Making Marmalade

I saw a sale on oranges the beginning of November. “Fifty cents a pound!” the sign teased me. The only problem? I had to commit to the fourteen pound bag.

A few weeks later I noticed Kenny was turning into an orange. He was doing his best to work his way through the massive bag hogging prime real estate in the third shelf of our fridge. I tried one and decided I didn’t like them. Difficult to peel, quite seedy and a little bland on flavor – these were not oranges for eating.

What to do with the remaining twelve pounds? Not to fear! Creativity is here!

I pulled out the Ball canning cookbook my mother-in-law gave me last summer. Orange marmalade! My mother planned a Thanksgiving visit. Orange marmalade is her favorite, so I decided to whip up a batch.

Never mind that I’ve never canned! Never mind that I’ve never properly made jam! I can do anything, right?

Well I now know – yes I can do anything. At least I can make orange marmalade. The more important question should have been this: “How long will it take me to do it?”

The answer? A half hour to consult with my mother-and-law and sister for canning advice. One hour to find the canning supplies at my local grocery stores. Two hours to slice and dice oranges and peels. One and a half hours to stir cooking marmalade. And an eternity to remove the orange smell from my fingers and house.

I wonder what I’m going to do with the eight remaining pounds of oranges?

Tags: Texas Oranges