Simple Ecology

View Original

Grapefruit Ginger Marmalade

Simple Ecology

This easy marmalade recipe is a sure-fire way to spice up your morning toast or pancakes!  A great way to use and preserve the in-season oranges and grapefruits, this marmalade makes a wonderful treat that can be given as a gift or saved for the rest of the year.

Grapefruit Ginger Marmalade’s Environmental Benefits

  • Buying in season, local produce and canning yourself can significantly cut down on the carbon emissions caused by food transportation of jarred and canned goods

  • Homemade canned goods are wonderful (and delicious) low-waste gift to give to family & friends, to keep for emergency food supplies, or to make cooking a weekday meal quick & easy

  • Buying pre-packaged and convenience food from fast food chains or grocery stores promotes the use of single use containers, utensils, napkins, and more that’ll end up in landfills and oceans, whereas making the same meal at home makes single use items obsolete

See this content in the original post

grapefruit ginger marmalade

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Makes 4 Half-Pints

Ingredients:

  • 2-3 large Grapefruits (1 cup Peel & 1 cup Juice)
  • 4 medium Oranges (1 cup Peel & 1 cup Juice)
  • 2 cups Sugar
  • ½ cup Water
  • 2 Tbsp Grated Ginger
  • 2½-3 Tbsp Fruit Pectin

Optional:

  • Lemon juice (to taste)
  • Pinch of Salt

Instructions:

1. PEEL: Rinse and dry your fruit, then peel the outer zest off grapefruit and oranges with either a citrus peeler or a regular vegetable peeler. If using a vegetable peeler, cut the rinds into thin strips. There should be about 1 cup of each peel in total, slightly more or less is fine.

2. JUICE: Juice both the peeled oranges and grapefruits into a Reusable Fine Mesh Straining Bag to remove any large chunks of pulp or seeds. Measure out the strained liquid so that you have 1 cup of each juice. Grate the ginger into a small bowl and set aside.

3. COOK: In a large pot or saucepan, add the juice, water, and sugar. Turn the stove onto medium-high heat, stirring the mixture occasionally until it comes to a boil and all the sugar is dissolved. Turn the heat down to medium, adding in the orange and grapefruit peels along with the grated ginger, and simmer the mixture for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom. At this point, take a small plate and place it in the freezer (this will be very useful later). After cooking, the peels should be soft and slightly translucent. Taste the mixture, making any adjustments to it such as adding lemon juice, salt, sugar, or more ginger.

4. PECTIN: Add in about 2½ - 3 Tbsp of pectin to the mixture, then boil it for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Turn off the heat, take your small plate out of the freezer, and place a small blob of the marmalade onto the chilled plate. After about 30 seconds, the drop should be thick and sticky, the consistency of set marmalade, that’s how you will know when it is done. If it is not set, cook the mixture for 1 additional minute, then take it off the heat (see notes).

5. STORE: Using a wide mouth canning funnel and either a large scoop or ladle, spoon the marmalade into either pint or half-pint jars for storage, leaving about an inch at the top of the jar empty. Put on a lid and place the jars into the fridge, and they will keep for up to 3-4 weeks.

Optional:

6. CANNING: This sauce can be preserved for much longer by properly canning it.

Notes:

  • Cooking Pectin – Using fruit pectin can be a little bit tricky, especially if you are not used to working with it. Heating the pectin activates it and thickens the mixture, but overcooking it will make the marmalade rock hard once in the fridge. Ere on the side of caution when using, as it’s better to undercook the pectin than overcook it!

  • Can It For Later – This marmalade will last much longer if properly canned, after which it can be stored in a cupboard or pantry for months before being opened. These make great gifts for friends and family, just be sure to refrigerate the marmalade once it is opened.

    Did you make this recipe?

    We love to see your pictures!

    Tag @simple_ecology and hashtag it #simpleecology

    © Simple Ecology