Marmalade NOT setting.

rotamad3, Aug 12, 10:22am
Just made a batch of marmalade and boiled it for about ½ hr and bottled it and it did not set. My question is if I put it back in the pot and boil it aagin, what are the chances of it setting! Made a batch last week and set really well. Only difference was that I soaked this lotfor 2 nights instead of just one. Cheers.
wron, Aug 12, 12:29pm
I've heard that if the grapefruit are very ripe, setting can be a problem - I made a batch 2 weeks ago - seach the recent threads - has some ideas.
pickles7, Aug 12, 10:29pm
Three fruit marmalade.
preserving pan
sugar thermometer
1 kg of grapefruit [poor-mans oranges]
1 kg navel oranges
2 lemons
4 liters water
5 kg white sugar
slice the fruit thinly, discard pips.
Put the fruit into the preserving pan
cover with the water and leave overnight.
Next morning bring the fruit to the boil and simmer uncovered for 1&1/2 hours.
warm the sugar in the oven
Remove from heat and stir in 5 kg of warmed sugar. Stir to dissolve the sugar, then return the pan to the heat
Boil hard until it reaches 222%F---107%C
May only take 10 minutes. I have had it set in 5 minutes, check it every minute.
heat jars in the oven, boil lids
Put into hot jars and seal. I re use jam jars that self seal.
I don't test jams any more, messsssssy, just use the sugar thermometer
clair4, Aug 13, 12:38am
Add a little more sugar and cook in small amounts in the microwave.Use a pyrex jug or similar and it will just pour into the jars.
If your grapefruit was ripe it may not set as wron has stated.Did you also add a lemon or two!
wheelz, Aug 13, 2:18am
don't discard pips and pith! They contain valuable pectin needed for jam setting. Instead keep as many and tie up in muslin and add to jam while it is soaking overnight. Next day before making jam, squeeze out all the pectin rich liquid, discard muslin bag of pips and continue as normal. Tried this method with lemon and lime marmalade, and for the first time ever, I had a beaut marmalade set.
lindylambchops1, Aug 13, 2:35am
Tip in an orange jelly!
pickles7, Aug 13, 3:59am
It is too many pips that turn the marmalade bitter.
No one in my house ate the marmalade with the pips in, or bitter marmalade.
My marmalade always set, without all the pips.
The fruit needs to be just colouring.

I would not add any more sugar myself, it may turn into toffee.
kay141, Aug 13, 5:02am
I made orange marmalade last week, and for the first time ever, it did not set. I bought and used a packet of jam setting mix in the end.It was the same recipe and the same method that I have been using for many years. I did notice that the NZ oranges had very much thicker skin this year than they have has previously.
rotamad3, Aug 13, 8:48am
YAY> Reboiled it in 2 batches (didnt add any more sugar) for and xtra ½ hr and it has set beautifully. There was not one pip in the mix, painstakingly took everyone out. Thanks for sugestions.
pickles7, Aug 13, 9:02am
may have required more sugar in the first boiling. You really can not cut back too much on the sugar.
kay141.I have just had an orange, grown in N.Z. tasteless it was. No juice, just horrid. Navel 4390.
lindylambchops1, Aug 13, 9:03am
ah I just remembered about the JELLY stir in 1 teaspoonful of orange jelly crystals into the jar to thicken!Can't remember who or where I got that tip from.