Marmalade

I really enjoy making jam.  I'm not that good at it yet so I'll just keep practicing. Oranges are in season so I made marmalade.

the first orange i cut into thin wedges, but i decided to cut the rind into smaller pieces

after adding the sugar and water, let it sit on the counter for 24 hours

i got these from a friend who went to bora bora for his honeymoon...i only have one bean left :(

throw the vanilla bean into the pot before you start cooking

start cooking!

Orange Vanilla Marmalade
Recipe from Ina Garten (The only change I made was throwing in a vanilla bean)

4 large seedless organic oranges 

2 organic lemons 

8 cups sugar 

8 cups water

1 vanilla bean (optional)

1. Cut the oranges and lemons into very thin half-moon slices and then place them into a stainless-steel pot. Remove seeds if there are any.

2. Add 8 cups water and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar until it dissolves. Cover and allow to stand overnight at room temperature.

3. The next day, throw in a vanilla bean (split the bean, scrape the seeds and throw it all into the pot) and bring the mixture back to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for about 2 hours. Turn the heat up to medium and boil gently, stirring often, for another 30 minutes. Skim off any foam. It will turn into a golden orange color.

4. Place some small plates in the freezer.

5. Cook the marmalade until it reaches 220 degrees F on a candy thermometer or you can put a little bit of jam on the cold plate. If it's firm, not runny or too hard then it's done. If it's runny then keep cooking and test again on a plate.  If it's too hard then just add some water and retest. 

Pour the marmalade into clean, hot Mason jars (I threw them into the dishwasher the night before to clean and sterilize them) wipe the rims thoroughly with a clean damp paper towel, and seal with the lids. Could be stored up to a year.