Gingered Orange Marmalade

Making Gingered Orange Marmalade

I am an annual marmalade maker. We are lucky to have two Calamondin orange trees that continue to give me fruit. Without them I am not sure if I would make the time to make our marmalade. Those trees give us a great gift each year. From the home grown and home made marmalade we can enjoy many meals, snacks and appetizers. The greatest part of making the marmalade, however, is sharing it with others. There is nothing more original or unique than home made gifts. Our marmalade is shared as hostess gifts and holiday gifts with friends and family every year. We now have friends who remind us that they would love to have some as the holidays approach. It makes gift organizing a breeze since all the hard work has happened months in advance.

This year I thought it would be fun to "spice up" the marmalade a bit by adding some fresh ginger, lemon juice and lemon zest. It turned out to be a great new addition. See how visually attractive it is in jars.

Why ginger? Besides its engaging flavor, it has many health benefits. Historically, ginger has a long tradition of being very effective in alleviating stomach upset and gas. In herbal medicine, ginger is regarded as an excellent carminative (a substance which promotes the elimination of intestinal gas) and intestinal spasmolytic (a substance which relaxes and soothes the intestinal tract). Modern scientific research has revealed that ginger possesses numerous therapeutic properties including antioxidants, anti-inflammatory compounds, as well as boosting our immune system and fighting cancers such as colon and ovarian. Below is my updated recipe incorporating this health-promoting food.

Gingered Orange Marmalade

This canning method and recipe is a two day process. Instead of adding store-bought pectin, the process I use brings out the pectin that exists naturally in the skin of the orange. I think it tastes better this way. Breaking up the making of the marmelade this way also makes the work load more manageable and not too taxing.

Ingredients~
12 cups prepared oranges
12 cups water
16 cups sugar
6 inches fresh ginger, grated
2 lemons, zested
2 lemons, juiced

Directions~
1. Wash oranges, cut in rounds or quarters and remove seeds. I recommend using gloves because of all the acid in the fruit. I use disposabe non-latex exam gloves.
2. Measure the fruit. Place in a thick bottomed pot. For each cup of fruit use ¾ cup water. Add water to pot.
3. Bring to a boil for 20 minutes.
4. Cool and then put in refrigerator overnight, or for at least 8 hours, to bring out the pectin in the fruit.
5. Measure the orange stock. Add  ¾ cup of granulated sugar for each cup of stock.
6. Add the ginger.
7. Bring to a boil. Slow boil for a minimum of 1½ hours. The stock should decrease in amount by about ¼ to ½.
 8. Add the zest and lemon juice in the last few minutes of boiling the stock.
7. Pour into hot sterilized jars immediately. I prefer 8 oz jars, which are a great size for gifts. Label with content and date.

Enjoy! And Live Vibrant!