Easy Orange Marmalade

Orange Marmalade is generally prepared at the time of Christmas when these are in season and shared as a gift among friends and relatives. I have also made this for Christmas and my laziness made me to post it now. I have used navel orange you could use any variety of your choice. I am sure you will love this flavourful marmalade.

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

Oranges - 4 large

Sugar - 2 cups (same weight of sugar as the weight of your oranges after peeling)

Lemon- 1/2

PROCEDURE:

• Use a peeler or knife to remove a thin layer of zest from the oranges. Slice the zest thinly and put it aside.(I used navel orange. If you use kinnow or clementine peel them and scrape the white part using a spoon or knife and proceed)
• Peel the white pith away from the oranges. Remove seeds. Chop the oranges finely and put them in a large bowl along with the zest. 

• Measure out the same weight or volume of sugar as your peeled oranges, and add it to the bowl. (1 cup sugar for each cup of chopped oranges) 
• In a deep vessel cook the oranges and the peel with sugar. 
• Smear a little bit of marmalade onto a cold plate and check the consistency . If it’s not thick enough yet, then simmer it a little longer.

• While marmalade is simmering, prepare some clean jars by pouring boiling water over them to sterilize them.

• When marmalade is finished, ladle it into the jars. Sterilize on jars for longer shelf life.

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Candied Orange peel | Candied Citrus Peel

Candied orange peel| Candied citrus peel recipe is simple to make and it is best for dessert and also for cakes. It is a best garnish for the desserts prepared with oranges or lemon. I have prepared this candied orange peel for my stollen cake recipe and it came out really well. The flavour of the orange peel was amazing in that cake. I have to make a next batch and store it for future use. Same way you could prepare lemon or any citrus peel to make this candied peel.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Makes: 1/2 cup

INGREDIENTS:(Half the ingredients for lesser qtty)
Orange Peel- 1 cup
Sugar- 1 cup

PROCEDURE:

• Peel the orange in to long strips without the white part using a knife or peeler. Chop them into long thin even sized strips.(I used navel orange and peeled from whole fruit)
• In a pan add the orange peel and add some water to cover it and allow to cook till the peel becomes soft around 15-20 minutes.
• Drain the water and add sugar with the peel and 1/2 cup of water and allow to cook in that sugar syrup till the syrup gets the thread consistency. Now the peel until the peels become translucent and tender.You could store them in the cooking syrup too.
• Allow to cool the mixture, now the mixture starts to crystallize so remove the orange peel using spoon or knife dredge them in sugar in a large plate(optional) allow to dry.
• Once it becomes dry store it on an airtight container.

• Note: You could pressure cook to save the time. Refer here.
• You finally get some orange flavoured sugar which you can use it for any desserts.

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Chakka Varatti/ Jackfruit Preserve/ Jackfruit Jam

       Jack fruit preserve is made from ripe jack fruits. Generally this preserve is prepared when jack fruits are in season and used when they are not in season. Best way to preserve the jack fruit as a paste form for later use.This Jack fruit preserve is used generally to make Jackfruit Pradhaman, Jack fruit Paniyaram/ Kulipaniyaram/ Neyyappam/ Appam/ Unniyappam, Jack fruit Ada/ Ilai Ada..etc.

       It is a finger licking preparation when i prepared this i finished almost by eating as such at the time of preparation itself. I followed easy pressure cooker method and cooking further in the same vessel. Generally it is prepared in a heavy bottom vessel called 'Uruli'. I did not find any difference by making it in pressure cooker. I have prepared this within 30 minutes.

INGREDIENTS:

Jack fruit- 25 pieces (I used thick fleshed medium sized pieces. Use 50 nos if the flesh is thin)
Jaggery- 1 cup
Water- 1/2 cup+1/2 cup
Cardamom, powdered- 4 cloves
Cloves, powdered- 3
Dry ginger/ Chukku, powdered- 1 teaspoon
Ghee- 1/2 teaspoon

PROCEDURE:

• Cut the Jack fruit and take the edible carpels and remove the seeds from that.
• Pressure cook the Jack fruit with half a cup of water till three whistles on medium flame.

• In a pan add the grated jaggery and water and allow to dissolve and make  a syrupy string consistency; Set aside. (If you drop the syrup from spoon last drop has to form a string while dropping from spoon. Otherwise you can check by dropping some syrup inside water if  you can able to make ball out of it)

• Once the pressure releases mash the fruits with masher or backside of a ladle as a paste.
• Keep the pressure cooker on top of stove and allow to evaporate the water by stirring.
• Once the water content almost evaporates add the jaggery syrup by staining through a sieve to collect dirt's from the syrup.

• Allow to cook and reduce by constant stirring to get a jam like consistency.
• When the water content almost evaporates add ghee, cardamom, cloves, dry ginger powders and stir well.

• Cook till the water content totally evaporates and gets the flavour of the spices added.
• Allow to cool and refrigerate till you use.
• Can be stored for months in refrigerator can be used when jack fruit is not in season.

Checkout my Jack Fruit Recipes using Chakka Varatti:
Chakka Unniyappam/ Jack Fruit Paniyaram
Chakka Pradaman/ Jack Fruit Payasam
Chakka Ela Ada/ Jack Fruit Ilayappam

Chakka Kumbil Appam/ Jack Fruit Kozhukattai

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