Mandarin Orange Marmalade

Since the end of Chinese New Year, I have been thinking hard of ways to use those leftover mandarin oranges in the fridge.  I woke up one morning with a marmalade calling.  Boy, am I glad I tried this.  Who would have thought that homemade jam was so easy.  I will probably never buy store bought jams again.  Most importantly, homemade jam is fresh, all-natural, and you know exactly what is going into it.  Now that I have experienced my first jamming session, I look forward to my next. 

5 medium-sized mandarin oranges

1 cups water

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 cups sugar

Peel the oranges and set the fruit and peel aside separately. Slice enough of the skins into fine julienne strips to measure 1 cup. In a pot over high heat, boil the sliced orange peel in water for 5 minutes. (If you want to make a marmalade that’s less bitter, pour the water in which the peels were boiled into a measuring cup and replace it with the same amount of fresh water.)

Meanwhile, sterilize two half-pint jars in boiling water, and allow them to simmer on low heat, undisturbed while you make the marmalade.

With the metal blade in the work bowl of a food processor, puree the fruit of the oranges and the lemon juice, then add this pulp and juice mixture to the mixture of orange peel and water. When the whole mixture reaches a lively boil, add the sugar and cook, stirring occasionally for about 25 minutes, or until the marmalade has thickened slightly and a candy thermometer registers 104 deg C.

Transfer the marmalade to jars and seal with clean lids. Return the filled jars to the hot water bath where they were sterilized and let the jars simmer for 5 minutes. Allow the marmalade to stand undisturbed for several hours or overnight. Sealed jars will keep in a cool, dark place for a year; any jars that do not seal may be kept in the refrigerator.