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!
