I just had a phone call from a reporter in the Irish Times this morning.
It seems that this reporter, one Michael Kelly, had decided to make up some Seville Orange Marmalade using one of my recipes.
I knew who it was immediately as I have been enjoying his pieces in the Saturday Times for months now.
He told me that the marmalade hadn’t set and he wanted me to tell him why.
My first question was:
“Did you use the Sureset Sugar it specified in the recipe?”
He hadn’t.
I then went into a lengthy dissertation about gelling points and sugar thermometers, (and the necessity of reading a recipe properly)
He was a patient man and took it all well and politely.
I , patronisingly, promised to email him my recipe for Fifteen Minute Marmalade which I told him was much easier to make.

It is amazing how often people ring me to abuse me about a recipe not working when they have changed it completely.
I always remember at a class I was giving in Kilkenny how a woman put up her hand and said that she had tried my recipe for Beef Bourguignon
And; “it didn’t work out the same at all as yours at all”
On further questioning it turned out that she had used chicken instead of beef, had left out the bacon (“John doesn’t like it”) and had used sherry in place of Burgundy.
I rest my case.
It will be interesting to see what Mr. Kelly’s piece about marmalade making turns out to be in the end.
Watch the Saturday Irish Times over the next few weeks.

In the meantime here are the two recipes;

Seville Orange Marmalade

1.5kg (3 lbs) Seville Oranges
3 litres Water
3 kgs. Sureset Sugar.

Put the whole Oranges into a large pot with the water and simmer together for about 90 mts.or until the skin is tender .
Take the oranges out of the water with a slotted spoon and cool, leave the water in the pot.
When they cool halve the oranges and remove the pips. Either discard these or put them in a little square of muslin tied at the edges to boil with the marmalade.
Now cut the halves of orange as finely or thickly as you like.
(If you don’t care too much about the appearance you can chop them up roughly in batches in a food processor)
Put these back into the orange water and add in the sureset sugar.
Bring gradually back to the boil (with the little bag of pips if you are using them) stirring to dissolve the sugar.Let it boil well for 5 mts. test for setting on a cool saucer.It should take no longer than 10 mts. boiling altogether.
Take out and discard the bag of pips, and pot in the usual way.

Fifteen Minute Marmalade.

2 Large Oranges
Water
1 kg Sureset Sugar.

Wash the oranges and remove the stem.
Halve them and remove the pips.
Put into a microwaveable bowl and cover with cling film.
Cook at full for 5 to 10 mts or more until the oranges are tender.
(Test very carefully with a skewer and replace the cling film afterwards)
Once cooked take them out of the microwave and leave to cool until you can handle them. Put all the orange (the pulp and skin and all )into a food processor along with any juice in the bowl and pulse until well chopped but not totally mushed.
Tip these into a pot with enough water to bring the mixture up to one litre.
Add 1 kilo of Sure Set sugar and bring to the boil.
Boil fast for 4 mts. (Time this carefully)
Have ready some sterilized jars and lids.
Pour the marmalade into the pots and cover when cool.

Variations:
Orange and Ginger Marmalade:
Add a peeled and grated thumb of root ginger to the orange puree as you put it on to boil. Then proceed as in the last recipe.
You could also add a tablespoon of crushed roasted coriander seeds at the same stage.
The Scots have been known to add a Tablespoon of Scotch Whisky just before potting, I reckon a similar dose of Irish Whiskey would work well.