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I used to add a tablespoon of black treacle to the jam pan just before putting it into jars. This would be enough for 4lbs oranges recipe. It added a lovely undertone and deepened the colour.

Hi Dan

Question.
I made my novelty marmalade recipe a little too savoury at first.
And needed to add more sugar.

When I added 100g, the boiling mix foamed rather alarmingly, & foamed more as I stirred, up to the top of my pan.

Any tips on adding more sugar if you need to, without cooling the marmalade first?

Perhaps you should send some to Victoria Beckham as she's eating so much during her current pregnancy! LOL.

What was wrong with grannies making enough marmalade to suppy to friends and neighbours, seems like a nice thing to do to me? I also make lots, I keep some, some is given as gifts to very appreciative friends and neighbours, and some is sold to raise money for charity.
My current favourite is Mary Norwak's ginger marmalade recipe - works well, sets brilliants and tastes extremely good.

I have seen so many articles on the brilliance of marmalade in the past few days that I am hoping this is the start of a big campaign to raise its popularity. I read the other day that have really dropped in the past year as people aren't eating it anymore, so I hope that all the publicity it is receiving is reminding people of how delicious it is. My friend just gave me a jar of homemade whisky marmalade, which I have been eating on french baguette with some Camembert cheese. This is a delicious combination that I highly recommend. I have never actually tried to make it as I always thought it was really tricky, which I think came from watching my grandma made a real song and dance out of it, just as she did making the Christmas pudding! But I think I will give it a go, it is so satisfying to be eating your own homemade marmalade!!

I have made my saville marmalade this year using the pressure cooker method, with just a hint of chilli (2 scotch bonnet chillies to 1.5 kg. oranges). It is a bit like the American style jelly with chilli that I made last year. It is slightly under set, but is delicious. Everyone who has tasted it loves it.
MaryH78, I made whiscky marmalad, using mamade tins, a few years back for a charity sale, it sold out within minutes! I think it was just the name whisky on the label that did it!

I have just finished my very first 2 batches of marmalade, the second a much better effort so currently have 12 jars in my pantry. I want to make more but am worried about getting all the jars and storing it. Then my husband informed me that his mother used to make loads but only to the stage before adding the sugar and then froze it all. She would then make more once the first batch was finished. This seems like a great idea. I have enough room in the freezer but was wondering how this might effect the finished product or will it make no difference at all. I also wanted to say that the satisfaction I have got from make my own is enormous and would encourage others to have a go. It tastes soooo much better than anything in the shops.

This is the second article I've seen recently (the other being Hugh F-W's in the Guardian) that mistakenly claims that Pam Corbin advocates boiling up the orange pips to improve the set. This is not the case. In fact, quoting from page 55 of Preserves by Pam Corbin:

"For generations, marmalade-makers have cooked up the mass of pips found inside citrus fruits in the belief that they are full of pectin. However, most of the pectin is actually found in the citrus peel and I rely on this for the setting power in my marmalade."

I'm also in the middle of my annual marmalade making and it's always good to read everyone's experiences and tips. To anyone thinking about trying, it's well worth the effort and not difficult - you just need to set aside some time when you will be around the house for a while. DIANE I wouldn't worry too much about your marmalade keeping - I have found that mine will keep well into the second year, that's if I've overdone the amount. I make sure everything is sterile as far as possible to avoid mould forming eg. I run boiling water over the inside of the lids just before sealing the jars. DAN I'm no expert, but I do use the cold-plate-in-the-fridge as a guide to when I'm getting close to the setting point, also, I find that the marmalade seems to start spitting with a bit more vengeance when it's about ready. Above all, every batch is slightly different, which I think is one of the added pleasures.

Dan, I tried a Delia marmalade recipe last week and it just won't set. I used pips for the pectin, then as this failed I went out and bought a bottle of pectin. This too hasn't worked. Did you mention back there that the liquid pectin needs to be boiled before it gets activated? I suppose I could put it back in the pressure cooker for a fourth time... Please advise. Thank you.

