Mmmm….. Marmalade

I’ve been standing at the preserving pan today, watching over a batch of marmalade – thanks to my friend Shirley for picking the grape-fruit from her tree for me.  Yesterday I was busy preparing the fruit, then let it soak overnight.  I like mine chunky, so didn’t chop it up too finely.  Then this morning it was popped into the preserving pan, brought to the boil, then simmered for the prescribed time.  Then the sugar was added, and it boiled away while I sterilised my jars.  Must admit  I do get into a bit of a mess when I fill the jars with all that golden goodness.  I like to use the “overflow” method, fill right to the brim then screw those lids on tight.  And don’t those jars of golden marmalade look scrummy?  Robin is one of the many people we know of a certain age who cannot eat grapefruit because of a particular pill he takes daily.  So it looks like it as all for me – although I think Shirley would appreciate a jar.   Must put the labels on, then it will go away in the pantry.

 

According to food historian Ivan Day,one of the earliest known recipe for for “Marmelet of Oranges” (close to what we know as marmalade today) comes from the recipe book of Eliza Cholmondeley around 1677.

Yummy marmalade

Our weather has been beautiful lately, so  nice and warm that I’ve been sitting outside at the picnic table.  I know I haven’t quite finished my Yo-yo Reindeer yet, but I’m quite keen to start another similar project.  Yesterday I cut up some white background Christmas fabric into various sized circles to make a Snowman from the same pattern.  Perhaps I should challenge myself not to start the stitching the Snowman until I complete the Reindeer?

Prep work for another Yo-yo project