"The Great Marmalade Challenge"

Master Class:  Suzanne Quennell

 score 42/50

 Novice Class: Rachel Toohey

score 36/50

 Junior Class: Makenzie

score 48/50

The competition results were based on the following criteria:

setting consistency; colour; cloying; the balance of sweet and acid; and fruit. 

500 gr. cumquats allow 2 cups water

350 gr. sugarWash fruit and cut removing pips then cut fruit into shreds and soak fruit over night. 

Place pips in muslin bag and soak them overnight in 2/3 cup water.

Boil fruit next day adding the water from the pips and dangle the pips tied in muslin bag when cooking.

Add sugar when skins are soft.

Doesn't take long to cook.

Bottle when you can handle

Seal while still warm.

Lime Marmalade

5 tahitian limes - save any seed

2 sweet yellow limes

(approx 750g fruit)

cut into quarters and sliced very finely.

a thumb size peice of fresh ginger, finely chopped.

I also used about 1 tablespoon of citrus seeds, (which I save from lemons etc and pop into the freezer to use in jams) - tie them into some muslin or some cotton material.  If you don't have any, you could use citric acid powder or 1/2 cup lemon juice. Put into a saucepan with about 2 1/2  cups of water, and boil fast for around 30 mins until the fruit is soft.

Pour out into a heat proof jug, and measure back into the saucepan - discard the seed bag.  You then add the same amount of sugar, ie if 3 cups of fruit, then 3 cups of sugar.  Boil this until it begins to set - probably about 30 to 45 mins.  the more you make the longer it may take.

Check for setting by putting a teaspoon full of marmalade onto a cold saucer (pop into freezer)  leave for a minute in the freezer and push with your finger.  If set, it will wrinkle.  If you want, you could add some finely chopped crystal ginger or 'naked' ginger at this point.  Pour while hot into hot, sterilized jars, tighten the lid and turn upside down for a minute to seal properly.  

This recipe made about 750 mls.

6 Blood Oranges, sliced/shaved ever so finely

1 lemon, sliced/shaved just as finely

2 cups of water

Sugar (see method below for quantity)

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Rosemary, fresh, just a few sprigs

Put finely sliced oranges/lemon into a heavy based non-reactive pan with the water and place onto a low heat. Cover with a cartouche made from scrunched up greased paper, the lid, and allow to cook for 1 hour (checking occasionally to ensure it does not stick).

Test the rind at this stage to see if it is tender. It should give when squeezed between the fingers. Take off the heat and measure the rind/pulp/juices. For every 1 cup of mixture, measure 3/4 cup of sugar. In this instance I had 5 cups of mixture and 3 1/4 cups of sugar.

Place the sugar, vinegar, rosemary and rind mixture into the same pot and place on a medium to high heat. Bring to high simmer, stirring occasionally, and then reduce heat to a slow simmer and allow to cook for approx 20 minutes. Test the marmalade on a chilled plate to see if it gels. When this stage has been reached, remove from heat and ladle into clean sterilised jars.

This recipe made about six 250ml jars, with a little bit left over for tasting.