Got my very first batch of Marmalade in the crockpot at the mo, a question though (for next time, just in case I'm doing it wrong lol)... When choping the fruit, do I chop the whole thing as is, or do I spend a bit of time removing some of the pith so there is more skin and flesh of the fruit?
I only ask this because I know the pith of any citrus fruit is the bitterest part. TIA.
lilyfield,
Oct 17, 12:16am
I always remove most of the pith.
Not too sure that cooking jam in the crockpot is a good idea. Should it not be on a rolling boil?
heather230755,
Oct 17, 12:27am
At work, we 'top and tail' the grapefruit then slice it in half and put it into the robot coupe.Pips and all go in.Then it is soaked overnight and cooked on a rolling boil like lilyfield has said.
popelka1,
Oct 17, 12:32am
Thanks for all that, according to the recipe I found, crokpot seems to be a goer!...bascially 2 hrs on low, then 6 on high, then uncovered on high for 1 to 2 hours and it's done.
So far it's working, I thought I'd try it out because the last time I tried making jam I burned a pot...not pretty! lol....I'll let you know how it turns out in the crock.
nauru,
Oct 17, 1:15am
I make mine in my breadmaker these days.It has a jam function and takes just over an hour from start to finish.Just whizz all the fruit as is, add sugar and some pectin and put in the breadpan, it also cuts out the soaking thing too.
popelka1,
Oct 17, 1:27am
That's what this crockpot recipe said too, that doing it this way eliminates the need for soaking beforehand, just did a set test and so far so good, it's almost ready to bottle. I removed the cut up pulp and put it through the food processor and it's now looking far better than the supermarket variety! Me thinks I will be making more come tomorrow morning :o)
buzzy110,
Oct 17, 1:47am
Just want to specifically answer the question about pith. That was the biggie for me when I first started making marmalade.
You use the whole fruit - skin, pith and flesh. However, even though I know that I still cut out the central core because it offends my sense of how a food should be presented, but you do not have too. I also remove pips if I can and definitely spend time removing them during the cooking process - probably because there is not a lot else to do when cooking.
Two more things I'll throw in for future reference.
1. I now make my grapefruit marmalade with fruit that isn't quite ripe because that is when the pectin is more abundant. It is harder to get it to set, the more the fruit ripens. Which is why I made my marmalade two months ago. Fruit ripens faster in the North.
2. If (and this probably won't happen to you) your marmalade, or even jam if you make that too, goes mouldy it is because your fruit was too ripe - this is according to Aunt Daisy. It is also why jams appear to shrink in storage.
popelka1,
Oct 17, 2:39am
Thanks Buzzy, those tips and hints are much appreciated.
pickles7,
Oct 17, 4:19am
Tokoroa... that figures
popelka1,
Oct 17, 1:24pm
Scuse me?? what has where I live got to do with making marmalade? I'm not in Tokoroa either so you got that wrong. Am I supposed to have some sort of stereotype attached to me because of where I live? Get a life!
popelka1,
Jun 6, 2:02pm
Thank you as well Nauru :o)
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