http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10028/1031447-34.stm
Planets converge for maximum marmalade
Thursday, January 28, 2010
By Virginia Phillips
Lake Fong/Post-Gazette
Now's the time to make marmalade,
and our story tells you how. From
front to back: Blood Orange/Red
Grapefruit Marmalade with Bitters
(bottle at right), Three-Citrus
Marmalade and Key Lime Marmalade.
A box of blood oranges, fragrant and slightly under-ripe, harvested from my sister's yard tree in Los Angeles, arrived at my door a few days after she did.
After the margaritas, the question became what to do with the rest of these tart little devils.
Also what to do with those red grapefruits I'd hoped weren't freezing in the garage after a binge of candying peel.
My thoughts turned to marmalade, the bitter kind. Twenty years ago you could mail-order the sour and perfumed peel of Seville oranges, canned, from Williams-Sonoma. You added sugar and water, boiled it hard, and the result tasted exactly like Keillor's of Dundee, Scotland -- the macho marmalade in the distinctive white ceramic jar, a classic made for 200 years.
I also envied aromatic marmalades my sister makes from calamondins, the kumquat-size citrus she snips from a neighbor's tree.
If bitter and aromatic is what you want, Seville oranges now are grown in California, and you can order them and other rare citrus such as limequats, from Ripe To You, ripetoyou.com in Fresno County.
But vim, perfume and flavor abound here these next couple of months with blood oranges, honeybells, red grapefruit, Meyer lemons and key limes widely available. On their own or combined, these can be made into complex and dreamy jams.
All are small-batch recipes, so you can skip water-bath processing.
By luck I happened to be reading "Mouth Wide Open" by food historian and innovator John Thorne. A juicy chapter on marmalade revealed that early makers didn't add water to the rind/pulp/sugar mash. The cooked product ended up unspreadable and had to be liquefied at the table by stirring in a little tea. Of course that was in the days when only men made marmalade, he notes. Later on the fruit was cooked in generous amounts of water.
Hmmm, thought Mr. Thorne, with fruit juice now available in half-gallons, why not drench the peel mash with its own juice or the juice of a citrus cousin -- say, sweet orange juice with bitter orange peel. (Even navel oranges cooked in orange juice yield a classic marmalade with a gentle rind-y bite.)
That insight saved much squeezing and some expense. Juice is cheaper, and the result is marmalade aglow with flavor and color.
I made what Mr. Thorne calls Maximum Orange Marmalade, using blood oranges, sugar and not-from-concentrate orange juice. This was delicious -- sunshine in a jar -- but those blood oranges were a little too tame to be really interesting.
To intensify the "bitter," I partnered a second batch of blood orange peel with packaged "ruby red" grapefruit juice and threw in some leftover slivered candied grapefruit peel. This was a boost, but -- Grrr -- more bitter would be better and more red. too, because the purchased juice was paler than hand-squeezed. I hunted a fix around the house: maraschino or grenadine were red all right, but in a phony way, not to mention sweet.
There was a bottle of Peychaud's Bitters, dragged home from New Orleans for Sazerac cocktails some day. A taste revealed: Peychaud's (like most bitters) is loaded with concentrated bitter citrus. In went a tablespoonful. Peychaud's also happens to be an unearthly Chernobyl red, which helped the color. Wow. This is a grown-up marmalade and a winner.
So much for marmalade made by a man.
Next up is Eugenia Bone, super-preserver, daughter of old ways cook/teacher Ed Giobbi, and author of last year's popular "Well-Preserved." Ms. Bone's Three-Citrus Marmalade is heavenly on toast, but, because it is not too sweet, it does crazy good things for fish (see Shrimp with Three-Citrus Marmalade and Lime) or as braise or glaze for poultry and pork.
You can make it with any citrus combo, excluding limes. I used red grapefruit, blood oranges and Meyer lemons.
Whereas Mr. Thorne streamlines, letting you simmer the fruit whole, then slice it, pith and all, Ms. Bone makes you go to a little trouble.
You begin by slicing the rind off the fruit and scraping (most of) the white pith away from fruit and peel. Believe me, these few minutes are worth it.
