Blood Orange Marmalade
~other citrus can be used instead, such as navel orange and/or grapefruit
Before you start jamming >
MAKE CALCIUM WATER
1. Put 1/2t white calcium powder and 1/2C water in a small, clear jar with lid.
2. Store in refrigerator between uses. Lasts a number of months—discard if settled white powder discolors.
3. Shake well before using.
6C cooked fruit
3T lemon or lime juice
2-3C sugar or 1-11/2C honey
4 1/2t Pectin powder
3t calcium water
How to Prepare
Peel, seed, remove membrane & finely chop 8 blood oranges and 1 meyer lemon. Scrape the white, then thinly slice the peel from 2 oranges and the lemon. Bring fruit to boil with 3c water. Simmer covered 20 min. stirring occasionally.
1. Wash and rinse jars; let stand in hot water. Bring lids and rings to boil; turn down heat; let stand in hot water.
2. Prepare fruit. Measure fruit into a stainless steel pot (or Le Crusseut, or copper if you are so lucky) with weensy bit (2t per 4cup fruit) lemon or lime juice (optional).
3. Add proper amount of calcium water from jar into pan; stir well.
4. Measure sugar or cold/room temperature honey into separate bowl. Thoroughly mix proper amount of Pectin powder into honey or sugar.
5. Bring fruit to boil. Add pectin-honey or pectin sugar; stir vigorously 1-2 min. while cooking to dissolve pectin. Return to boil and remove from heat.
6. Fill jars to 1/4″ of top. Wipe rims clean. Screw on 2-piece lids. Put filled jars in boiling water to cover. Boil 5 min. (add 1 min. more for every 1,000 ft. above sea level). Remove from water. Let jars cool. Check seals–lids should be sucked down. Lasts about 3 weeks to infinity once opened.
Note: Pectin completes its jell when thoroughly cool. Color changes over time do not affect flavor or quality. Lemon juice will make your jam brighter (but more tart!).
Secret tip: If mixture foams while cooking, add 1/2t butter or margarine per batch.
Questions that need answers? Call the infamous and wonderful JAMLINE: (413) 772-6816. Real live jammers on call.
Hi! I love this blog–such pretty and delicious looking stuff!
one question–I am a new jam maker, and I was wondering, what is the calcium water for?
great question, jenn! the official answer will follow, but the short answer is that Pomona’s Pectin is a calcium sensitive, low-methoxyl pectin that allows you to use little or no sugar when making jam because it gels in the presence of calcium ions. Most pectins gel only with a whole lot of sugar, hence the genius of Pomona’s, and the reason that we only use this kind of pectin if any at all. Most of our jams and preserves are simply fruit, sugar and lemon juice without added pectin. But if you are just starting to learn how to make jam, using Pomona’s is a great, surefire way to hone your skills–that’s what I did!
Here is the official, scientific answer:
Pomona’s Universal Pectin is MADE IN DENMARK. It is extracted from the peel and pulp of lemon, lime and orange after the juice and oil have been pressed out.
The pectin is extracted using hot, acidified water and then precipitated out of solution with alcohol. Some amide groups are then introduced into the pectin molecule during the process of de-esterification (a process by which the pectin is changed from high-methoxyl to low-methoxyl). High-methoxyl pectin requires a sugar concentration above 55% to gel whereas low-methoxyl pectin gels in the presence of calcium ions.
This calcium sensitive, amidated, low-methoxyl pectin is packaged under the name Pomona’s Universal Pectin. Each l oz. box includes thorough instructions and easy to follow recipes. Although low-methoxyl (LM) pectin has been known to the food industry for some time, Pomona’s Universal Brand finally put it on the retail shelves.
Good luck!
Jam on,
Laena
[...] by filling your desired jars to within a ¼ inch of the top and seal (for jar preparation, see this detailed recipe). Boil for 10 minutes in a water bath. Let rest 5 minutes in bath then remove. Wait for the [...]
[...] or by filling your desired jars to within a ¼ inch of the top and sealing (for jar preparation, see this detailed recipe). Boil for 10 minutes in a water bath. Let rest 5 minutes in bath, then remove. Listen for the jars [...]
Hi, when you talk about “Calcium powder”, what is that exactly? Calcium Carbonate? Calcium Citrate? I found some Calcium powder intended for pets – that’s not it, is it?
Love the blog, thanks! I’m just getting into jam making.
Hi Gary! Glad you’re making jam! We occasionally add pectin to some of our jam to make it jell when a particular fruit lacks natural pectin of its own. We use our own apple jelly (here is a cute and humorous account of how to make it) or we purchase a kind called Pomona’s Pectin. We like how it creates a gentle texture, not a Smuckers type of hard jelly. You can find it at some health food stores or you can purchase it online. It comes with detailed instructions, and what’s nice is you don’t need the huge amount of sugar that normal, commercial pectins like Sure-Jell require.
But to answer your question, Pomona’s Pectin is a sugar-free, low-methoxyl citrus pectin that is activated by Calcium (Monocalcium Phosphate). The pectin is extracted from the peel and pulp of lemon, lime and orange after the juice and oil have been pressed out.
The pectin is extracted using hot, acidified water and then precipitated out of solution with alcohol. Some amide groups are then introduced into the pectin molecule during the process of de-esterification (a process by which the pectin is changed from high-methoxyl to low-methoxyl). High-methoxyl pectin requires a sugar concentration above 55% to gel whereas low-methoxyl pectin gels in the presence of calcium ions.
This calcium sensitive, amidated, low-methoxyl pectin is packaged under the name Pomona’s Universal Pectin. As far as I am aware, no one else makes this stuff.
Does that answer your question? Please let me know if you have any more jam questions! Good luck and jam on!
Hi Laena & Liv – I have Pomona’s Pectin, it happened to be the brand I bought at the store. Lucky me! However – what should I use for calcium powder? I found a bottle of calcium carbonate at the vitamin dept. on Amazon, and it’s en route – is that the stuff you use?
No, the calcium powder comes with the Pomona’s Pectin and will be in the box you purchased. Do not use anything else!! When you open the box, there will be two packets and instructions. One packet is the pectin powder and the other is the calcium powder. Read the instructions, which will tell you to mix 1/2 tsp calcium powder with 1/2 cup water. Depending on what you are making and how much, you add a few tsp of calcium water to the fruit and then once that comes to a boil, you add the pectin/sugar mixture that the recipe calls for. Good luck! And please let us know if you have any other questions. Jam on!
Laeva & Liv – duh, maybe I should have opened the package sooner. Thanks so much for your help!
Good luck! Let us know how it turns out!
Hello there, I really enjoyed this post. I have just started up a blog and making rather varied articles for it. Do you mind if I write about this article? Obviously I will provide you and this post full credit and add a link to this page
.
sure, lilia. best of luck blogging, and just be sure to link back and credit us where we are quoted. thanks!
[...] posted my recipe last year, but decided to skip the addition of meyer lemons this time, as their beautiful flavor gets buried [...]