Directions:

• Place 6 clean 250 ml mason jars on a rack in a boiling water canner. Cover jars with water and heat to a simmer (180°F/82°C). Set screw bands aside. Keep jars hot until ready to use.


• Preheating Bernardin® lids is not advised. The sealing compound used for our home canning lids performs better at room temperature than it does pre-heated in simmering water (180°F). Simply wash lids in hot, soapy water, dry, and set aside until needed. Preheating can lead to less vacuum being achieved during water bath canning, and to buckle failures during pressure canning.


• Thoroughly wash blood oranges. Cut & discard a thin slice off tops and base of each orange. Score peel into quarters; remove peel and place in large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to boil; boil 10 minutes. Drain; cover with fresh cold water and boil another 10 minutes. Drain. With a spoon, scrape white pith from peel. Cut peel into paper-thin strips.


• Working over large saucepan to catch juice, separate blood orange segments from membrane. Place segments in saucepan; squeeze membrane, collecting juice in saucepan.


• Add cooked peel and 4 cups (1000 ml) water to juice & segments. Bring to boil; If desired, add 1/2 tsp (2 ml) butter or vegetable oil to reduce foaming. reduce heat and simmer until peel is very soft when squeezed with fingers, about 30 minutes. Measure cooked mixture – if necessary add water to yield 6 cups (1500 ml).


• Ladle 3 cups (750 ml) of cooked peel mixture into a large, clean saucepan. Ladle remaining mixture into a second saucepan. Add 3 cups (750 ml) sugar to each saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil vigorously, stirring frequently, until mixtures reach gel stage, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat. Skim foam.


• Gel Stage Tests Remove pot from heat while conducting selected gel test


• o Dip cool, metal spoon into marmalade. Lift spoon moving it away from steam. Gel Stage is reached when mixture sheets off spoon.


• o Place spoonful of hot mixture on chilled plate; place plate in freezer until cooled. Gel is achieved when product does not run together when separated with spoon.


• o Cook mixture to 220°F (104°C) or until it reaches a temperature that is 8°F (4°C) above the boiling point of water at your elevation.


• Quickly ladle hot marmalade into a hot sterilized jar to within 1/4 inch (0.5 cm) of top of jar (headspace). Using nonmetallic utensil, remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if required, by adding more marmalade. Wipe jar rim removing any food residue. Centre sealing disc on clean jar rim. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip tight. Return filled jar to rack in canner. Repeat for remaining marmalade.


• When canner is filled, ensure that all jars are covered by at least one inch (2.5 cm) of water. Cover canner and bring water to full rolling boil before starting to count processing time. At altitudes up to 1000 ft (305 m), process – boil filled jars – 10 minutes.*


• When processing time is complete, remove canner lid, wait 5 minutes, then remove jars without tilting and place them upright on a protected work surface. Cool upright, undisturbed 24 hours; DO NOT RETIGHTEN screw bands.


• After cooling check jar seals. Sealed discs curve downward and do not move when pressed. Remove screw bands; wipe and dry bands and jars. Store screw bands separately or replace loosely on jars, as desired. Label and store jars in a cool, dark place. For best quality, use home canned foods within one year.


• Spirited Rose Marmalade – Prepare, cook as directed. When marmalade nearly reaches gel stage, add 4 tbsp (60 ml) Cointreau to each saucepan of marmalade. Cook 5 minutes longer or until gel stage is reached.

Notes & Tips