The Cottage Smallholder

Lemon and lime marmalade just waiting to be guzzled

This is a zingy marmalade that can be made at any time of year – a sweet gel with tangy strands of lemon and lime. Be warned it’s very moreish – whilst Danny was on a conference call this morning I slathered it on slice after slice of toast. A jar of this superb marmalade would be a perfect in a Christmas hamper or just produced with a flourish as a present for someone very special. A few jars kept at home on a larder shelf would give you a taste of summery freshness during those short dark winter days.

My mum used to mention the slog of making marmalade.
“All that chopping. The tough skins. On and on. And the mess. Drips of marmalade all over the kitchen, however much newspaper I put down!”
She was heroic and made a vast batch of Oxford style marmalade every year for the family. I never wanted to be a hero. Just dreamt of making a great marmalade without fuss.

So over the years, I’ve devised a simple system that makes making marmalade easy and straightforward. I always poach the fruit the night before I make the marmalade. This means that the next day you are half way through the process already. Best of all the softened skins of the citrus fruits are a doddle to cut. I also heat sterilise my jars by placing them on a large baking tray in the oven and keeping them on the tray when pouring the marmalade into the hot jars. Most marmalade drips are caught on the tray. If there’s a stretch between the jars and the preserving pan, I make a newspaper bridge to protect the gap. Simple.

Lemon and Lime marmalade is a favourite with so many people. I loved the famous Rose’s Lemon and Lime marmalade as a teenager and decided to make a marmalade that had a bit more bite and deeper ‘citrusy’ flavours. There is an option to add more sugar in my recipe, all you have to do is taste the mix, sugar bag in hand, before bringing the marmalade up to the boil. Incidentally I always buy my white granulated sugar in 5 kilo bags – Tesco stocks these – it works out much cheaper than buying 2 kilo bags and generally means that you have plenty of sugar to hand if you suddenly fancy making some preserves late at night when everyone is asleep. Yes this has happened to me several times since I caught the preserving bug.

I did quite a bit of research before attempting to make this lemon and lime marmalade. Obviously the lemons and limes have a decent amount of pectin but apparently the acidity of the limes can cause problem with getting a good set. That’s why bicarbonate of soda is included in many recipes and I’ve used it in my recipe too.

It’s also important to use thin skinned fruit. Sizes of lemon and limes can differ enourmously so it’s best to weigh the fruit. The limes have such hard skins that you have to be careful that they soften enough during the poaching process. I removed the lemons after 2.5 hours and the limes after 3.5 hours. To test, if squeezed gently between your fingers the skins should break. Remember if you are experimenting that the skins also harden a bit during the boiling process.

Tips and tricks:
Marmalade “set” or “setting point”:
Getting the right set can be tricky. I have tried using a jam thermometer but find it easier to use the following method. Before you start to make the marmalade, put a couple of plates in the fridge so that the warm marmalade can be drizzled onto a cold plate (when we make marmalade we often forget to return the plate to the fridge between tests, using two plates means that you have a spare cold plate). Return the plate to the fridge to cool for approx two minutes. It has set when you run your finger through it and leave a crinkly track mark. If after two minutes the cooled jam is too liquid, continue to boil the marmalade, testing it every few minutes until you have the right set. The marmalade is far more delicious if it is slightly runny.
Sterilising the jars:
We collect jars all year round for our jelly, chutney and jam making sessions. I try to soak off labels and store the clean jars and metal plastic coated screw-top lids in an accessible place. The sterilising method that we used is simple. Just before making the jam, I quickly wash and rinse the jars and place them upside down in a cold oven. Set the temperature to 160c/140c for fan assisted. When the oven has reached the right temperature I turn off the heat. The jars will stay warm for quite a while. I only use plastic lined lids for preserves as the all-metal lids can go rusty. I boil these for five minutes in water to sterilise them. If I use Le Parfait jars, I do the same with the rubber rings.