marmalading

This is the lemon tree in my backyard - behind it is a satsuma tangerine tree, and a grapefruit tree which hangs down from our neighbor's yard into ours. All three trees have exploded with fruit in the past few weeks, and I decided that it's time to do something about it!




I picked an entire laundry basket of the lemons, and a sink full of tangerines and grapefruit!


I chopped up the fruit into small bits, while keeping aside the seeds and pithy material. That stuff I gather into a small cheesecloth bag and boil with the fruit and water. The stuff in the bag creates the pectin - after it's boiled for long enough, I squeeze out the bag for the last bit of pectin, and then add sugar and boil some more! It turns a little goopier, gets a great color that's a shade or two deeper than it was at the beginning, and gets a fun froth on top.

Meanwhile, I've been boiling the lids and baking the jars, for a quick-style canning process! It has to be quick, or you miss the window to seal the jars.


voila! Marmalade!

Over the next 24 hours after canning it, they will seal completely - and they make little "pop" sounds - it's ridiculously fun to be in the kitchen when that's happening!

I'm going to be selling my marmalade - hopefully make some honeymoon money. :) If you are interested, let me know!