I have made up the frozen block of marmalade mix that you buy at New World but it hasn't set. I reboiled for an extra 20 minutes and it passed the water test, even more so than when I have made it before but it is still runny. Any suggestions? Someone suggested tartaric acid - should I try this?
punkinthefirst,
Sep 25, 4:58am
You threw it away? NOOOOOOO! Use it as a jam or syrup substitute in baking. If you're worried about it going "off", put it in the freezer. My mum used to make a fabulous "war-time recipe" fruitcake with quite a lot of marmalade in it, and you can use it in Christmas puddings and also fruit mincemeat, etc., etc.
crazynana,
Sep 30, 3:48am
You could also try the Jam Sugar instead if just ordinary sugar. We have umpteen lemons on our tree so I just use them for marmalade.
chookish,
May 27, 3:54am
2 1/2 Kg Oranges. - 6 cp sugar - 4 cps water. Boil 1 hr 30 minutes. Wouldn't set. Used a setting agent. still would not set. The first batch I tipped down the garbage disposal, with the same problem. Does anyone out there have a decent recipe or remedy.
kaddiew,
May 27, 4:17am
You shouldn't have to boil marmalade for 1.5 hours. Did you soak the fruit and water overnight, then simmer until soft and the liquid is reduced a little, then add the sugar and boil hard? And was there any lemon juice in the recipe?
chookish,
May 27, 4:26am
Yes, yes, and yes. No lemon juice. What recipe do you use. I have been doing jam - bottling and chutney for years. My first attempt at marmalade though. Any hints I am grateful for. I have limes that I wish to use for marmalade. HELPPP.
chookish,
May 27, 4:27am
What does the lemon juice do?
davidt4,
May 27, 4:31am
It is possible to overboil jams and marmalades - they turn sticky and syrupy. Maybe that is what happened.
Try this for your limes. I have used this formula for other citrus with good results too.
Lime Marmalade
Simmer whole fruit covered with water 30 min. Slice and return to same water and leave overnight.
Add (for every 10 limes) juice of one lemon. Measure equal volume of sugar, mix in and stir over heat until dissolved. Boil until it sets (about 10 - 15 min).
Remove any obvious pips and pour into jars.
kaddiew,
May 27, 4:45am
Helps with setting.
chookish,
May 27, 4:47am
Thanks Davidt4 will try your recipe. Many thanks.
kaddiew,
May 27, 4:50am
I don't usually make straight orange marmalade, but a basic recipe from an Edmonds or Alison Holst book, if you have either, would be as good as any. Good luck!
chookish,
May 27, 6:26am
Hi Kaddiew, I used the Alison Holst recipe in my first batch. I usually use A. Holst recipes for everything, BUT marmalade recipe was even worse than my second batch. If you don't make orange marmalade what is the closest recipe that you use many thanks for your advice
meetee,
May 27, 7:17am
I don't have a written recipe for orange marmalade but the way I make it with never a failure is: Peel zest from several oranges and for every six or so oranges, two lemons. Slice the zest finely and put in bowl. Peel the pith (white) of the oranges and lemons and put in separate bowl. Cut the pulp roughly and add to the zest but putting any pips in with the pith. Add water to both bowls to cover fruit and leave overnight. Measure cupfuls of the zest mix into large saucepan and measure strained juice from pith (discard pith) by cupfuls and add to the saucepan. Bring to boil and when the fruit is soft add sugar at the rate of cup of sugar to a cup of fruit and boil quickly till a little put onto a cold saucer has a wrinkly skin. Pour into sterilized jars and cover with sterilized lids or cellophane cover.
meetee,
May 27, 7:21am
I find NZ oranges are best for marmalade, I don't use the thin skinned imported oranges. I freeze the pulp when oranges are cheap, just writing on the container how many cupfuls of pulp there is in each lot.
oh_hunnihunni,
May 27, 9:50am
Absolute surefire method is to add apples - granny smiths are my choice to ensure pectin is high, that's your setting agent. First fine slice citrus and cover with water overnight to extract juice and pectin, Then cook to soft fruit stage with chopped apples. Measure fruit and juice and add three quarters of that measurement in sugar, bring to a rolling boil till setting point reached - usually twenty minutes or so - done! You cannot taste the apples if the citrus is the major component.
Btw - works for strawberry jam too!
kaddiew,
May 27, 8:22pm
Like meetee, I don't really use a written recipe any more, as I tend to tinker with them - changing the fruit combinations, not using all the water once the fruit is covered, and always using far less sugar than stated, as I like a bitter marmalade.
But here's an Edmonds one I have used in the past (but not knowing why your other batches didn't set, I can't guarantee it won't happen with this one!) :
4 large grapefruit, minced, chopped or finely sliced 2 lemons, cut same way 3.4 litres water sugar
Stand fruit and water overnight. Boild for 45 mins till fruit is soft and pulpy; cool a little. Measure pulp and return to pan, then bring to boil. Add 1 cup sugar to each cup of pulp, stir till dissolved. Boil briskly, stirring occasionally until set. Makes 10 x 350ml jars.
hesian,
May 27, 9:38pm
When I made orange marmalade from a recipe that wouldnt set I let it all get cold and next day added more sugar and reboiled. It wasnt the best marmalade I have made but it did set and we used it as per usual.
jennis,
May 28, 9:53am
Agree with you, usually use local oranges in July each year when they're still showing a touch of green on the skin, and use the Edmonds Sweet Orange Marmalade recipe, adding just enough sugar to give the tart flavour we prefer.
OP, was the mix completely cold when you found it hadn't set? - wondering as making the recipe I use has the mixture very much a liquid when bottled, not thickish like jam is when bottled. The liquid marmalade mix sets once cold.
kindajojo,
May 29, 6:39am
Sounds like way too much water , do you do a set test on a cold saucer, if it doesn't set, you can reboil it rather than throw it away.
mica3,
May 31, 5:09am
Feel your pain got myself a thermometer and once reaches 105 degrees the marmalade will set. Can take ages boiling, boiling. Every batch takes a different amount of time but temperature is constant factor for setting.
beaker59,
Dec 20, 11:13am
Mums recipe so was probably from Edmonds book or similar.
Grapefruit can be plus an orange or two for colour flavour etc and 1 lemon for each batch. Cut and flick out the seeds if you miss a few just eat them and don't complain. Use coarse blade on food processor process the fruit and load loosely into a 2L ice cream container, with a cup or two of water. once container is full you can now freeze it til later in the year and I keep 6 of them over the season. If cooking from fresh then put that in the fridge until tomorrow for the fruit to soak, transfer to a large pot and cook until soft about 30 min of simmering, you then add about the same volume of sugar and bring to the boil while stirring boil vigorously until passes set test which usually is about 30min.
Fruit shouldn't be too ripe or too long off the tree.
Mums been gone for 10yrs but I still have her marmalade for breakfast most mornings thanks Mum.
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