Seville Orange Marmalade

1. 1

   Halve the Seville and navel oranges and squeeze out the juice and seeds from each half into a mesh strainer set over a small bowl.

2. 2

   After all the oranges have been squeezed, place the seeds on a piece of cheesecloth, gather up the sides, and tie securely.

3. 3

   Cut each rind in half and then slice as thinly as possible.

4. 4

   Put the orange slices in a large pot or a Dutch oven.

5. 5

   Add the orange juice, water, the bag of seeds, and salt.

6. 6

   Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then decrease the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes.

7. 7

   Remove from the heat, cover, and let stand overnight at room temperature.

8. 8

   The next day, stir in the sugar and set the pot over high heat.

9. 9

   Bring the mixture to a boil, then decrease the heat to medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer.

10. 10

    Cook, stirring occasionally to make sure the mixture is not burning on the bottom, until the marmalade reaches the jelling point (use the wrinkle test, page 256, to judge when its done).

11. 11

    If white scum occasionally rises to the top, skim it off with a large spoon.

12. 12

    Stir in the Cognac or whiskey and remove the bag of seeds, squeezing it with a pair of tongs to extract as much marmalade from it as possible.

13. 13

    Ladle the marmalade into clean jars.

14. 14

    Cover tightly, let cool, and refrigerate.

15. 15

    The marmalade will keep for at least 6 months in the refrigerator.

16. 16

    The salt is said to help soften the fruit.

17. 17

    Ive not made two batches side by side to test this theory (16 cups of Seville orange marmalade is a bit too much to have on hand), but it certainly doesnt hurt to add it, so I always throw in a pinch.

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.