I have become enamored with marmalades. Their taste is like a grown-up Sweet -Tart making one want to pucker up and smile all at the same time. I recently made a lovely, pale, light on the peel Pink Grapefruit Marmalade, but I wanted to do something more, something bright and orange.
I wanted to find the perfect balance between fruit and vegetable, something simple so the colors and flavors enhanced each other like Ying and Yang, Popeye and Olive Oyl, Yogi and Boo-Boo, and what the heck, I wanted to make something the children would like too, now, not later when they are all grown-up.
The result of my desire is Orange - Carrot Marmalade, which is not only eye candy in a jar, but just a little sweeter than traditional marmalade, fulfilling my desire to entice the children to partake of, because they like it. Of course, I didn't invent this particular pairing, there are a number of recipes floating around cyberspace, and I am not sure who did, but that really doesn't matter. I've discovered it now and made it my own. As far as I know, you won't find this on any supermarket shelf, but then again, that just makes this marmalade taste so much better.
ORANGE - CARROT MARMALADE
INGREDIENTS
4 Cups grated Raw Carrots
4 Lemons
2 Oranges
Water, about 3 Cups
4 Cups Sugar
1 Tablespoons Butter
Pinch salt
DIRECTIONS
Scrub clean and squeeze oranges and lemons reserving the juice.
Slice the rinds of 1 orange and 2 lemons, place the remaining peels and pits into cheesecloth (see directions in Pink Grapefruit Marmalade) and/or set peels aside to dry for Citrus Zest.
Cook citrus peels in 3 cups of water over medium heat until tender--about 30 minutes.
Add the grated carrots and another 3 cups of water, bring to a boil, reduce and cook until soft, 20 to 30 minutes. Stir in the orange and lemon juice.
Add sugar all at once. Stir constantly, cooking slowly until all sugar is dissolved. Take your time may take from 30 to 40 minutes. Once you are sure sugar is dissolved, bring to a hard boil. Boil for a minute or 2 - (Candy Thermometer at 220 F if thats your thing)
Remove from heat. Add pinch salt and 2 teaspoons butter. Stir until incorporated.
Ladle into hot half pint or pint jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Adjust caps.
Process 10 minutes in boiling water bath.
It may take a week to jell, but if you are anxious you can add 2 Tablespoons Pectin when you add the grated carrots.
Yield: about 3 to 4 pints or 6 to 8 half pints.
This is way too good to put off till later.... got it on my to-do list. Can't wait to have the family try it.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much. Love to hear how you do and what your family thinks of the final result. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteThis really does sound YUMMY!!! I was wondering...Why do you add butter?
ReplyDelete@Snackers Delight - Good question. I add butter because that is what my grandmother always did. But if you want to get technical, it helps keep the foam down. Foam isn't necessarily bad, but it saves a step of having to skim it off the top of your preserves, and you really do not want air bubbles in your preserves. There may be other 'chemistry cooking' reasons that I am not sure of, but above and beyond that, my Gramma was usually right about most things (as much as I sometimes hate to admit it!) Give t a try and see what you think. I personally think it add a layer of flavor. Hope that helps.
ReplyDeleteThanks for explaining, makes sense to me :)
ReplyDeleteNever thought I'd get back to this. Crazy household and a hubby who got pneumonia then that snowstorm!!!! Well I almost gave up when I discovered someone had eaten my carrots. So I made the pink grapefruit marmalade and it's getting a hot bath as we speak.Last week I made orange/cranberry muffins had to cook and drain cranberries in orange juice. Used the reserved juice in the marmalade. Looks great. Shouldn't effect the flavor. At least that's what I tell myself.With gardening season starting I'm not sure when I'll get back to the marmalade.
ReplyDeleteThe cranberry/orange juice sound lovely! Let me know how those flavors work in your mamrmalade. I know what you mean about the gardening...I spent all weekend outside clearing up tree branches, raking, trimming and planning where my new herb garden will be going.V Very soon I will not have much time in the kitchen!
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