Signs
Spoke to my mum today. Oh I know, she died over 20 years ago, but she reminded me today, marmalade making day, of the signs to look for...
“To get a good set Bob (she called me Bob), you must wait for a rolling boil. Forget this thermometer malarkey... far too technical, and not always reliable. You have to look for the signs and do the crinkle test for the set!”
So I waited while it boiled, and boiled... and then, yes!... the ‘rolling boil’... and the ‘crinkle’ told me it would set.
Thanks Mum, think I’ll make some more!
- Category: True Stories Told As Fiction
- Tags: Neville’s Seville... Annual Marmaladeathon. Rolling boil. Crinkle test.
7 comments add one below
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Richard Hunt over 3 years ago
I don’t remember her making marmalade. But it is fair method. I agree that the thermometer is only a guide, and it is so easy to burn the jam round the edges if you use the thermometer. The 25 jars we have so far made this year have set beautifully. Now for the next 25!
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Neville Hunt over 3 years ago
Mine have also set beautifully, also about 25 so far, more tonight and over the weekend. I always aim to make enough for a jar a week plus a few extra for giving odd people who particularly like it. I have about 20 jars left from last year/year before as my fail safe. I’ve never run out so far... although MaMade is pretty good too when desperate (In fact Corrine’s dad won their annual village preserve competition with a jar of it, much to the disgust and annoyance of the runner up!)
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Richard Hunt over 3 years ago
We freeze the oranges whole, they come back beautifully, which means that we can have fresh marmalade at any time - also stops too much work in mid January!
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Neville Hunt over 3 years ago
Well, without wishing to seem toooo competitive... so do I... indeed there are a couple of kilos frozen in our freezer right now, which I probably should use and replace, but... in our last house, I had left a whole load of Seville oranges in our freezer for 15 years (chest freezer, right at the bottom) and they made terrific marmalade.
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Neville Hunt over 3 years ago
Thanks Drew. A bit of sibling rivalry creeping in here maybe!🥴
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VerityAlways over 2 years ago
Nostalgia!
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Christopher about 2 years ago
I don't know how I missed this a year ago. It wasn't until you posted the second one in this series that I realized I never read the first one.
