Blood Orange Marmalade



Have you ever noticed the blood oranges available at the grocery store this time of year?

Have you ever wondered what you could do with them?  Well, you could eat them straight, of course.  But, I like to make blood orange marmalade. It's very distinctive with it's reddish color.  And it's not hard to make, it just takes a little time.  If you don't end up giving it all away as gifts, this amount might last you until next year when the next crop of blood oranges arrives.


If you don't like your marmalade this dark, you could substitute Cara Cara oranges or plain old naval oranges.


Blood Orange Marmalade
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa At Home by Ina Garten
Makes about 4 pints

4 large blood oranges (or 6 medium ones)
2 lemons
8 cups sugar

Cut oranges and lemons in half crosswise, then into very thin half-moon slices.  (If you have a mandoline, this would be the time to use it.  I don't.  The slicing doesn't take too long.  Don't even think of doing this in a food processor!)

Discard seeds and place the fruit and its juice in a large stainless steel pot.  Add 8 cups of water and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.

Remove pot from heat and stir in the sugar until it dissolves.  Cover and let stand overnight at room temperature.

The next day, bring the mixture back to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 2 hours.  Bring the heat up to medium and boil gently, stirring, for another 30 minutes.  Skim off any foam that forms on the top.  Cook until the marmalade reaches a temp of 220 degrees.

Pour the marmalade into clean, hot Mason jars. (You can submerge them in boiling water, or run them through the dishwasher on the sani-rinse cycle without soap.)  (I have to confess that I usually skip the sterilizing step and just keep the marmalade in the fridge.) Wipe the rims thoroughly with a clean paper towel and seal with lids.  Store in the pantry for up to a year, or in the refridgerator for a few months.