Making Marmalade

My new life in Adelaide is very colourful and full of learning processes. There is always something new and interesting to learn. In between my busy school life, I try to find time to learn about life in my new country. Today, I learned how to made marmalade from my father in law. He is an expert and almost once a year he makes a batch for his friends at the card club. 


This is how to make marmalade.


Step 1 :

Prepare 4 pounds of fruit (just under 2 kilos), consisting of grapefruit, oranges, lemons, mandarins and pineapple. Dice finely leaving the skin on the citrus fruit. Add 8 pints of water (around 4.8 litres) and leave overnight. 


Step 2 : 

The next day, bring the mixture to the boil and boil it for 1 hour to soften the fruit and make sure it's cooked properly. 

Step 3 :
Add 12 pounds sugar to the mixture and continue to boil for a further 45 minutes. The sugar acts as a preservative, so you can keep it for a long time. 

Step 4 :
While the marmalade was cooking, wash the jars using hot water without soap and then warm them in the oven. 

Step 5 :
Keep stirring the marmalade until it becomes golden brown in colour.

Step 6 :
Put a little bit of marmalade on a plate and let it cool to test whether it is thick enough. If it is still too watery, cook a few more minutes and test again.

Step 7 :
While still hot, put the marmalade into the warm jars. 

Step 8 :
Put the caps on immediately........

Step 9 :
So when they are put outside to cool, a vacuum will form making the seal complete. 

Once cooled, the marmalade is ready to serve.