My parents have just been to stay for a week which has been brilliant. Because they live in N Ireland, they generally come to stay for at least a few days at a time, which means that although they can’t help out on a day to day basis, when they do come, we get a chance to properly catch up.

This time, while my parents entertained the kids, I took the time to make some Marmalade. The recipe I used takes a while but makes amazing Marmalade. I spread the process over two days which was fine for me, but you can do it all in a day. The recipe I used is adapted from ‘The Ballymaloe Cookery Course’ by Darina Allen.

Ingredients

• 4 lbs Seville (Marmalade) oranges
• 8 lbs Sugar
• 8 pints water
• 1 VERY large saucepan (mine is a 10 litre saucepan)
• mesh bag

(These quantites can be scaled up or down easily. Just remember that for each lb of oranges, you need 2lb sugar and 2 pints of water. And a bigger saucepan!)

Method

• Put the whole oranges and water into a saucepan, weighing the oranges down with a plate so that they are submerged

• Bring to the boil, then simmer for 2 hours until oranges are soft and liquid is reduced by half

• Leave oranges until cool enough to handle (overnight is fine)

• Remove oranges from liquid and scoop out the inside flesh – leave flesh to drop in a colander over your saucepan to catch any juice. Place pips inside a mesh bag or muslin. I used a Cheeky Wipes mesh bag which worked perfectly.

• Finely slice orange peel (this works best with a sharp knife – the food processor made it too squelchy)

• Bin the remaining orange flesh.

• Place orange peel and bag with pips into the saucepan and bring back to boil

• While this is heating, warm the sugar on a baking tray for 10 mins at 180c

• When the orang mixture has come to the boil and the sugar is warmed, add sugar to the mix

• Boil until set (you’ll know when you’ve reached setting point by placing 1tsp of the marmalade on a plate and putting it in the fridge & waiting for 5 mins. When you take it out, run your finger over the surface and if it wrinkes, it has reached setting point).

• Pot the marmalade into sterilised jars (5 mins at 180c oven). Close while warm.

This made about 11 – 12 jars of Marmalade, so loads to save and share! As always if you try this recipe, please let me know how you get on, leave a comment on my facebook page.