navel contemplation

Mr. Big has to work all weekend, our mini-break to the sea has been cancelled, it's raining and I am at home in danger of imitating a really desperate housewife. One who doesn't clean though. I am a bit bored. So I thought I'd contemplate another kind of navel and finally make my Dad's orange marmalade.

He has sent me a new and improved recipe. The only crucial factor is to get the proportions of fruit, sugar and water right and there should be no need to use commercial pectin.

He explains that jams are set by a "complex reaction of sugar, acid and pectin..citrus fruits and green apples are rich in acid and pectin. If the jam does not set, lemon juice can be added or a third by weight of crisp, green apples. Some people add a half a lemon which can be removed later, some tie lemon seeds in muslin which are fished out later, but as the seeds rise to the top they can easily be removed anyway. Finally, boiling for a longer time may also do the trick".

Happily, the proportions for this marmalade are just right as is and the jam worked out perfectly without resorting to any nifty tricks. Our apartment may still be a bit messy but it smells like a tropical holiday.


Orange Marmalade
750g oranges (look for fruit which is small and ripe)
1 lemon
1.5L water
1.25 kg sugar

Firstly, wash the fruit, then quarter and finely slice. Boil gently for 2-2.5 hours. Add the warmed sugar, heat gently til dissolved, then boil vigorously for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Allow to stand for 10 minutes, then pour into glass jars.