Ginger Lime Marmalade

[Beccy]

As requested. Sorry it is not precise, but I hope it will help you make a marmalade that is perfect for you.

Books will give you recipes that make it sound as if you have to do it all in one long cook-in. Well maybe it's best if you do, but I very rarely have that much time to set aside, so I usually make marmalade over three or four days. I do the peel cutting in front of the telly, ideally over one evening, but sometimes two. Then I boil up the peel. I usually rinse the pips just before heating the pulp up again, dissolving the sugar and finishing it off. This may not be ideal, but I have never had a problem with the marmalade going off and it certainly tastes fine, so don't be intimidated by the amount of work involved, you don't have to do it all in one go.


1.4kg / 3lb limes
2.75kg / 6lb sugar
3.5 litres / 6 pints water
at least 25g / 1oz root ginger, I use about 2oz
Makes about 10 lbs

1) Wash the limes.

2a) If you like thin cut peel, use a really good vegetable peeler to take the peel off in strips, cut the strips into shreds and put in half the water water in your preserving pan (you don't really want them to dry out). Halve the peeled limes, squeeze the juice out and add that to the pan. Put the pips and the rest of the detritus in to a muslin cloth, tie up with string and hang it from the handle of the preserving pan so it is under water.
OR
b)If you like thicker cut peel (you are unlikely to get very thick cut as the limes we get just don't have very thick skins), half the limes and squeeze the juice into half the water water in your preserving pan. Halve the lime shells, then scrape off the wet segment skins so you are left with a pile of pips and detritus and a pile of peel and pith. Put the pips and the rest of the detritus in to a muslin cloth, tie up with string and hang it from the handle of the preserving pan so it is under water. Cut the lime shells into the size of peel bits that you like and add to the pan.

3) Peel the ginger, cut into shreds and add to the pan. Bring to the boil and simmer gently until the peel is soft, about two or three hours. The water will have reduced, and the peel become a much lighter green.

4) Put the jars and their lids (which you have just washed and rinsed) on to a large tray and into a low oven Gas 1, don't know what the electric equivilent would be. They need to be in there for at least half an hour. If you use saucers to test for setting pop them into the fridge or freezer now too.

5) Remove the muslin bag of pips from the pan and put in to a heat proof bowl, pour over about a pint of boiling water.
a) If you have one of the fancy silicon oven gloves use that to gently squeeze and manipulate the bag of pips in the water to rinse out the jelly (pectin).
OR
b) Use a slotted spoon or straining spoon to gently mash the bag in the water to rinse out the pectin.
In both cases BE GENTLE, you don't want to burst the bag! Add the pectin water to the preserving pan, repeat twice.

6) Add the sugar to the pan and heat gently until dissolved, then boil hard until setting point is reached. Allow to stand for ten minutes, (if you pot up immediately all the peel will go to the top of the jar), stir, pot and seal.

If it doesn't get eaten and especially if you have somewhere cool and dry to keep it this (like all marmalades) will keep safely for years.

[Chez]

Wonderful! Thanks Beccy.

[lizzie]

Mmmmmmmmmmmm. This sounds yummy. Thanks for that Beccy, another one added to the receipe file.

[The Grock in the Frock]

fantastico!but i'm running out of jars...hellllp!

[Chantal]

Hi Grock

I've just ordered some jars from Lakeland which are very reasonable 12 x 8ox are £4.50 and 12 x 1lb are £4.95. I'm against buying stuff when I can recycle but I simply don't have enough jars to get properly started. Anything I give away will have a proviso that the jars come back!

Chantal

[The Grock in the Frock]

here,here.wont buy when i can get them off friends and family for free,but there all starting to look like jam or pickled onions and are now protesting to my demands.lakeland seems the better option,thanks!

[Beccy]

Of course the really good thing you can get from Lakeland is lids for standard jars, because the lids don't last forever. I tend to use new lids when I'm making anything with vinegar and reuse lids for jams etc.

I know this may seem odd, but check if you have Freecycle in your area, it's a yahoo based reuse discussion forum, based in different areas and people recycle all sorts of stuff on the Sheffield one, and you can ask for stuff too. I've seen jam jars, beer bottles and even demijohns offered here. Not to mention all sorts of other useful stuff.

Cheers

[Tigger]

Do try your local charity shops. Oxfam (and others) often have jars given to them which they promptly put for recycling. If you tell them you want them, they'll keep them for you for a small donation.

[The Grock in the Frock]

done that tigger,the luvly brian from the cancer reserch is saving them for me ,aslong as i promise to make him some of the ginger and lime recipe.