Four Fruit Marmalade

So today, I'm here to talk to you about canning.  If you ask most anyone the one thing they are scared to make, the answer is often something like "pie crust" or "pizza dough" or perhaps even "a souffle".  If someone were to ask me that question, my answer would have emphatically been "canning".  It's not that I don't like the idea of canning.  In fact, the thought of canning is right up there with making wild-yeasted breads and handmade soap.  It's something I have always wanted to do.  It's one of those awesome home projects that's just shy of setting up bee hives and producing your own honey.  In a word?  Wonderful.

But with canning, I have always been afraid of, well, killing people.  You know, all that improper preserving and bacteria stuff.  I always felt like the kid staring in the window of the secret club I wasn't a part of.  And then, my Mom bought a home canning kit and it was all over for me.  I had to at least try...didn't I?  Living in California where citrus trees abound, and never knowing what to do with all of that fruit, this seemed like the perfect excuse to open the kit.

So, several days and many of hours of research later, it seemed like canning wasn't that difficult.  And that marmalade, with its high acid content, was actually a pretty food to begin with.  This was the moment -- the one where the little kid faces the monsters in the closet, ladle in hand.    

I have never been very good at staying afraid when it comes to food.  If I get an idea to make something, it's very likely that I will do so within a few days or risk thinking about making it until I do.  So there I was with jars, canning pot, rack, and fruit.  All that was left was to begin.  

So two days and one too many British women canning marmalade on YouTube later, I was done.  And I must say, even though there were a few moments of doubt (mostly surrounding when I had reached the gelling point), it was a lot of fun.  I had officially been let into the secret club.  

There is something very freeing about being on the other side of that window.  I know I still have a lot to learn about preserving, especially when Summer comes around, but it's nice to know that I now have the tools to do it.  So...beekeeping anyone?

Four Fruit Marmalade
Adapted from Joy of Cooking
Makes 6 half-pint jars (Note: the original recipe claims to make 8 half-pint jars, however, I got only 6)

1 1/2 pounds grapefruit
1 pound sweet oranges
8 ounces limes
8 ounces Meyer lemons
5 1/2 cups of sugar
6 cups of water

Day 1:

Remove peel with 1/8 inch of pith and thinly slice.  If you are handy with a knife, you can slice the peel off the fruit, however, a vegetable peeler works very well.  Combine the sliced peel with two cups of water and simmer for 10 minutes until the peel is softened.

In the meantime, juice half of the fruit and add it to a large pot.  Set aside any seeds.  With the remaining fruit, cut off the pith, cut fruit in half, and remove the center and seeds.  Chop pulp into 1/4 inch pieces and add to the pot with juice.  Place seeds and pith on cheesecloth and tie together to form a bag.  Put the cheesecloth back, peels and water mixture, and four additional cups of in pot.  Cover and place in refrigerator for 24 hours.

Day 2:

Add sugar to fruit mixture and boil rapidly, stirring often, until it reaches the gelling point, about one hour (around 220 degrees F).  At the same time, Heat water in a 21-quart canning pot (or other large stock pot) and sterilize jars, screw bands, and lids.

When the marmalade is ready skim off any foam and remove the cheesecloth bag containing the seeds and the pith.  Fill sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.  Process 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.  For more detailed canning directions, click here.