Quick and Easy Marmalade Recipe at home
Know your roots before turning into a tree-
Marmalade is a fruit preserve made from the juice and peel
of citrus fruits boiled with sugar and water. It is generally made
from bitter oranges but it is also made from lemons, limes, grapefruits, mandarins, sweet
oranges, bergamots and other citrus fruits. The word marmalade is borrowed
from the Portuguese word “Marmelada”. In Portuguese, marmalade is a preserve made from quince
cheese.
Marmalade first appeared in the English language in 1480, borrowed
from French word “Marmalade” which, in turn, came from
the Portuguese word “Marmelada”. The extension
of marmalade in the English language to refer to a preserve made from
citrus fruits occurred in the 17th century.
It is also believed that Mary, Queen of Scots, ate it when she had a
headache, and the name is derived from her maids' whisper “Marie est
malade” meaning Mary is ill. However, no
concrete evidence is found till date.
Now that you are aware
of my origination, let’s discuss what I am made up of. The ingredients are damn
simple and easy to get. You may easily get it from your kitchen daily
essentials. This can be easily prepared and stored in air tight cans and jars
for future use. Cooking time (including preparation time) is 30 to 40 min
approx. All the ingredients are instant.
For the marmalade, you
need-
·
2
kilograms ripe oranges
You
may use a mix of lemons, oranges and other citrus fruits as per availability
but remember not to use too many lemons as lemon skin is slightly bitter in
taste by nature. It is recommended to add more oranges than any other citrus
fruit to avoid bitterness.
·
4
cups of sugar or sugar free as per your choice
·
4
cups of water
·
Airtight
containers in case you wish to store it for future use
This generally serves
6-8 people approximately.
Method of preparation of Marmalade-
Step I:
Wash the oranges under running tap water and if possible for extra safety
keeping this COVID situation in mind, wash the oranges with the natural
solutions available in market these days to wash off the pesticides and
unwanted germs and bacteria from the fruit skin.
Step II:
Use a sharp knife or
peeler to peel off the orange skin or zest. Make sure to leave behind the
entire white portion of the orange as it is very bitter in taste.
Step III:
Chop the zest and set
it aside.
Step IV:
Take the peeled off oranges and remove the thick white part from around
each orange as shown.
Cut the oranges to
small pieces in a bowl and squeeze out all the juices from the pulp. Remove the
seeds and other unwanted parts or membranes and pack them in cheesecloth bag.
Step VI:
Now add the chopped zest
in step III, fruit pulp in step V and water in a heavy base pan and put in on
medium flame.
Now add sugar and the
squeezed out juice in step V in smaller portion by portion as per requirement
in the pan and bring it to boil. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
Step VIII:
Add the cheesecloth bag
in step V to the pan. Bring the mixture to another boil. Keep few small plates
in the freezer to chill them.
Step IX:
Increase the flame to
high and cook the mixture until it starts thickening.
Step X –To check if
marmalade is set or not:
Put a dollop of the
mixture on the chilled plate with the help of a spoon. Swirl the plate to
spread the mixture and drag the spoon through the mixture. If the
marmalade is set, your spoon will leave a trail behind.
Step XI:
Remove the cheesecloth
bag from the pan and squeeze out all the marmalade from its surface. Dispose
off the bag. Turn off the flame and take the marmalade off the heat. Wait for 5
to 10 min and allow the marmalade to cool down slowly.
Step XII:
You may now fill the
cooled marmalade into the air tight cans and jars for future use. Before filing
in the jar give the marmalade a good mix. Refrigerate the jars directly.
Tastes best when spread
and served with toast, chapattis and paranthas. Add a layer of chocolate spread
on the other toast in a marmalade sandwich to give it a Chocó-orange taste.
Chocolate is sweet and marmalade is slightly bitter, this would give a sweet
bitter taste to your marmalade sandwich.
Health Benefits of
Marmalade:
Oranges are good source of Vitamin C, dietary
fiber and calcium. Marmalades are
low in fat content and hence applying marmalade on a bread toast is a better option than applying
butter or cheese. Marmalade spread over a toast is approx 120 to 130 kcal.
Use chocolate syrup or
cocoa powder to make chocolate orange marmalade and garnish it with chocolate
chips. Some people prefer to add vanilla essence or caramel syrup as per their
preferences.
Tip to preserve:
Put the marmalade in air tight containers and preserve for future use. Make sure no moisture is present in the jar or container before pouring the marmalade in to avoid any growth of bacteria and fungus. This would improve the shelf life of your marmalade.
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