The color is coral glass, texture delicate, with wisps of translucent peel. The perfume and flavor are heady -- a grande dame of marmalade. (The Thorne marmalade, macho in style, is jammed with peel and flavor, but not so crystalline.)
Because the planets converge for maximum marmalade: how about a mini-batch of key lime or Meyer lemon? Leftover syrup would be tasty in a winter cocktail.
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Rules of the game
The pot: Use a heavy pot, filled no more than halfway. Sugar mixtures boil over fast, and cleanup is a nightmare. A 6- to 8-quart pot works well for the larger batches; use a 4-quart saucepan for the mini-batches of lime and lemon.
Testing the set: The chilled plate method advocated by author Mr. Thorne and other pros is reliable. Put a china plate in the freezer as you set up jelly-making. Set times vary depending on the batch size and surface area. Boil 15 minutes. Place a half-teaspoonful on the plate. Return to freezer for a minute or so. Give it a push with your fingertip. If it shows resistance -- holds its shape for a moment -- it is done. If not, repeat this step every 10 minutes until it is semi-firm. Remember, jams set more over a day or so. Looser jam is fresher tasting. Too loose makes delectable sauce.
Tools: Sharp knife for thinly slicing fruit. Preserving funnel keeps jam from splashing onto fingers and jar rims. A clean nailbrush to scrub fruit.
Skimming: With a shallow spoon, lift off "persistent" foam. That is foam that doesn't disappear eventually. Do this several times for clear jelly.
The jars: For these small batches you will refrigerate and eat/share within a few weeks, wash jars, lids and rings in the dishwasher, or boil them in a pot with water for 10 minutes or so. You need not process the filled jars in boiling water.
-- Virginia Phillips
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Three-Citrus Marmalade
PG tested
Marmalade making is an elastic concept. I needed to add a couple of extra oranges and lemons for the 5 cups required, but I ended up with an extra jar of Eugenia Bone's gorgeous jam to use in savory recipes such as the shrimp saute that follows.
* 1 grapefruit (red preferred)
* 3 oranges (blood and honeybell preferred)
* 3 Meyer lemons
* 5 cups sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon butter
With a knife, score the fruit stem to blossom end and, sliding thumb under tip, pull off rind quarters. Cut most of the white pith off the peels of 1 orange and 2 lemons. Pick off most of the pith on the peeled fruits. It's OK if you don't get all the pith off the fruit and the rind. Cut the reserved rinds into matchsticks. You should have about 1 cup.
Cut the fruit in half along the equator and pop the seeds out with the tip of a paring knife. Grind the fruit in a food processor to a chunky pulp. There should be about 5 cups. But measure the pulp you have, as pieces of fruit produce varying amounts of pulp, and you will have to adjust the sugar accordingly: 1 cup of sugar for every 1 cup of pulp.
In a medium pot, cover the slivered rinds with 3 cups of water. Cook over medium heat until rinds are tender, about 25 minutes. Do not drain. Cool, then add the pulp and let it rest for 2 hours, covered, in the fridge.
Transfer the pulp, the rinds and their cooking water to a large, wide, heavy pot. Add the sugar and the butter. (The butter helps to keep the marmalade from foaming up, although it will still foam up some.) The marmalade will thicken more quickly in a wide pot than a deep one. Cook over medium-low heat for about 30 minutes. Skim off the foam as it builds up. The temperature must reach 220 degrees to jell. If you have a candy thermometer, stick it in the hot marmalade and rest it against the side of the pot. Place the lid on the pot to hold the thermometer in place. It will take seconds to get a reading. This is a loose marmalade, but if it comes out stiff, don't worry. Just warm it before using it in the recipes.
Makes 4 cups.
-- "Well-Preserved: Recipes and Techniques for Putting Up Small Batches of Seasonal Foods" by Eugenia Bone (Clarkson Potter, 2009)
== == ==
Shrimp with Three-Citrus Marmalade and Lime
Lake Fong/Post-Gazette
Shrimp with three citrus marmalades.
PG tested
The author suggests setting up the marmalade and lime and lemon juice marinade in the morning so the shrimp are ready to go for dinner. "You can also do a fast 30-minute marinade. The tart flavors won't be so pronounced, but the flavor will still be yummy."
