MAGICAL MARMALADES AND CHARMING CHUTNEYS

I don't know how many of you make homemade Christmas gifts (or other celebratory gifts) but I think that when someone puts in their time, effort and love into a handmade gift, it means so much. After all, to paraphrase Lennon and McCartney, "The love you take is equal to the love you make." I'm not sure they exactly meant cookies at holidays, but you get my drift.

I love making gifts of food items that you normally don't see, even in gourmet stores. There are literally thousands of things you can make, inexpensively or not, difficult or easy, especially if you are going to make them with your kids. That is also a great reason to make special edible items, or anything else for that matter, as gifts for others. You can teach your little ones great lessons in generosity and caring when you take the time to make gifts for others with them.

The recipes that follow are some that I like and are included here to get your creative juices flowing with ideas. If you are going to make gifts,take the time to start planning and getting them done in plenty of time. Late summer is a great time to make many preserved foods, because that is the season when fresh fruits and vegetables are still plentiful and in season. It is so much nicer to be able to spend holidays at home, enjoying family and friends than to be stressed with last minute gift buying. Plus you will probably save a ton of money that you can use for something more constructive.

Of course, you don't have to make these tasty treats for holiday giving. You might want to make them for your own pleasure during the winter months. Imagine how much fun you can have serving "Drunken Cranberry Sauce" with Thanksgiving dinner or opening a jar of homemade Cantaloupe Jelly in January.

At the bottom of this page are links to more holiday recipes.
Rosemary Orange Marmalade (Made with organic ingredients)
5 sprigs fresh organic rosemary;
2 cups boiling water;
4 or 5 organic oranges;
3 cups organic granulated or turbinado sugar;
3 ounces liquid pectin
Steep 1 sprig of rosemary in the boiling water for at least 30 minutes discard the herb sprig when done. Peel the zest from the oranges, removing as little pith as possible; julienne thinly and place in a saucepan with water to cover. Simmer, covered, about 1/2 hour or until tender. Drain and reserve. With a sharp knife free the orange sections from their membranes. Seed the oranges and dice coarsely, then transfer to a non-aluminum saucepan with the rosemary infusion and the sugar and bring to a boil. Boil, stirring frequently, for 35 minutes. Add the pectin and boil for exactly 1 minute. Place a sprig of rosemary in each of 4 half-pint jars and pour the marmalade over them. Seal.

Pear Marmalade
4 cups chopped, cored, peeled pears (about 5 medium);
1/2 cup thinly sliced orange peel (about 1 medium);
1/2 cup chopped orange pulp (about 1 medium);
1/2 cup thinly sliced lemon (about 1 medium);
1/2 cup water;
1 tablespoon lemon juice;
8 sticks cinnamon;
1 1/4 teaspoons whole cloves;
1 package fruit pectin;
5 cups granulated sugar
Prepare home canning jars and lids according to manufacturer's instructions. Combine pears, orange peel, orange pulp, lemon, water and lemon juice in a large saucepot. Tie whole spices in a spice bag and add to mixture. Cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in pectin; bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Add sugar, stirring until dissolved. Return to a rolling boil. Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Remove spice bag. Skim foam if necessary. Ladle hot marmalade into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe jar rim clean. Screw band down evenly and firmly just until a point of resistance is met. Process 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner. Yields about six 8-ounce jars.

Grand Marnier Marmalade
2 cups thinly-sliced kumquats;
2 cups navel oranges, seeded and chopped;
7 cups water;
1 teaspoon grated fresh lemon rind;
3/4 cup Grand Marnier;
Sugar equal to cooked fruit
Place kumquats, oranges, and water in glass bowl. Cover and let stand in a cool place for 12 hours. Pour fruit mixture into a medium saucepan and bring to a full, rolling boil over high heat. Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in lemon and Grand Marnier. Measure this mixture and add equal amount of sugar. Again bring to a boil and cook, stirring frequently, for about 30 minutes. When mixture begins to gel, remove from heat and immediately pour into hot sterilized jars. Vacuum seal. Makes 6 1/2 pint jars.

