FROM THE KITCHEN: BITTER ORANGE MARMALADE
INSPIRED BY OUR BITTER ORANGE, BIRCH TAR & BALSAM CANDLE, THIS RECIPE CAPTURES THE BRIGHT CITRUS SCENT IN A DELICIOUS PRESERVE.
INGREDIENTS:
- 10 medium-sized bitter oranges, organic and well-washed.
- Weight of caster sugar equal to the weight of the orange peels
- 1 tbsp Irish whiskey
- 1 vanilla bean
- Glass containers with tight lids.
METHOD:
- Halve the oranges and juice them. Set the juice aside, and remove the rinds.
- Put the seeds and pulp into a saucepan with 2 cups of water and boil for 30 minutes. Remove all the seeds and discard them.
- While the pulp is boiling, slice all the rinds into small strips.
- Put the rinds, the juice, pulp and the vanilla bean into a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan.
- Bring to a boil and cook for 10-15 minutes.
- Add the sugar and whiskey, and boil until the marmalade is thickened. Stir often, making sure you get the sides of the pan. You will see it darken and turn translucent after about 20 minutes. Watch it carefully at this stage so it doesn't burn. You can test a little bit of the jam on a cold plate to see the consistency. Remember that the marmalade will continue to solidify as it sits in the fridge.
- Remove the vanilla bean and ladle the marmalade into glass containers with tight-fitting lids.
- Make sure the marmalade is completely cool before putting it into the fridge.
- Customize your jars with twine, gift tags, ribbon, and greenery. If you're giving the marmalade as a gift, why not include a Bitter Orange, Birch Tar & Balsam candle for a perfect pair?
