For those of you who love the bitter, complex taste of marmalade, there is no better time than now to make it. Citrus fruits are in season and the limes are nice and juicy. I’ve adjusted my recipe to make just 2 cups of marmalade. This way, you can make the marmalade in a small enough quantity so it doesn’t consume dozens of hours and doesn’t force you to buy any special equipment or tools.
3 limes, scrubbed well (pick unblemished ones) 3 cups water 2 ½ cups sugar Quarter the washed limes. Slice as thinly as possible and place in a bowl. Add 3 cups of cold water, cover and let sit overnight at room temperature. The next day, put into a pot and simmer gently for 30 minutes or until you can cut the peel easily with a spoon. Take off heat and let sit overnig ht at room temperature.
The next day, add 2 ½ cups of sugar and place over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved (if the sugar does not dissolve before it boils, your marmalade may sugar later). When you no longer feel any granules as you stir, turn up the heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the marmalade “sheets” off a spoon. Sheeting is best described as follows – you put a spoon into the marmalade and then hold it up over the pot. The drips will pull towards each other on the edge of the spoon to make a big drop. You can also put a tiny amount of marmalade on a plate and place in the freezer for 2-3 minutes. Take it out and push it with your finger. If a wrinkle forms on the surface, it’s done. My batch took about 14 minutes to cook – it won’t take as long at lower altitudes than Calgary.
Take the marmalade off the heat and put into a jar you have washed and then sterilized in the oven at 250oF for 10 minutes. Let cool. Be patient. Marmalade can sometimes take a few days to set.