* 3 tablespoons Three-Citrus Marmalade (see left)
* 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
* 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 3 tablespoons minced cilantro
Combine the marmalade, lime juice, lemon juice, garlic and salt and pepper to taste in a large nonreactive bowl and stir to dissolve the marmalade. Add the shrimp and toss well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 6 hours.
Heat the oil in large skillet over medium heat. Using tongs, drop the shrimp into the skillet. There will be some marinade left at the bottom of the bowl -- reserve it. Cook the shrimp until they turn pink, 3 to 5 minutes. Arrange the shrimp on a platter. Add the remaining marinade to the skillet and heat it until it is bubbling, about a minute. Pour the hot sauce over the shrimp and garnish with the cilantro.
Serves 4.
-- "Well-Preserved: Recipes and Techniques for Putting Up Small Batches of Seasonal Foods"
== == ==
Maximum Marmalade: Blood Orange/Red Grapefruit with Bitters
Lake Fong/Post-Gazette
Blood orange and red
grapefruit marmalade.
PG tested
This tawny red marmalade -- blood orange peel boiled in grapefruit juice with a spoonful of bitters -- has an adult edge akin to Scottish marmalade made from Spanish Seville bitter oranges.
* 1 1/2 pounds blood oranges (or Seville oranges or wild sour oranges if you can get them), scrubbed
* 6 cups pure cane sugar
* 6 cups (1 1/2 quarts) freshly squeezed or not-from-concentrate packaged red grapefruit juice
* 1 tablespoon Peychaud's Bitters or citrusy bitters of your choice
Place a dinner plate in the freezer. Put oranges in a large pot with 1 1/2 quarts of water. Bring to a simmer and cook an hour and a half. Oranges will be tender and easily pierced. Pour off water and cool oranges. Cut oranges in half and remove seeds. Using a very sharp knife, cut the halves in half again and slice peel and pulp together into thin strips. Don't be alarmed if fruit seems mushy. It will regain its "chew" upon boiling with sugar. Into a 6- to 8-quart pot put the orange strips, grapefruit juice and sugar. Bring to a roiling boil over high heat, then reduce the heat some but keep contents boiling steadily. Stir in bitters. Skim. After 20 minutes deposit a half-teaspoon onto the chilled plate and return it to the freezer. In a minute, prod with a finger to see if marmalade has started jelling. If not, repeat every 10 minutes.
Skim and fill each jar to within 1/2 inch of the top, then seal with the screw-on lids. Cool, then refrigerate. Let mellow for at least two weeks before broaching.
Makes a little over 4 cups.
-- Adapted from "Mouth Wide Open: A Cook and His Appetite" by John Thorne with Matt Lewis Thorne (North Point, 2007)
Meyer Lemon Marmalade
PG tested
Meyers lemons, a cross between orange and lemon, are sweeter, more floral. Their tender peel requires no pre-boil but does need a day's soak. You'll use about 6 lemons. Scrub, trim ends, and quarter one lemon (2 if small) and very thinly slice for 2/3 cup rind/pulp. Squeeze more lemons for 3/4 cup juice and add 3/4 cup water. Refrigerate overnight. Add 2 1/4 cups sugar. Boil 15 minutes and test for set.
Makes about 2 cups.
-- Adapted from "Mouth Wide Open: A Cook and His Appetite" by John Thorne with Matt Lewis Thorne (North Point, 2007)
Key Lime Marmalade
PG tested
The small mesh bags contain just over a pound. Select 6 of the prettiest. Scrub, halve from stem to blossom end, slice very thinly, cut side facing down, for 2/3 cup rind/pulp. Discard tiny seeds. Juice the remaining limes for 1/2 cup. Add 1 cup water. Combine and refrigerate overnight. Boil, partially covered, for 20 minutes. The pulp juice should measure about 2 cups. Measure and add an equal measure of sugar. Boil 15 minutes and test.
Makes about 2 cups.
-- Adapted from "Mouth Wide Open: A Cook and His Appetite" by John Thorne with Matt Lewis Thorne (North Point, 2007)
Virginia Phillips is leader of Slow Food Pittsburgh, board member of Farmers@Firehouse Farm Market and a freelance writer who lives in Mt. Lebanon. E-mail her at vredpath@aol.com. 