Hi We have had our second disaster with our first attempt at marmalade making. First it set like concrete and had a job the get it out of the jars and now it is like water! We have left it stood in the jars, as we were so disappointed, since Monday as I was going to throw ia all away, again! Bu t reading your comment about returning to the pan and adding pectin I wondered if it is too late for us to try this?

Gillnst - what a shame you're not having any success. When I boil up my oranges & water (with pips in muslin) I mark the depth on my wooden spoon, measure half the depth and boil until it reaches the halfway mark. I use the cold plate/wrinkling method to judge the set as it should turn out reasonably well over a range of 'sets', some firmer than others, but nice to have a bit of variety.

Dan, you make no mention of reduction. By reducing twice by a third, once before the sugar is added and again afterwards, I have no problem with setting. I soak everything except the sugar overnight as you say but use no lemon or additional pectin. I use a lot less sugar than any recipe I have seen and make certain it is dissolved completely. The second reduction caramalizes the sugar, which makes it quite dark. Regular stirring prevents it burning.

Dan, I do like it dark but it doesn't have to be chunky. I'm too lazy to hand chop the peel and blitz it in the food processor. I have to be careful not to overdo it, though. About 5 to 10 seconds is enough. My first batch this year, for instance, was much too blitzed, resulting in very small pieces of fruit in the marmalade. Not quite right, but still caramalised nicely. And set nicely. Nothing new about it, though. My mother was a great experimenter. She tested a number of recipes in the fifties and sixties and arrived at one that worked, which I still use. I have now inherited the marmalade duties for the whole family and have made as much as 120 lbs in a year. All in small batches in Jan and Feb. This year I have made about 40 so far and have fruit for another 60 in the freezer for use later. Richard

A useful tip to help your marmalade set, is to add, after the peel has been softened, some finely grated cooking apple. Allow approximately 200-250g (a good sized Bramley) of apple for every kilo of fruit used. It is important to use cooking apple because the flesh will simply dissolve into the gell. You will find by doing this your marmalade will set easily at a lower sugar content than without. Use this tip when making other citrus marmalades ie sweet orange or grapefruit - these fruits are not as pectin rich as the glorious Seville, but nonetheless, can be used to make delicious marmaldes throughhout the year.
Remember, there are always variables when making any preserves; size of pan, quality and quantity of fruit used, rolling boil etc., but given time, patience and understanding of the process you will take much satisfaction in the golden beauties you can store away for the year ahead.

Hi Pam and Dan,
THis post couldnt have come at a better time. I'm new to marmalade. Did one batch two weeks ago and it was good. tried another formula this time (using the soak peel,etc in water overnight method) and disappointingly it didnt set. I suspect it's the water to sugar ratio. I had my doubts but it came from a reliable source so i went ahead.

So first of all, can someone point the link to the ±«Óătv recipe out to me? It's probably right in front of my eyes but i've managed to miss it.

Second, some recipes call for using the boiling the pulp with the sugar; others discard the pulp along with the pips. Does this make any difference other than the texture of the product?

Third, Pam you say one could use less sugar if adding an apple. I'm absolutely interested in this. I would like to use as little sugar as i can possibly get away with. But how much less, Pam? And what is the usual ratio?

Fourth, to rescue my slightly runny marmalade, if i'm unable to get hold of liquid pectin, can i reboil it with an apple and some lemon juice and sugar? I was even thinking of cooking an apple down to apple butter stage sort of, and adding it to the marmalade, not so much as a bid to get it to set but just to thicken the mixture, lend it some body so to speak. Or even being lazy and just adding apple (or some other fruit) puree. Has anyone ever tried this?

thanks! Dan i use your bread recipes all the time. You are a jam (haha, couldn't resist)

hi dan I am new at making jam and marmalade, my niece gave me this recipe and it was a failure it did not set. hers turns out well. is it because I use navel oranges? i also add lemons to the mix I had to reboil and add jam setter can you help?

tessmaria