Marmalade advice....

[Saul Goodman]

My marmalade doesn’t set.

Like, ever.

I follow various “fool proof” recipes, look at YT videos, talk to family.

I’ve made pectin with my unripe June drop apples, frozen it and added it to my marmalade. I’ve crushed the pips in the Seville oranges and added pips collected from other citrus fruit. I’ve changed the temperature and the timing of the boil, and checked the sugar content.

I have no idea what I’m doing wrong.

It’s delicious, but it’s runny.

You have to boil the pith for a couple of hours to extract all the pectin. Even then it can be borderline and may need additional pectin. I keep a tub of pectin powder, just in case.

 

[story]

I do include the pith. In the muslin bag with the pips. And I’ve definitely boiled it for a couple of hours.


I got a beautiful set the very first time I made marmalade, but never since.

 

[Saul Goodman]

I do include the pith. In the muslin bag with the pips. And I’ve definitely boiled it for a couple of hours.


I got a beautiful set the very first time I made marmalade, but never since.

Are you using a jam thermometer or the cold plate method? I eventually caved in and bought a thermometer. It's much easier. And an accurate one is essential. One degree can make the difference between setting and liquid.

 

[existentialist]

Are you using a jam thermometer or the cold plate method? I eventually caved in and bought a thermometer. It's much easier. And an accurate one is essential. One degree can make the difference between setting and liquid.

Yeah, it's that rolling boil at 105C (or whatever) that makes the difference. A sugar thermometer is a definite must. Which reminds me, I'd better try and find where mine went in the move...

 

[story]

Are you using a jam thermometer or the cold plate method? I eventually caved in and bought a thermometer. It's much easier. And an accurate one is essential. One degree can make the difference between setting and liquid.

Cold plate.

Last year I kept t it for bloody hours, trying different things, and then thought I’d probably gone past the point of being able to actually make it set and gave up.

Jam thermometer it is.

 

[existentialist]

You have to boil the pith for a couple of hours to extract all the pectin. Even then it can be borderline and may need additional pectin. I keep a tub of pectin powder, just in case.

Too much pectin does make it come out a bit plasticky, I find.

 

[story]

Yeah, it's that rolling boil at 105C (or whatever) that makes the difference. A sugar thermometer is a definite must. Which reminds me, I'd better try and find where mine went in the move...

Definitely have had good proper rolling boils, last year and in previous year.



I’m not good at cake making and pastry either.

Savoury food, I’m killer good. Pudding stuff, anything with sugar…. not so much.

Cookies, I can do. Not brownies.

(I’m saying cookies cos I’m using various family recipes and books from the USA)

 

[story]

Too much pectin does make it come out a bit plasticky, I find.

Never even been close to plasticcy.

 

[Saul Goodman]

Cold plate.

Last year I kept t it for bloody hours, trying different things, and then thought I’d probably gone past the point of being able to actually make it set and gave up.

Jam thermometer it is.

It takes the guesswork out of it, and rules out one possible reason for it not setting.

Too much pectin does make it come out a bit plasticky, I find.

Rubber jam is nasty.

 

[rubbershoes]

I decided when I was four that I disliked marmalade, but maybe it’s worth buying a jar of Bonne Maman’s and seeing what the fuss is all about. You people wouldn’t devote your lives to knitting the stuff if it didn’t have any merit,

Bonne Maman jam is fine but I've never tried their marmalade.

 

[Silas Loom]

Bonne Maman jam is fine but I've never tried their marmalade.

I was assuming it would be better than Hartley’s or the racist one. It is for jam.

But I’ll take advice on which one is best to get from Tesco.

 

[story]

Bonne Maman jam is fine but I've never tried their marmalade.

I’ve never tried it, always assumed it would be more like an orange jam or compote than proper marmalade.

I guess that’s based on them being French (who do excellent jam and compote) while marmalade is one of the few British specialities.

But the description does say the right things so maybe I’ll try it.

Traditional style, intensely flavoured fine shred Bitter Orange Marmalade balances the tart flavour of peel with sweeter orange notes.

Bitter Orange Fine Shred Marmalade

Traditional style, intensely flavoured fine shred Bitter Orange Marmalade balances the tart flavour of peel with sweeter orange notes. A delicious morning wake up on hot buttered toast or muffins. Made with Seville Oranges.Jars and lids widely recyled.

www.bonnemaman.co.uk

 

[existentialist]

Definitely have had good proper rolling boils, last year and in previous year.



I’m not good at cake making and pastry either.

Savoury food, I’m killer good. Pudding stuff, anything with sugar…. not so much.

Cookies, I can do. Not brownies.

(I’m saying cookies cos I’m using various family recipes and books from the USA)

I'm pretty much the same. I don't really cook fancy things often, it's mostly stews, pot roasts, curries, etc. And marmalade. 2025 is going to be my Year of Pastry

 

[RubyToogood]

My marmalade doesn’t set.

Like, ever.

I follow various “fool proof” recipes, look at YT videos, talk to family.

I’ve made pectin with my unripe June drop apples, frozen it and added it to my marmalade. I’ve crushed the pips in the Seville oranges and added pips collected from other citrus fruit. I’ve changed the temperature and the timing of the boil, and checked the sugar content.

I have no idea what I’m doing wrong.

It’s delicious, but it’s runny.

If you get jam sugar, which has the correct amount of pectin in (not preserving sugar which has none) that usually sorts it. I tend to live with syrupy rather than jellied marmite a lot though. It's just as nice.

 

[TopCat]

I find pressing the liquid out of the orange skins and pith with a proper fruit press gets one enough pectin.

What I can’t get enough of is jars. Lidl do 330ml jars of silver skin onions which clean up and work well. Any tips for cheaper?

I just got two kilo of Seville oranges from Waitrose. I used all the marmalade quick last year. Yum times.

 

[existentialist]

I find pressing the liquid out of the orange skins and pith with a proper fruit press gets one enough pectin.

What I can’t get enough of is jars. Lidl do 330ml jars of silver skin onions which clean up and work well. Any tips for cheaper?

I just got two kilo of Seville oranges from Waitrose. I used all the marmalade quick last year. Yum times.

I've been impressed by how responsive people are when you tell them you're after empty jars. It definitely helps if you've got a few "samples" you can distribute, as they'll often give you loads of jars in anticipation of another (full) one next year!

 

[rubbershoes]

I’ve never tried it, always assumed it would be more like an orange jam or compote than proper marmalade.

I guess that’s based on them being French (who do excellent jam and compote) while marmalade is one of the few British specialities.

But the description does say the right things so maybe I’ll try it.

Bitter Orange Fine Shred Marmalade

Traditional style, intensely flavoured fine shred Bitter Orange Marmalade balances the tart flavour of peel with sweeter orange notes. A delicious morning wake up on hot buttered toast or muffins. Made with Seville Oranges.Jars and lids widely recyled.

www.bonnemaman.co.uk

probably made on an industrial estate near Northampton

 

[Saffy]

I find pressing the liquid out of the orange skins and pith with a proper fruit press gets one enough pectin.

What I can’t get enough of is jars. Lidl do 330ml jars of silver skin onions which clean up and work well. Any tips for cheaper?

I just got two kilo of Seville oranges from Waitrose. I used all the marmalade quick last year. Yum times.

Marketplace is a good call for jars. I took 15 decent jars off a woman's hands who could bear to throw a jam jar away incase she needed one.