Grapefruit Marmalade
1 to 3 Texas Ruby Red or Rio Star grapefruit;
1 lemon ;
1 1/2 cups water;
1/8 teaspoon baking soda;
5 cups granulated sugar ;
1/2 (6 ounce) bottle liquid fruit pectin
Remove skins in quarters from grapefruit and lemon. Set fruit aside. Lay quarters flat; shave off and discard almost all white part. With a sharp knife or scissors, slice rind very thin. Combine rind, water and baking soda in large saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Chop peeled grapefruit and lemon; discard seeds. Add to cooked rind and continue simmering 10 minutes. Measure 3 cups fruit mixture into large saucepan. Add sugar to fruit in pan; mix well. Place over high heat; bring to a full, rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil hard 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in pectin at once. Skim off any foam. Stir and skim 7 minutes. Ladle into hot sterile jars and seal.

Tangerine Marmalade
4 pounds tangerines;
4 pounds granulated sugar
Peel the skin from the tangerines in large pieces. Set aside. Squeeze the juice from the pulp and discard pulp. Set juice aside. Simmer peel in water to cover for 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and cover peel with cold water. Soak overnight. Drain peel and chop medium fine. In a heavy saucepan, combine peel, reserved juice and sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring frequently, for about 25 to 30 minutes or until thick. Spoon into sterilized jars and store in a cool place.

Nectarine-Orange Marmalade
3 pounds nectarines;
3 medium-size oranges;
4 1/2 cups granulated sugar
Wash, blanch, peel and pit nectarines; wash the oranges. Remove the peel from 1 1/2 of the oranges and discard it. Put the nectarines and the peeled and unpeeled oranges through a meat grinder. There should be about 4 1/2 cups. Place the fruit in a preserving kettle; add 4 1/2 cups of sugar and bring slowly to a boil. Boil rapidly, uncovered, for about 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Skim off foam with a metal spoon. Ladle into hot, sterilized jars and seal immediately. To seal: Fill to within 1/2-inch head room, being sure to first wipe the rim and threads of the jars with a hot damp cloth to remove all particles of food, seeds or spices. While contents are hot, cover with a 1/8-inch layer of paraffin. When paraffin has set, add another layer of melted paraffin, tilting and rotating the jar to seal completely. Makes about 4 half-pints.

Golden Marmalade
6 ounces dried apricots, halved;
1 1/4 cups water, divided;
1 (8 ounce) can pineapple tidbits, or sliced;
pineapple cut into bits, with juice;
1 large or 2 medium oranges, cut into pieces, seeds removed;
1 small lemon, cut into pieces, seeds removed;
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar;
2 pounds peaches, peeled and chopped;
2 sticks cinnamon
In preserving kettle set aside apricots, 1 cup water and pineapple bits with juice. Blend in blender 1/4 cup water, oranges and lemon. Add to fruit in kettle along with the sugar, peaches and cinnamon. Heat to boiling, then lower heat and simmer gently for 1 1/2 hours, or until thickened. Stir occasionally during cooking. Seal in sterilized jars. Yields 5 half pints.

Sour Orange Marmalade
2 pounds sour oranges (about 6 medium-size);
2 quarts water;
3 pounds granulated sugar;
1/2 teaspoon salt
Remove the peel from two oranges. Slice this peel very thin and cover with water. Boil until tender, adding additional water as it boils away. (Change the water often if the flavor becomes too bitter.) Peel the remaining oranges (the peel may be stored in freezer for later grating uses). Boil the pulp in 2 quarts water until very soft. Strain through a bag with pressure. Re-strain without pressure. Mix this juice with the drained peel, the sugar, and the salt and boil until the jelly stage is reached. Let stand until slightly cool. Stir and pour into hot sterilized jars and seal with paraffin.

