Easy Peasy Tangerine Marmalade

 So I haven't given birth yet lol! I am currently 40 weeks and 2 days pregnant :) And in keeping with MY 'REASONS TO BE THANKFUL THAT I HAVEN'T GIVEN BIRTH JUST YET' post, I thought I would share with you what I made today for the first time!

I've only made jam once before and have never made marmalade. Now, I'm no Martha Stewart but I like to try new things and there is a family saying that goes back to my great-grandma..."Waste not, want not!"

We are in a local fruit and veg co-op (which we LOVE SO MUCH thanks to Kaz for getting us onto it!!!!) Anyway, we recently got a whole lot of tangerines. They are lovely but a bit bitter for the kids (plus they are loaded with salicylates and while they are all back onto a reg salicylate diet, we still don't like them having an overload of them!)

So...instead of wasting these lovely fruits, I thought I'd have a crack at making some tangerine marmalade.

I searched on the net for a good recipe but for many and varied reasons, couldn't find one that really fit (most were just too many steps and took too long to make. I know. Lazy. But really, I wanted to try something that was not going to be started one day and then have to be completed the next day when I could give birth overnight!!! lol!)

Anyhoo.

Here's how I tweaked a couple of different recipes (kind of choosing the best bits I liked from each and then appropriating it to my own needs).

Only 4 ingredients and 10 steps!

Ingredients:
10 tangerines
860g sugar
4 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 x 50g packet of Jamsetta (packet pectin mixed with some citric acid and a little caster sugar basically!) You get Jamsetta at Coles

Method:

Step 1:
Scrub and wash the waxy skin well in water

Step 2:

Cut 10 tangerines around the equator and remove all seeds

Step 3:
Peel away the flesh from 10 tangerines and put into a large pot...

NB: If you want a really smooth kind of marmalade, you could probably pulse these in a blender but I like mine chunky so I left the segments as is! See the pic below - chunky as!

Step 4:
Take the rind of 4 of the tangerines (so 8 halves) and cut into think strips. I read somewhere that the rind makes it quite bitter so feel free to cut back on this bit if you don't like your marmalade too bitter. Mine worked out just right for me but you don't have my taste buds so I guess it would be a bit of trial and error to kind of get it to your own liking! 

Step 5:
In a large pot, gently warm both the flesh and the rind...

Step 6:
Now add 860g sugar & stir well...

Step 7:
Add 4 Tablespoons of lemon juice and stir well.
Now is the time to also add your Jamsetta and stir well.
(I also read somewhere that instead of Jamsetta, you can pop all the seeds your took out into a little boquet garni and let the natural pectin from the seeds help your marmalade set. I might try that another time but for me, throwing in the pack of Jamsetta made life a little bit easier today!)

Step 8:
Bring pot to the boil on a gentle heat.
Boil for 5 mins stirring occassionally...

Step 9:
Allow your marmalade to cool...

Step 10:
Bottle into sterillised jars and get ready to enjoy some on toast or scones!

Well, that's it from me tonight.
Am going to try for an early night, you know...just in case tonight is the night (although I say that every night! lol!)
All is well here though. Had a check up with our lovely Midwife Hazel yesterday and all is great; blood pressure, bub is in an even better position than before and I am feeling good.
Can't really ask for more than that hey!
Thanks to everyone for your messages, thoughts, prayers and love.

Yah bless you.
Love,

Oh and I am linking this post up with THE HOMESTEAD REVIVAL BARN HOP :)