My Grandmother, Honey, used to can. She would make one of my favorite things: Pear Honey. At 30-years old, I'm finally starting to can. It's been a slow process; my Mother bought me the canning set that I desperately wanted two years ago. So, it's about time that I started.
I sliced and quartered my oranges, following the Ball recipe for Orange Chili Marmalade.
After cooking forever, it was time to add in the peppers. Spicy Hot foods are not something I normally like. And the dried habaneros were not easy to find. So, I substituted whatever red colored dried peppers we had in the pantry. Then, I cooked the mixture some more while I prepared the jars. Next was to remove the peppers, add a crazy amount of sugar and cook it - you guessed it - more, until the mixture shows signs of jelling.
Knowing what the jelling stage looks like is key. The line drawing in the cookbook was slightly misleading or I totally overanalyzed it. Seven tasting spoons, one saucer (frozen saucer method), and fifteen more minutes of cooking time later and I have severely overcooked marmalade. It is super thick and super sticky but it tastes amazing! Like spreading orange slices candy on bread. And ... It is not spicy - There is just a hint of something special. I'm now a lover of orange marmalade!
Great idea - a canning blog. Couple of points - check with your FIL, Cal, he may be able to provide you with dried habaneros in the future, they are expensive but not if home grown. A marmalade made with those will likely be a lot spicier. Right now it sounds delish! Our orange tree is ripe about late January through February. If you're ready for more marmalade you can pick some oranges up real cheap here on Morse Avenue!
ReplyDeleteI just had my blog redesigned for a small fee. When I'm ready for a redo, I'll get you to do it! this looks great.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteLOVE this Laurel! Grew up with my mother and sisters canning everything under the sun. Enjoyed ALL of it except the squash. My favorite was the apricot pineapple preserves that my sister had overcooked. It was noticably darker than the rest and was shunned by all. Little did they know and unwillingly did I share the wonderful caramel taste that it possessed from the overcooked sugars. Your story has brought this wonderful memory back to me. Great job Laurel and love the blog. I wish you the most fun and success at your new tasty hobby!
ReplyDelete