Bitter orange marmalade

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 2 kg bitter orange(s), organic
• 1 kg sugar (not gelling sugar)
• 3 organic oranges
• Water

Instructions

Working time approx. 2 hours; Rest time approx. 12 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 2 hours 30 minutes; Total time approx. 16 hours 30 minutes

On the first day, the bitter oranges are washed under warm water with a vegetable brush or sponge. Then they are halved and thoroughly squeezed. Don’t be surprised: bitter oranges don’t produce as much juice as regular oranges. The juice is strained through a fine sieve into a bowl. The squeezed peel halves are set aside, and the other “waste” (pulp, seeds, skins) goes into a separate bowl. All of this (!) will be used later and is important for making jam. Now, with a sharp-edged spoon, scoop out the white part of the peel halves. It comes off quite easily. The scraped-out part also goes into the bowl with the “waste.” It doesn’t matter if a thin, white layer remains on the peel. The peel halves are halved again, any unsightly spots and fruit clusters are cut out, and the peels are cut crosswise into very fine, 1 to 2 mm thick strips. I used peels from 10 bitter oranges. The bowl of “waste” is now fully filled. Fill it with water so that everything is well covered, cover with cling film, and place in a cool room. Add the sliced ​​orange peel strips to the bowl of orange juice. This is also filled with water so that the strips are covered, and cover with cling film and place in a cool room. Overnight, some of the pectin will dissolve, which is important for setting the jam. On day 2, the bitter orange juice, including the peel strips, and the juice from a regular organic orange are placed in a large saucepan and boiled for about 1 hour. The peel strips should then be translucent and easily crushable between your index finger and thumb. Fillet the other two organic oranges and cut the pieces into approximately 4 pieces. Add the sliced ​​fillets before the end of the cooking time. The contents of the “waste” bowl are strained through a fine-mesh sieve into the saucepan, and the “waste” is carefully squeezed out by hand. The slightly slippery, jelly-like mass on the outside of the sieve is also added to the saucepan. Simmer everything for approximately 15-30 minutes. Then add the sugar to the pan and bring everything to a boil while stirring. Skim the jam occasionally. The liquid must be simmered until a temperature of 100°C is reached throughout. Tips: To be on the safe side, you can also do a set test. To do this, place some of the cooking liquid on a cold plate. If the jam solidifies on the plate, it has cooked sufficiently. To ensure the orange peel strips are evenly distributed throughout the jam and not just floating on the surface, it’s best to wait 10 minutes before transferring it to the jars. Stir the jam again and then pour it into the jars. The jars are filled to just below the rim and immediately sealed. The jars should not be moved during the cooling phase. Tip: If they are in the way where they were filled, place them immediately after filling where they can stand undisturbed overnight. Notes: Before cooking, my quantities were 862 g for peel, juice, and a little water; 219 g for orange segments; 120 g for the juice of regular organic oranges; and 300 g for the “waste” from the bitter oranges. The final filling weight was 1805 g. I also filled one jar with about 2 g of chili. We’ll see how it tastes. All measurements are subject to change.