“I came all the way in a lifeboat, and ate marmalade. Bears like marmalade.” quote: Paddington Bear.
I, too, like marmalade. And it’s such a pretty word as well. It sounds like it tastes. I’ve posted other marmalade recipes...”Maple-Kumquat Marmalade”…“Meyer Lemon Marmalade” and my most popular “Buddha’s Hand Good Luck Marmalade”. They are all tasty and I do think Paddington might like them very much. But…..
…this week I chose the imposingly large Pomelo citrus for making marmalade. You may have seen them in the grocery. They look like a giant grapefruit, but are about the size of your head…really, truly…unless you have a very small head. They aren’t hard to find in January and February in most supermarkets or import groceries. Pomelos are tangy like a lemon mixed with the sweetness of an orange. A complex tasting citrus. Full of Vitamin C they can be juiced like most citrus of course. These Pomelos were so large I only needed two for 4 pints of marmalade! If you want to know a bit more about the Pomelo click here.
The pith is very thick and when cut away leaves a round fruit about the size of a large grapefruit…they are from the same family of citrus by the way.
Rind is cut away and into thin strips. Pith is removed. Fruit is then cut into sections. Scraps and seeds are gathered into a cheesecloth bundle to flavor the marmalade.
Cooked down for a few hours with sugar in the final stage, then poured into clean, sterilized glass jars with lids. The recipe is easy and you can substitute Grapefruits if you like.
A new-old trick I recently learned about is to seal jars in a low temp oven! Works like a charm and no hot water bath. This doesn’t work for all canning, but is particularly good for high pectin fruits.
Thick sliced whole grain bread toasted with a slather of softened butter, topped with “Pomelo Marmalade”. Perfect for me and perfect for Paddington!
Pomelo Marmalade for Paddington
Ingredients:
- 2 Pomelos (or four grapefruit if you must)
- 6 cups white sugar
- 2 1/5 cups water
Equipment: cheesecloth and twine, enamel or stainless pot, 4 pint canning jars with new lids
Directions:
- Slice off the tops and bottoms of the Pomelos and discard.
- Peel the rind/skin away from each using a sharp knife or peeler, trying to get as little white pith as you can. Cut into thin strips. Set aside.
- Cut away as much of the pith from each Pomelo as you can. Discard.
- Slice the flesh of each Pomelo away from the center core. The center is where the seeds are. Tie the seedy cores up in cheesecloth and twine making a sachet. Set aside.
- Section the flesh and put into a food processor, pulsing until finely ground up. Pour all the juice and flesh into a non-reactive pot…enamel or stainless steel. Add 2 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then turn to simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Add the sachet to the pot, submerging down into the hot liquid. Refrigerate this mixture overnight. (The seeds are soft and contain pectin which will help the marmalade set up naturally.)
- The next day, squeeze the sachet out very well into the Pomelo mixture. Discard sachet.
- Add 6 cups of sugar to the mix and while stirring, bring the mixture to a boil over high heat.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring often for about 1 hr. until reduced and thickened.
- Turn oven to 250 degrees.
- Spoon hot marmalade into sterilized glass jars leaving 1/2 inch at top of each unfilled. Wipe mouths of jars clean and top with lids.
- Place filled jars, not touching, in a baking pan and put in oven for about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let jars cool on a wire rack. Listen for the “ping” or suction sound as the lids seal to the jars. Lids will go from being a bit concave right out of the oven to convex after cooling. Store in a dark cabinet for up to 12 months. (If jars do not seal then refrigerate for up to 2 months or give away as gifts!)
teresablackburnfoodstyling.com
