The white pith of an orange peel is bitter, and that bitterness carries into the jam. Soaking the peel in water and boiling it three times takes the bitterness out completely. Everyone who skips these steps ends up pouring the jam away.
Ingredients
For the shells
For the syrup
For jarring
Method
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Peel the oranges
Wash the oranges well and peel them in strips. Scrape off the white pith if you can.
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Roll them up
Roll up the strips of peel and tie them with string, or prick them with a fork.
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Soak them
Soak in cold water for 12 hours, changing the water 3 times.
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Boil three times
Boil for 10 minutes in clean water and tip the water away. Repeat this 3 times.
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Make the syrup
Boil the sugar and water together.
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Cook
Put the peel into the syrup and cook over a low heat for 45 minutes, until it turns translucent.
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Add the lemon
Add the lemon juice and boil for another 5 minutes.
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Fill the jars
Fill the jars while hot, turn them upside down and leave to cool.
Tips
- Do not skip the three boils; the bitterness only comes out that way.
- Choose thick skinned oranges, as thin peel disappears in the jam.
- Do not try to scrape away all of the white pith, as a little of it helps the set.
Nutrition
Values are per serving and approximate.