Wednesday 3 February 2010

seville season

If you like marmalade, and more to the point, making your own, then you'll know it is the season for Sevilles. It's a very short season - a matter of a few weeks in January and early February. Blink and you'll miss it. I love marmalade on toast for breakfast, and there's nothing quite like raiding your own store cupboard for some of the homemade variety.


I am perhaps a bit of a late starter with marmalade. I only started eating it regularly a few years ago, and then started making my own. I haven't bought any since - shop-bought marmalade seems rather too sweet and cloying now. I've tried various recipes, but always come back to the one I used that first time. It's consistently good, even though every batch is different. I often freeze the oranges if I'm short of time, and save the making for another day. You need a few hours set aside for preparing the fruit followed by the actual making, which is enhanced by the fragrant orange scent that wafts through the house.


So my store cupboard is filling up - my very own marmalade stash. A few more batches will see me through to next year, along with the jars I give away (usually as impromptu gifts when visiting friends). Are you a marmalade maker? Or maybe you just like eating it....

Feasts and Festivals, a new food blog written by my friend Liz, has a great post on all things Seville, and much more besides. Do visit!

15 comments:

driftwood said...

looks divine. I've only tried making it once, I'll be on the lookout for oranges !

Meggie said...

Oh I would love to eat my Mum's marmalade again! I don't eat toast these days, but I still like to use marmalade as a glaze for fruit pastries.

Pipany said...

I can vouch for the gorgeousness of your marmalade Diana. Just delicious. Thanks for the reminder - I have piles in the freezer from last year which I judt didn't get round to using; fortunately we had a goodly stash to get through too, but need more now. Never used frozen ones before. Any tips? Sooo looking forward to a coffee/knitting get together next week!!!! xx

Simone said...

I made marmalade this time last year. I still have a cupboard full of it! I have heard that it is nice in a bread and butter pudding so I might try that! x

kristina said...

Mmmm! I was converted to marmalade last year and now can't live without it. I even had to hunt down a jar when I was visiting my mum in Virginia!

I've wanted to try making my own, but I've been too scared. Could you possibly send me your recipe?

K x

ginny said...

i can smell your Sevilles from here Diana! (well almost). love the photo of the jars... you have been busy ... glad you got the tax done too.
although i love oranges i do not actually like marmalade, though i have not tasted any in recent years... maybe i should give it another try?
ginny xx

Gina said...

Yes I'm a marmalade maker.. thanks for reminding me to look out for the Seville oranges.

Petit Filoux said...

How do you get your jars to look so nice? I always seem to have trouble removing stickly labels which leaves the surface all gooey...

dottycookie said...

I made it once and it turned into toffee, so since then I smile nicely and shell out for shop bought ;-)

JuliaB said...

I love making marmalade because it is so much nicer than the shop stuff, but my last few batches have crystalised when I opened them and it looks horrid ... do you have a good recipie and do you know why i'm crystalising??? Help please! I am going to buy a batch of oranges this weekend.
xx

JuliaB said...

Oh just read Val's comment .. i've had the toffee version too!! :(

Purrfect Haven said...

don't make it but adore eating it! Yours look LOVELY. Will have to have some on toast for lunch now! Helen

Reading Tea Leaves said...

Your have a nice little stash there Diana - I really like your labels. I can only eat homemade - shop bought is much too sweet for me.
We visited Seville a few years ago and was amazed to see orange trees everywhere. On city pavements, everywhere. They yield so much fruit that much falls to the ground. I was almost crying with seeing such waste...
A lovely city though - but I digress. Off to check out Liz's blog.

Jeanne x

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Zesty Seville Marmalade: makes a man want to get out his castanets!