Nobody makes marmalade any more
"In a fast-moving world, the intricate method to making marmalade had become almost a meditative experience." Jane Hassell-McCosh
Well I still make marmalade and there are probably a few old ladies who do and maybe a few small 'artisan' businesses that do too. But apparently sales of commercial marmalade are dropping, and according to stallholders at both Queen Vic market and my local farmer's market, orchard owners are ripping out their trees. Indeed I thought I would not be able to find any this year. People are growing them at home though, and indeed one neighbour is already offering me half of his crop. Fortunately it is relatively small as it is a very young tree.
However, last Sunday, whilst out shopping on a beautiful sunny day I thought I would stroll back to the car through the farmers' market we have every Sunday in Eltham, and lo and behold on the first stall I came to there was a box of Seville oranges. They sold it to me for a mere $25,00 for which I have been feeling bad all week. Really I should have paid more, because there must be at least 25kg in the box and their per kg price was $3.50. I have two very large - French and Italian hypermarket bags - each over half full of oranges, which I shall have to turn into marmalade. The husband of the lady who sold them to me returned as I was picking them up and offered me another box - which I declined! As I said she agreed that people were pulling up their Seville orange trees, but she said they had decided to plant 20 to fill a small gap in the market.
I have talked about making marmalade before and included all the historical stuff there. So I won't do that again. So just a few short words on the fact that marmalade may or may not be disappearing, and how I feel about making it again.
You can sort of understand why marmalade sales might be dropping (in England anyway - home of marmalade). It is an acquired taste and I personally don't like it.
"Bitter, bitty, and bitumen-sticky, marmalade, like those other two national idiosyncrasies, Marmite and Gentleman's Relish, is an acquired habit, but once you fall for it, it will be with you for life." Felicity Cloake
I suppose I have never fallen for it, but I do use it occasionally in a glaze for ham or in a bread and butter pudding. I'm sure there are lots of other uses for it out there too. And I would hate for it to disappear. David would definitely hate to see it disappear. People seem to like it as presents too.
So World's Original Marmalade Awards to the rescue - founded by the lady of the quote at the top of the page.
This is now an annual event held in England but open to the world, with special sections for non- traditional marmalades, commonwealth marmalades, alcoholic ones, seville, etc. etc. I believe the commonwealth award this year was won by an Indian maker. And a Yarra Valley maker, Lachlan Shackleton-Fergus also won a gold medal for a thick-cut marmalade. Mine is thick-cut. Much too hard to get it fine and besides my husband prefers it that way. There were also lots of very non-traditional marmalades with ingredients as varied as honey, dandelions, whisky, bacon and onion! It's a bit like the current gin and vodka crazes that also have lots of unexpected additives. I guess it's a modern thing to experiment. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
Mine looks a bit like the BBC one at the top of the page.
Anyway I can't say I'm looking forward to it all. It will take me most of next week and maybe into the next. I can only do a few kilos at a time. But I'll feel good at the end of it, though whether I shall find it relaxing and meditative is another thing altogether. It's certainly and intricate methodology though - and very time-consuming.
"the Seville orange season is over in the blink of an eye and sometimes you just have to shut up and get on with things." Nigel Slater
So I will. Get on with it that is. Nigel Slater has a recipe although Felicity Cloake seems to have based her perfect marmalade on Delia's recipe. As with all basic things there are heaps of variations out there and according to Nigel Slater we all guard them jealously. It took him 16 years to share his. He calls marmalade "a taste of the sun on toast", which is possibly a touch over the top, but then again, maybe not.
"it is not every day you get the chance to fill the house with a lingering smell that starts as bright clean as orange blossom on a cold winter breeze and ends, a day later, with a house that smells as welcoming as warm honey." Nigel Slater
In my case it will be the same thing over and over for many, many days.
