Mandarin and Cinnamon Marmalade

Last year I purchased a new coat for winter, it was a lovely caramel coloured duffel coat which I got for a bargain price – score! Once I got home with my new purchase I proudly did a fashion show for Mr LG who promptly said if I put on a hat and wellies I would look like Paddington Bear. Hmmm I’m not sure that was a compliment, but it was better than a story a friend told me of how she had been out shopping and when she did a fashion show for her husband for the first outfit his comment was she looked like Lulu, feeling somewhat deflated, but determined that the next outfit would have a much better reception, she tried again only to be met with a horrified look and the comment that, this time, she looked like RuPaul!!

Well I loved my coat just like Paddington loved his marmalade sandwiches….and there’s the segue into this week’s post for mandarin and cinnamon marmalade

Unlike Paddington I have never been a fan of marmalade, but I found this recipe in the BBC Australian Good Food magazine (no longer in print) and it seemed like a good way to use up part of this seasons mandarin harvest from my very productive mandarin tree. Surprisingly (after much prodding by Mr LG) I tried this version and I really liked it, teamed up with The Little Loaf’s Bircher Muesli toast it is just plain delicious.

(Adapted from BBC Australian Good Food Magazine).

Recipe

Makes 3 Jars.

• 1.5kg mandarins
• 4 cups water
• 2 cinnamon quills
• 1.1kg white sugar (or 1 cup of sugar to 1 cup jam)
• pinch saffron threads.

Method

Peel mandarins and cut the peel into thin strips – place in a large mixing bowl.

Remove the white pith from the mandarins. Keep half of the pith for later use.

Cut the mandarin segments and remove the seeds. Put the mandarin segments in a bowl with the peel. Keep the seeds separate.

Place the seeds and pith into a square piece of clean muslin and tie the ends of the muslin together. Place into bowl with peel and segments

Cover the peel, segments and muslin bag with 4 cups of water. Cover with plastic wrap and leave to soak at room temperature overnight.

Place the mandarin mixture, including the muslin bag and the cinnamon, in a large saucepan.

Bring to the boil on a high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer covered for 35 minutes or until the peel is soft.  Remove from heat and discard the muslin bag and cinnamon.

Measure the mandarin mixture in a jug: you need one cup of sugar per one cup of mandarin mixture.

Place mandarin mixture and sugar back into large saucepan. Add saffron and stir on a low heat until sugar dissolves.

Increase heat to high and boil mixture uncovered for 40-45 minutes. In the mean time place a small dish into the freezer – this is used to test the readiness of the jam.

I test my jam at the 40 minute mark by using a small amount of jam placed in the small dish, allowing it to cool and then running my finger through it. If the line stays then the jam is ready. If the jam runs together keep boiling and then test again until the jam is ready.

Pour jam into hot sterilised jars and seal immediately.

Recipes using mandarin marmalade: Chocolate and Mandarin Tarts.