Randy's Orange Marmalade Recipe from foodfreeway.com

While this is not really a Mexican recipe, we are including it here because of the access to great fresh fruit here in the Rio Grande Valley. We used three navel oranges from Mary Jane's parents tree. Orange marmalade is traditionally made from the "Seville Orange (link)" - a tart orange. This recipe makes a pretty sweet marmalade - and I reduced the amount of sugar to compansate for the sweetness of the oranges used. I also used a food processor and food grater instead of slicing the peels. It's good stuff!

Makes: About 6 (1-cup) jars
3 cups prepared fruit (buy 3 medium oranges and 2 medium lemons)
1-1/2 cups water
1/8 tsp. baking soda
4 cups sugar
1/2 tsp. butter or margarine
1 (3-ounce) pouch of CERTO brand Fruit Pectin

Prepare the jars: Bring a boiling-water canner, half full with water, to a simmer. Wash the jars and screw bands in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain jars well before filling. For more information on home canning see the National Center for Home Food Preservation web site (link).

Prepare the fruit: Wash oranges and lemons. Use the coarse shredder blades of a food grater and remove all of the colored peel from the oranges and lemons - set aside. You may also peel the fruit and slice it into thin strips, but I was looking for an easier method. Continue peeling the fruit until all (well - most) of the white peel is removed. Remove the fruit seeds and process in a food processor until the fruit is ground up. Drain the processed pulp through a double layer of cheese cloth or a fine seive. Note: Some recipes call for you to chop the fruit pulp by hand, saving all the fruit juice, and do not mention straining the pulp. Since I processed the pulp I wanted to remove most of the ground up peel and fruit membrane - thus the straining step.

Process the fruit peel: Place the peels, water, and baking soda in a sauce pan, and bring to a boil over highheat. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes - stirring occasionally.

Processing the fruit: Add the fruit and juice to the boiling water and peels. Return to a boil. Cover and simmer an additional 10 minutes. To get this right you only want 3 cups of the fruit mixture, so at this point measure 3 cups of the prepared fruit mixture into another sauce pan (or put it all in a bowl and return 3 cups to the original sauce pan). Stir the sugar into the fruit in the sauce pan. Add the butter, which reduses foaming. Bring mixture to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in the fruit pectin. Return to a full rolling boil and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove fruit from the heat and skim off any foam with a spoon. Immediately ladel the mixture into the prepared jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of the top. Wipe off the jar rims and threads, and cover with two-piece lids. Tighten the bands securely.

Process the Marmalade: Place the jars on an elevated rack in a canner, and lower the rack into the canner. (Water must cover jars by an inch or two. Add additional boiling water, if necessary. Cover and bring water to gentle boil - process for 10 minutes. Remove jars and place upright on a towel to cool completely. After the jars cool, check the seals by pressing middles of lids with finger. If the lids spring back, lids are not sealed and refrigeration is necessary. It may take several days for the marmalade to jell.