Rose's Orange Fine Cut Marmalade (454g)

Product Information

I gathered all of my books on making jam and was somewhat surprised to find that there were so many varied recipes for orange marmalade. In consistency, it was similar to Tesco’s, too. Not quite as wet as Bonne Maman’s but definitely no jelly, either. The colour, meanwhile, was spot on for Bonne Maman’s. The marmalade itself was the exact same shade of orange, while the strands of peel looked nicely dark in comparison.

In fact, the ingredients label looked fairly similar to the M&S marmalade - sugar, water, glucose-fructose syrup, orange purée, orange juice from concentrate, orange peel, trisodium citrate as an acidity regulator, orange oil and caramelised sugar. It had the same ratio per 100g of fruit (20g) and sugar (65g), too. I’m not sure if it is possible to salvage this batch, especially if you were planning on using it to decorate some cupcakes. If you are able to spoon the marmalade out of the jars, you might be able to soften them by heating them again gently in a pan with perhaps some water. Please let me know what you end up doing! Reply Taste buds primed with Bonne Maman, it was now time to test out the other marmalades to see if any of the alternatives were any better. M&S was up first with its Shredless Orange Marmalade. If the jam starts to fill the line, this means that the jam is still too liquid and runny, and that it is not yet ready.

Lemon & Lime Marmalade

The best way to test if a jam has reached setting point is to use a digital thermometer, sugar thermometer or jam thermometer. To prepare the rose hips cut off the tops and bottoms and throughly rinse. Cut each one in half and scrape out the seeds and fine hairs. I used the tip of a vegetable peeler, it fit perfectly into center of the rose hips. Place the rose hips in a non-reactive pan and cover with 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil and then turn down the heat to maintain a simmer. Simmer until the rose hips are soft, adding water as needed. When the rose hips can be easily smashed, they are ready. The original recipe states the rose hips will soften in 30 minutes, mine took 3 hours. Cool the softened rose hips with the cooking liquid. Process the rose hips and liquid in a food mill on the finest disk. Discard the skin and pulp. (Alternatively push the rose hips through a mesh strainer.) Strain the rose hip liquid through a fine mesh strainer and set aside. The rose hip liquid can be kept in the refrigerator overnight for jam making the next day. Discoverthe flavours of a carefully crafted marmalade, made from juicy fruits. Whether you like a heavenly blend of tangy citrus and sweet fruit, a classic orange marmalade, or a mix of different fruits, we have something for everyone and for your food cupboard.

It took me several weeks to gather up my urban foraging courage. On my morning walk I pass a house that is empty with a forlorn “for sale” sign that dominates the front yard. A gigantic rose bush hadn’t been trimmed and was filled with bright red rose hips. I took a pair of clippers and a bag on my walk and set about stripping the bush of all the rose hips. While I was clipping, the neighbors drove into the driveway next door and gave me a puzzled look. Thank goodness they didn’t speak to me. I was on the verge of being the crazy lady who lives in the neighborhood. I was waiting for “Um, hi there, what are you doing in my neighbor’s yard?” “Oh, I, ah, live down the street and am gathering rose hips for making jam.” I gathered up my treasure and wondered if I had enough rose hips to make jam. I had no idea what rose hips tasted like or that they take time and patience to clean and cook. This is my kind of winter adventure. If you’re worried that there is too little mixture in the pot, you might be using a pot which is too big. Although, you don’t want to use one that is too small either because the mixture needs room to bubble away viciously without burning your hands as you stir to avoid it catching at the bottom of the pan!In terms of taste, it had all of the flavours I was expecting - sweetness, zestiness, bitterness - though the latter was definitely the most powerful of the three and left a bitter aftertaste in my mouth. Take a moment to treat yourself to a leisurely breakfast, enjoying the harmony of flavours as you spread marmalade on your favourite bread. And don't forget to try it with a cup of warm tea for a comforting and delicious indulgence. Make sure you put the milkin the tea if that’s how you like it! Despite being seemingly overset, the taste was pretty good. As you might expect, it was seriously sugary, tasting more like an orange sweet with an undertone of bitterness thrown in. I would expect a sugar crash after an entire piece of toast with this on top, though the slice will admittedly be rather tasty. Homemade marmalade is so different from store-bought. Each jar retains the aroma and brightness of the citrus, but without any bitterness. And the kitchen smells amazing during the marmalade making. I’ve only made marmalade once before. It was two winters ago and I had forgotten so much. In many marmalade recipes the rind is cut away from the white pith of the citrus. Then the strips of rind are very thinly cut. The pith is discarded and just the fruit and rind are used to make the marmalade. The recipe I used for Rose Hip and Orange Jam instructs to cut the oranges into “thin rounds” and proceed with the marmalade recipe. I preferred not cutting the pith from the rind but next time I will cut the slices in quarters for smaller pieces of rind in the finished marmalade. Some marmalade recipes required the orange rind to be soaked in water for 3 hours. Some required straining the fruit mixture through a piece of muslin overnight.

Lidl and Tesco are also very reasonably priced alternatives though, for a tasty budget marmalade. M&S had a decent flavour, too, though you’ll need to see past its alarming jelly-like quality. Calculate how much sugar you need. You will need 80 g (1/3 cup) sugar for every 100 g (3.5 oz) of orange flesh and juice. If you are not using a sugar thermometer (or even if you are), to test if the marmalade has reached setting point, put a tablespoon of marmalade onto the chilled plate. The Lime Marmalade was introduced in the 1930s. Its slogan in the 1940s was The Difference is Delightful. It was marketed as a British Empire Product. During the war it was restricted under the jam ration. In July 1955 the lime juice gained a Royal Warrant of Appointment to Her Majesty. The company was the sole distributor of Dubonnet in the UK from 1938. The best flavour profile, however, has to go to the Wilkin & Sons Tiptree marmalade. I cannot explain how good it is. But imagine a perfect marmalade and you’re halfway there. Her Majesty knows what’s up.Things got even more promising when I examined the label and found it to be the fruitiest of the lot. Not only is the spread made with an impressive 40g of oranges but there’s also 5g of tangerines thrown in there for good measure. (The sugar content is the highest, though, at 67g per 100g, though.) This particular orange marmalade is quite sweet, primarily because it uses sweet, blonde oranges and not the bitter Seville oranges. However, I was more willing to forgive this in Tesco’s version because the flavour was delicious. Definitely sweet but erring more towards bitter than M&S’s had and surprisingly fresh-tasting, as if someone had bottled spring dew that tasted like oranges. Also, I’m not sure if putting the marmalade into the fridge may also be a factor. I don’t normally put my homemade jam or marmalade in the fridge unless I have opened a sealed jar to use. The jars of warm, sealed jam or marmalade should be fine kept at room temperature in a cool, dark place.