Orange Marmalade from scratch....and what I learned

My husband loves all things tart, bitter, and peppery.  Tart is a flavor I know I'll win his approval no matter what it is, so when I decided to try MY hand at orange marmalade, HE couldn't wait to get started!

Notice the broken jar...I hate when that happens.  Basically what causes the jar to crack in the canning process is too much room to move around in....make sure your jars are snug, so that they can't move around and break in the canning process....what a mess!!

Anyway, the big lesson I learned after this process is for next time, chop the oranges up into smaller pieces so they are easier to spread on toast, crackers, and bagels.   As it is now, each jar has to be dumped and chopped or he just chops up the jar as he eats the marmalade.

Here's the recipe:  this is from Ina Garten's recipe from Foodnetwork.com

4 large seedless oranges
2 lemons
8 cups sugar

Step 1

Cut the oranges and lemons in half crosswise, then into very thin half-moon slices.  Discard any seeds. Place the sliced fruit and their juices into a stainless-steel pot. Add 8 cups water and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar until it dissolves. Cover and allow to stand overnight at room temperature.

Step 2

The next day, bring the mixture back to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for about 2 hours. Turn the heat up to medium and boil gently, stirring often, for another 30 minutes.  Cook the marmalade until it reaches 220 degrees F on a candy thermometer. If you want to be doubly sure it's ready, place a small amount on a plate and refrigerate it until it's cool but not cold. If it's firm -- neither runny nor too hard -- it's done. It will be a golden orange color. (If the marmalade is runny, continue cooking it and if it's too hard, add more water.)

Pour the marmalade into clean, hot Mason jars; wipe the rims thoroughly with a clean damp paper towel, and seal with the lids. Store in the pantry for up to a year.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/annas-orange-marmalade-recipe.html?oc=linkback