Marmalade is a citrus spread with orange and lemon peels and spices. It can be mixed into oatmeal, grits, or hot cereals. Marmalade makes a good spread on toast and croissants. It can also be used in baking as a filling for breads and cookies. I am not opposed to eating it alone on a spoon.
3 Quarts Tomatoes
2 oranges
2 lemons
10 cups sugar
2 T whole cloves
6 T broken cinnamon sticks
- Core and cut up tomatoes into cubes, they do not have to be peeled
- Add tomatoes and sugar to a pot-I have tried to use less sugar-it doesn’t work
- Put the spices in a bag or tea leaf strainer and hang on the inside of the pan
- Boil rapidly on high-stirring constantly
- Cook until thick and clear-about 1 hour
- Pour into sterilized jars to 1/8″ from top and screw on caps
- Boil jars in hot water bath for 10 minutes to seal the jars
Making jams, jellies, and marmalade is a vintage craft. Few people today go through the effort of making jam. It can be purchased at the store so easily. In America, I would venture to say that strawberry jam and grape jelly are the majority of jam and jelly sales. I would also say, that in the U.S. the most common use of jam and jelly is on bread with peanut butter. People in Europe seem to still use jams, marmalade, and jellies in variety. However, I personally know very few people in my generation who still eat jam and jelly. All that sugar…. And what do you do with it? Other than spread it on toast? Which we don’t eat anymore because of the sugar, gluten, and carbs.
But it is summertime, and my kind neighbor keeps bringing me sacks of tomatoes from his garden. I have canned and frozen more spaghetti sauce than we need, and feel craving for my favorite fruit condiment. So a few quarts of tomatoes will become marmalade.