Blood Orange Marmalade

Set out 3 ceramic or glass bowls {ones that will hold about 4 cups each}.

You will need 1 bowl for the juice, 1 bowl for the seeds and membranes and 1 bowl for the peels.

Start by washing the oranges and lemon well.  Slice the oranges and lemon in half.

Using the tip of your knife, scrape out any seeds that you find and set aside in bowl #1.

Juice the oranges and lemon, and place the juice in bowl #2.

Using a spoon, scrape out the membranes of the citrus and place them in bowl #1 along with the seeds.

Cut the ends off of each halved orange and the halved lemon and toss them in the garbage. Then cut the peels into the thinnest slices you can manage.  Slice the peels again so they are halved and place them in bowl #3.

Place the seeds and membranes in a muslin jelly bag or several pieces of cheesecloth you can tie up into a bag.  Close the top of the muslin bag or cheesecloth tightly so that nothing can escape.

Next you place all of your orange and lemon peels along with the juice in a large non reactive bowl and cover with 6 cups of water.

Push the muslin/cheesecloth bundle down into the bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge overnight.

After the peels have marinated overnight, bring a boiling-water canner, 3/4 full with water, to simmer.

Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain well before filling.

Remove the muslin/cheesecloth bundle from the mixture and give it a little squeeze to extract the extra pectin into your bowl before tossing the bag into the garbage.

Pour the contents of the bowl into a large non reactive pot.

Add 5 cups of sugar and stir to mix together. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until it has reduced by half making sure to stir the mixture often {this typically takes between 30 – 60 minutes for me}.

When the mixture reads 220 degrees on a thermometer, test to see if it has “set” by spooning a bit onto a cold plate.  If it has formed a bit of a skin and started to give a bit like goopy Jell-O, you’re good to go, if not, cook for a bit longer.

Ladle immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/2 inch of tops.  Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands on.

Place jars on elevated rack in a canner. Lower rack into canner. {Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if necessary.}

Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process for 10 min. Remove jars and place upright on towel to cool completely. After the jars have cooled, check the seals by pressing middles of lids with finger. If lids spring back, lids are not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.