Once a year, sometime in January, Seville Oranges show up in our Produce Depot (?!?). Celebration begins.
- 1.3kg Seville oranges
- 2 lemons , juice only
- 2.6kg sugar
The exact quantities may depend on the size of the available pan. Our large, heavy bottom pan and a single layer of tightly packed oranges (sideways) calls for five lemons and about 3.2 kg (17 pieces) of oranges and 6.4 kg of sugar. This makes about 15-16 0.5 litre jars.
- Wash oranges very thoroughly with soapy water and use a hard brush. The fruit we buy is covered with a layer of wax, and stubborn labels that need to be removed.
- Extract lemon juice.
- Put the whole oranges and lemon juice in a large preserving pan and cover with water.
- Press the oranges down with a smaller pot cover to keep them submerged. (maybe put some other preserve jars on the pot lid to keep it down?).
- Bring to the boil, cover the pan and simmer very gently for around an hour, or until the peel can be easily pierced with a fork.
- Set the oven to about 250F/120C.
- Place the sugar in a heatproof dish and put it in the oven, for a long warm-up session until it is time to dissolve the sugar (step 14).
- Once orange peel can be easily pierced with a fork, fish them out of the simmering liquid (liquid remains in the pot for now).
- Allow oranges to cool until they are easy to handle, and then cut each of them in half. Scoop out all the fruit pulp including pips and pith into a deep dish, while ‘dry’ peels are placed in a separate dish.
- All pulp and stuff go into a cotton muslin bag, secured safely – the bag can now be placed in the original pot, with the remaining cooking liquid.
- Chop the peel into thin strips, then in small chunks and put it all into the pan with the muslin bag and liquid.
- Return to the heat and boil for ½ hour or more.
- Remove the bag, squash it on the sieve, and wring it to obtain as much pectin from the pulp – as possible.
- Add the warmed sugar and wait until it dissolves completely – without boiling the mix.
- Simmer the mix gently for an hour and let it cool overnight.
- Boil it gently (uncovered) the next day for about two hours until the mix reaches desired setting point.
- Fill jars using wide funnel.