Mawardi Orange Marmalade

In Lebanon there are blood oranges with a deep red flesh, and red speckled rind. They are quite sweet and flavorful. I love homemade jam and realized that I can make small batches and not worry about sterilizing and sealing the tops. I just pop the extra jar into the freezer, refrigerator, or give it to a friend.

2 Mawardi oranges (blood or regular oranges will do)

1 ½ cups of water

1 ¼ cups of sugar

You’ll need cheese cloth and two small jars. I put the glass part in the microwave for 1 minute on high but just wash the tops with soap and water. I also use a piece of clear plastic between the jar and the lid.

Cut the ends of each orange off and cut it in half along the core. Cut the core out of the orange half and place it and any seeds with the ends on a piece of cheese cloth. Slice each half into thin slices and cut the pieces into halves or thirds depending on how big the oranges slices and the openings for the jars are.

Put the prepared oranges and the water in a bowl. Tie up the ends of the cheese cloth and put the bundle in with the orange slices and water. Leave it in the refrigerator overnight.

Squeeze out the cheese cloth and discard it. Put the oranges and water into a large pot and stir in the sugar. Bring to a boil and cook about 30 minutes until the liquid begins to firm up.

Use the plate test to see if it is done. Put a couple of plates in the freezer when you begin to cook the jam. When the jam looks like it is close to done pour a drop on the frozen plate, let it stand for a minute and then touch it with your finger to see if it is firm. If it is runny it needs more cooking.

Put the jam in the hot jars and let them cool on a rack. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap and the top on the jars and refrigerate or freeze.

Yields 2 small jars of marmalade.

This recipe is adapted from foodinjars.com