Oranges fresh from Seville

Today our decorating programme has been put on the back burner.  Its position on the front burner has been taken by the marmalade pans!  So what do we need?

1. Seville oranges                  √ Check
2. Lemons                              √ Check
3. Jam sugar with pectin     √ Check
4. Humongous pans              √ Check
5. Sharp knives                     √ Check
6. A reliable recipe                √ Check
7. Lots of jars                         √ Check
8.  Strong stirring arms        √ Check
9. All afternoon!                     √ Check

Big pile of oranges: ‘have we really got to peel all of these?’, said Jen

On marmalade duty were Jen and Glenys, both keen to keep the guest house in marmalade for the coming season.

The peeling process

The pile of oranges seemed mountainous and the task likewise but armed with sharp knives our marmaladers persevered and toiled until the oranges were peeled, depithed & chopped and the pith and pips were tied tight in muslin bags.

The next stage was to get the pans-a-simmering.  We popped in the oranges, chopped peel and bagged up pith and pips and let the whole lot simmer.

Simmering on the stove

At this stage the sweet tangy aroma filled the whole kitchen and guest house, the monotonous task of chopping and cutting was soon forgotten.  This was bliss, it’s a shame we couldn’t bottle the smell to share.

We added the sugar and brought the orangey syrup up to boiling point.

Hmmm…. the sweet tangy aroma had to be smelt to be believed

After 20 minutes (and several taste/texture tests) it was time to let the marmalade cool, ready to jar.

Jarring up – a sticky business!

First batch all jarred, labelled and passed the taste test by Dan and Rob!

We hope when you are next here you’ll enjoy our homemade Seville marmalade at breakfast time.

Breakfast by the sea this morning with our homemade marmalade

In the meantime Jen and Glen will be making a second and third batch to hopefully see us through the season.  I wonder how many jars we’ll need?!

Uh-oh, more oranges to peel!

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