Marmalade Time
It’s that time of year again - marmalade making time and today I have made the last batch - the fourth one. David tells me this will ‘see him out’ but somehow I doubt it. I have been putting off writing this particular chapter, section, whatever you want to call it, until I finished. It’s one of those things that I sort of dread, because it’s a lot of tedious hard work that has me ending up with a backache, but it’s also very satisfying in a unique kind of way. It makes me feel good.
A GENERAL AND PERSONAL HISTORY
The story goes that marmalade was invented in 1700, when a storm-damaged Spanish ship, carrying Seville oranges, sought refuge in Dundee harbour. The cargo was sold off cheaply to James Keiller, a down-on-his-luck local merchant, whose wife turned it into a preserve. I suspect that this is just a cunning legend created to promote the sales of the famous Dundee marmalade because I have looked into the history - and it definitely doesn’t talk about Dundee. It might be the history of Dundee marmalade, but not marmalade in general. I do remember those jars though so I’m guessing my mum or grandmother must have bought it. Those jars are probably collectors’ items now.
But back to the history. As you may know marmalada in Italian just means jam - and I think the Spanish is probably similar. Not in French though. Anyway the origins of marmalade are actually quinces. Quinces? Yes the Portuguese for quince is marmelo and in post-classical latin maiomellum. Though the Greeks seem to have something similar - ancient and meaning quince anyway. So back in history the quinces were cooked to a paste (as they are now - very trendy) with sugar. Quinces change colour in the cooking from a sort of pear colour to the bright orange you see in the picture - the same colour as marmalade. And then people started making this paste with other fruits. including oranges. The next step was to candy the peel - very popular in the fifteenth century and I think by Tudor times we were making marmalade, although initially it would have been thicker than it is today - somewhere between quince paste and the jam like consistency we know. Around this time, or maybe a little later marmalade also became the term which was used generally to describe a fruit preserve.
“Marmalade was once a prized aphrodisiac, apparently fed to Mary Tudor to help her conceive.” The Guardian
What I haven’t been able to discover really is why the English and the Scottish are the ones to have taken to it. As well as the Dundee marmalade story - the other famous marmalade - Frank Cooper’s Oxford marmalade is said to have come into being when his wife made too much for home consumption so he sold it - to great acclaim - in his grocer’s shop. Marmalade is quintessentially British. I remember being told that a suitable gift to take to the French family I was sent to on my exchange holidays, was a jar of marmalade because they didn’t have this in France. Not true as I found out - but British marmalade is indeed famous. Interesting isn’t it because oranges are not a British fruit - too cold. And here’s another fact - the bitter or Seville orange is a cross/hybrid between a pomelo and a mandarin. Of course now you can have marmalade made from any kind of citrus fruit. Jane Grigson recommends clementines and lots of people are fans of cumquat marmalade - which seems to be a peculiarly Australian thing.
And marmalade is now an adjective too - mostly describing a colour - the Beatles’ famous “marmalade skies” and also used to describe a particular kind of cat.
“Marmalade in the morning has the same effect on taste buds that a cold shower has on the body.” Jeanine Larmoth
As to my own personal history of marmalade. I’ve never been a fan - and I’m not really sure why because I do like oranges and I do like slightly sour things. Anyway David just loves it and when I was young and foolish and trying to please him - as I obviously am still trying to do or else I would not still be making it - I saw a recipe in Family Circle by Susan King (isn’t it odd what one remembers?) - and thought I would give it a go. I doubt I made it with Seville oranges - I don’t think they had them in England. Anyway - big mistake (I joke David) - because he loved it so much he now really doesn’t want to eat any commercial varieties. And give him his due he now joins in and does some of the tedious stuff - including the washing up. Vitally though he decides how much sugar to put in.
Another thing the marmalade making has been responsible for is the purchase of a large preserving pan. Well now I have two pans but the second one is more multi-purpose than just preserving.
So there you have it - apparently we now have 43 jars of marmalade of various sizes with beautiful labels - another David contribution. I only just had enough empty jars. It will be interesting to see how long they last.
Phew!
RECIPE
First of all you pour boiling water over the oranges (well your marmalade fruit) to set the colour I believe. They should not be waxed but unwaxed oranges are very difficult to find.
You need two large pans. In one you put the shredded peel - you peel the oranges with a vegetable peeler avoiding the pith - and then pile it up and shred it finely. Cover well with water and boil to soften it. You’re supposed to test it to see if you can rub it into virtually nothing between your fingers - but I don’t do this anymore.
In the other pan you put the cut up fruit - having first removed the pith. Add some lemon juice - I’ve been using two large lemons to fourteen Seville oranges - and cook until completely pulpy. You will need to stir it every now and then or it will burn.
Strain the peel. Remove the pips from the orange pulp - a tedious operation best done with a small spoon and a cup. Then put it through a mouli, discarding the tough bits between the orange segments.
Combine the fruit and the peel and heat to boiling point. Take care - this is when it burns. Add sugar - you must have quite a lot - and cook until setting point. Pour into hot jars, cover with greaseproof paper and a lid. Done!
“a spoonful a day keeps the doctor at bay.” Paddington Bear
