lids to jars and place them into a boiling water bath for at least ten minutes then remove to cool.
• Make sure jars"snap" to confirm their seal.
• If you give any away to friends, they will be quick to return the empty jars and raves about your wondeerful marmalade!
• Great for breakfast on your favourite toast.
• Sorry if the quantities are a bit vague- might be a"guy thing".

Steps:

• Cut the citrus: Using a sharp knife, slice off the top and bottom of the citrus so it sits sturdily on the cutting board. Slice off the peel and white pith in sections, starting at the top and following the curve of the fruit. (You should have a pile of peels and a few naked fruit.)
• Thinly slice the peels (with the pith) no thinner than 1/8 inch and no thicker than 1/4 inch, place them in a large bowl and set aside.
• Halve the fruit and remove any visible seeds. Thinly slice about 1/4-inch thick (white membrane and all), removing any seeds you might have missed. Add the fruit to the peels, and cover with 3 to 5 cups of water, taking note of how much water you used. Let this sit for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours in the refrigerator. (This will help extract the pectin slowly as well as soften the peels.)
• Make the marmalade: Place a small plate in the refrigerator to chill. (You'll use this later.)
• Place the peels, fruit and water in a large pot. Add enough water to bring the total to 6 cups and bring to a strong simmer over medium-high heat.
• Cook the citrus until the peels have begun to soften and turn translucent, and the liquid has reduced by about three-fourths, 40 to 50 minutes.
• Add sugar and any add-ins and continue to cook, stirring occasionally at first, then more frequently as the marmalade cooks and the juices thicken. Continue until most of the liquid has evaporated and the peels are totally softened and almost completely translucent, another 40 to 50 minutes.
• As the marmalade cooks, the liquid reduces, the sugars thicken and the natural pectins activate. You'll notice the liquid go from a rapid, rolling boil with smaller bubbles to a slow, thick, tarlike boil with larger bubbles: This is the stage at which it's most important to stir constantly along the bottom of the pot to prevent scorching and sticking. (Sugar is heavier than water and will concentrate at the bottom of the pot, making the fruit more likely to burn.) It's also the stage at which splattering may occur, so take care in stirring.
• When the marmalade reaches this point, add lemon juice and continue to cook, stirring constantly until the jam has returned to its previously thickened state, about another 5 minutes. At this stage, the mixture should look thick and viscous with bits of the peel floating around. The peels will never break into the liquid as with a jam: This is O.K.
• To test the jam's thickness, spoon a bit onto the chilled plate, return it to the refrigerator and chill for 2 minutes. Drag your finger through it: It should hold its shape on either side without appearing watery or runny. If it's not there yet, cook it for a few more minutes.
• Remove from heat and discard the vanilla bean, if used. Divide among jars, leaving 1/4 inch of space at the top, and seal immediately. Can the marmalade (our How to Make Jam guide has detailed instruction), or store in the refrigerator.

Steps:

• Quarter kumquats lengthwise; cut off white center membrane and remove seeds. Slice quarters into small pieces.
• Place kumquats into a pot. Add lemon zest (white part only), lemon juice, pinch cayenne, star anise, sugar, and water. Mix together. Cover and let sit at room temperature 2 or 3 hours to allow fruit to macerate. Or you can refrigerate overnight.
• Place pot over medium-high heat and bring mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium; cook and stir occasionally for 10 minutes. Continuing cooking and stirring often until mixture is thick enough so that if you scrape a spatula across the bottom of the pan, you can briefly see the bottom of the pan before marmalade spreads back out, 30 to 40 minutes. Mixture should reach a temperature of 215 to 220 degrees F (120 to 125 degrees C). Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Spoon warm marmalade into sterilized jars. Cover and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.