Friday, November 9, 2012

Orange Jam, or Ok, it's mostly marmalade

Orange Jam (marmalade to purists)
I don't like marmalade but I do like jam. There's a big discussion happening between my mother and I about what exactly constitutes a jam versus a marmalade. I like jam and so I made some. Some people will assume this is marmalade but it's mine, so it's jam.

ORANGE JAM A'LA ME!

I had exactly one orange, 3/4 cup of sugar, a lemon slice, a pinch of salt and some water so this is what I made because I wanted something for my currant scones that was more than butter and less than strawberry jam.

Zest the orange and put it in your Ninja blender! Add about 3/4 cup (more or less to taste) of sugar and whirrrr it around.
  


  
Peel the orange and cut the segments into the processor
  
Squeeze all that juice out!
  
Add a little water, whirr it around and pour it into a saucepan
  
BOIL like crazy until it's thick and jam like!  About 8-10 minutes.  *OOPS, add a squirt of fresh lemon
  
BOIL BOIL BOIL 
After a bit of boiling, when it looks thick, get your little glass ramekin (or little plate or bottom of a jar or a heatproof glass) and put a little of the molten orange liquid on the back of it.  
Pop it in the fridge for a minute and see if it's thick enough for you. 

  
When it's cooled down a bit, do the wrinkle test, push your thumb through it, if it wrinkles, it's jam!
  
Another test is that it leaves a trail when you pull a spatula through it, just briefly

Ok, pop it into two little jars, leave it to cool to room temperature, throw lids on and lookie lookie, you have orange jam... ok ok you really have marmalade but we've already discussed that.
 
I think is the perfect amount to make at a time...
 

Ok, off you go and make some jam, make some marmalade.  Coat your toast and bread and scones and baked goods in your own, homemade, yummy fruity goodness, all natural, no pectin and totally completely yummy! 

Enjoy! 

/Tracy