Lemon Marmalade
3 pounds lemons;
8 to 10 cups granulated sugar
Slice the lemons as thinly as possible and discard the ends. Remove and discard all the seeds. Place the lemon slices in a nonreactive bowl and add enough water to cover. Let stand overnight. Measure the lemons and water into a wide, shallow, nonreactive pan. Add an equal volume of sugar and cook over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Raise heat to medium-high and cook, stirring frequently and skimming off the foam as it rises, until temperature reaches 220 degrees F, about 1/2 hour. Remove marmalade from heat. To test for consistency, drop a little marmalade on a saucer and put the saucer into the freezer until marmalade is cold, about 5 minutes. Tip the saucer. The marmalade should just barely run. If too thin, return the marmalade to medium-high heat and cook, testing often, until it has reached the right consistency. Put marmalade into hot, sterilized pint or half-pint jars. Store in refrigerator up to 1 month or, for longer storage, seal according to reliable canning instructions. Makes about 4 pints.

Persimmon Chutney
2 pounds ripe persimmons, organic if you can find them;
1 cup chopped onions;
1/2 cup white vinegar (DISTILLED FROM GRAINS);
1/4 cup water;
1/4 cup organic golden raisins; 1/4 cup dark brown sugar*;
1 tablespoon unsulphured dark molasses;
1 tablespoon organic mustard seeds;
1 teaspoon chopped crystallized ginger;
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
Prepare half-pint canning jars according to manufacturer's directions. Split the skins of the persimmons, and spoon out the soft flesh. Combine the fruit and other ingredients in a heavy saucepan. Simmer the mixture over low heat for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it is very thick. Add a little more water if the mixture starts to be sticky. Spoon the chutney into the prepared jars, and screw on the lids. Refrigerate the jars, or process them in a water bath for 10 minutes. If you are processing the jars, leave about 1/4-inch headspace. The chutney is best if it is allowed to blend flavors for a couple days. *For those of you who were not aware, brown sugar is nothing but granulated white sugar sprayed with molasses. The darker the brown sugar, the more molasses. It is still refined sugar. Turbinado or organic cane sugar, into which you have stirred you own molasses is a better choice. I use my food processor to make a couple of pounds which I keep in my pantry. Just add molasses to your sugar and pulse until it looks like brown sugar. May not be as sticky, but it will be close.

Mango Chutney
3 1/2 cups sliced mangoes;
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar;
1 cup brown sugar;
1 cup cider vinegar;
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic;
4 tablespoons finely chopped ginger root;
1 1/2 teaspoons salt;
1 1/2 small dried chile peppers, seeded and chopped;
1 1/2 teaspoons whole cloves, tied in a cheesecloth bag;
1/2 cup raisins
Combine mangoes and sugars, stir well, and let stand overnight. Drain mangoes in a colander, reserving syrup. In a heavy saucepan combine the vinegar, garlic, ginger, salt, chiles and cloves with the syrup. Simmer for 30 minutes. Remove cheesecloth bag of cloves. Add mangoes and raisins and simmer for 20 minutes longer. Spoon into sterilized jars and seal. Store in a cool place. DO NOT DOUBLE THIS RECIPE.

Apricot Jalapeno Preserves
1/2 cup jalapeno peppers, stems and seeds removed ;
1 large red bell pepper, stem and seeds removed ;
2 cups cider vinegar ;
1 1/2 cups dried apricots, chopped;
6 cups granulated sugar ;
3 ounces liquid pectin ;
4 drops red food color (optional)
Put jalapenos, bell pepper and vinegar in blender. Puree until coarsely ground and small chunks remain. Combine apricots, sugar and jalapeno mixture in large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Boil rapidly for 5 minutes. Remove from heat; skim off any foam that forms. Allow mixture to cool for 2 minutes. Mix in pectin (and food coloring if desired). Pour into sterilized jars, seal, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Yield: 3 pints

Drunken Cranberry Sauce
Although this sauce isn't canned, it will keep at least two weeks in the refrigerator.
Try serving this as an alternative to your usual cranberry dish at Thanksgiving
1 (12 ounce) bag fresh cranberries;
1 to 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar;
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon;
Dash of nutmeg;
1/4 cup bourbon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine cranberries, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in an 8-inch square pan, and cover the pan with aluminum foil. Bake 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the cranberries have softened and become juicy. Uncover the pan, and immediately stir in the bourbon. The alcohol will evaporate, leaving just the liquor's warm, smoky essence. Refrigerate the sauce, covered, until ready to serve.

Jams, Jellies, Preserves, Page 1