Homemade Marmalade.

The old mandarin tree in the backyard is laden with sweet and juicy fruit this year.

So best get to work to use this delicious fruit.

Mum was a fruit and vegetable preserver and a jam and marmalade maker.

Dad was the apricot jam expert extraordinaire!

Actually, they made everything when I come to think about it..

So, this is my first time making marmalade and this is basically what I did.

Washed the jam jars in preparation for sterilising them in the oven

Sliced the mandarins in half.

 Scooped out all of the seeds.

Took off all of the pith.

 Wrapped both the seeds and the pith into a small muslin bag.

Apparently the seeds contain pectin that aids the setting process.

(I chose to remove the seeds before cooking as I did not want to sieve the finished product.

I love the country chunky texture)

Julienned the rind from about half of the mandarins.

Put all of the ingredients into a saucepan (including the tightly knotted muslin bag) and let it all bubble away for about two and a half hours.

The ingredients: Mandarins, Sugar, Water and Lemon Juice.

You can find recipes  here and here.

I am a bit naughty with recipes like this - I always modify them to suit our own taste.

After thickening up and discarding the muslin bag, I then scooped the mixture to the sterilised jars and sealed them straight away.

Kept them wrapped up in towels overnight.

And it was marmalade for breakfast this morning.

Mmmm...just delicious...

 Of course, there is the obligatory gift giving ritual with a home-made product with home-grown produce.



There are many more mandarins on the tree so I guess that means more marmalade!

The best part is I don't have to pay for them, which really appeals to the thriftiness in me.

Happy Monday.

Pam