Years ago my Mum used to buy Roses Lime Marmalade, I remember it being really good (and greener)
but when I tried a jar more recently it didn't seem to have much flavour.
A few years back I tried making Lemon and Lime Marmalade by mixing limes in with a tin of the prepared lemons for marmalade but the pieces of lime ending up really tough.......not nice (and even worse was I'd given some away before I knew about the tough bits!)
Then during my 9 weeks in holiday lets (and how quickly I've forgotten about
them!) I bought a jar of Tiptree Lime Marmalade.....it was very tasty but expensive. (Tiptree are a company based in Essex)
So I searched on line for recipes and found this and made it a few weeks ago
Lime Marmalade
- 12 limes
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 1.5kg (3lbs) jam sugar
- A clean 30cm (12in) square of muslin, or an unused J-cloth
- String
- Four or five sterilised glass jars.
- Scrub the limes to remove any wax. Halve the fruit and squeeze them (reserving the juice). Place the lime halves in a bowl, cover with water and leave covered in the fridge for 12 hours.
- Drain and discard the water. Halve the pieces of lime, scrape out the flesh and membrane, then wrap this - together with any pips - in a bag made from a clean square of muslin or an unused J-cloth. Secure the top with some string.
- Slice the peel thinly and place in a large saucepan along with the muslin bag. Then add the lime juice, lemon juice and 1.5lL(48fl oz) of water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and gently simmer the mixture, uncovered, for 1 hour. The peel should be tender - cook a little longer in needed.
- Remove the muslin bag from the pan and, using tongs, carefully squeeze any liquid back into the pan.
- Discard the bag. Stir in the sugar and bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Boil rapidly for 10 minutes or until setting point is reach (see below).
- Allow the marmalade to cool for 20 minutes, then stir and spoon into sterilised jars. Seal and label when cool.
Just in case it wasn't very good I used half the recipe.........which I'm glad about because the faff of preparing the 6 limes reminded me why I only use the ready prepared tins to make marmalade nowadays!
The 6 limes made this much...............4 small jars
Conclusion............. don't bother again.
I've run out of church visits saved in drafts now so need to go out and about again further afield.
Back Tomorrow
Sue
Maybe next time cook the limes first and then slice. Marmalade made this way is easy work and always worth the effort.
ReplyDeleteI'm just sticking to the variations on using the tins of prepared - simple
DeleteThat's a shame. Maybe get the Tiptree marmalade as a treat now and again - or let the family know jars would always be welcome. :-)
ReplyDeleteJane's idea of cooking the limes first is a good one - Mum always made her marmalade that way.
xx
I found a link to the method - a River Cottage one. https://www.countryfile.com/how-to/food-recipes/seasonal-recipes/perfect-marmalade/
DeleteHope it helps.
xx
My mum never made marmalade or jam - I have no idea where my interest in making things comes from but the tins of prepared are so easy.
DeleteStick with the Tiptree one on occasion is probably best. Well, at least you tried. There is obviously a certain recipe which really nails it ... but that wasn't it!
ReplyDeleteI'm very trying!
DeleteWe make marmalade by boiling the whole fruit first in enough water to cover them (keep it topped up) until you can easily poke a skewer through the rind. Then scoop all the insides and as much pith as possible back into the water, add the juice of a couple of lemons (it helps to extract the pectin) and give it a second boil up for about 15 minutes while you slice up the rinds. Sieve the boiling mix, pushing through as much as possible (it's that white pithy stuff just under the rind that makes it set). Add the rind and a cup of sugar for each cup of liquid - and boil as rapidly as your pot will allow for about 15 minutes - until it does that wrinkle thing on a cold plate. A fast boil rather than a slow simmer is more likely to achieve a set.
ReplyDeleteHaving said all that I made an unset batch of lime marmalade years ago and found it to be excellent for making fruit cakes.
Thank you for the idea
DeleteI've never made Lime Marmalade. I agree with you about the change in the taste of Roses Lime (I thought it was my taste buds ageing)
ReplyDeleteI thought about adding some green colouring to my jars - which is what Roses must have done in the past as I know it was always very green and isn't now and it was much tastier
DeleteI do agree about Lime Marmalade - it never has the strong taste of orange marmalade and noe that it is easy to makewith tins of prepared fruit I suppose that is the best bet - I no longer make it and because I don't have it every morning I do buy Tiptree.
ReplyDeleteThe bakery in my Sons village is one of the few places that stock the complete range of Tiptree jams and marmalades - dozens to try.
DeleteI used to be very partial to Roses Lime Marmalade (when I was a student my landlady used to regularly burn the toast and it used to disguise the taste of charcoal!). It was definitely a green colour in those days.
ReplyDeleteI was quite disappointed when I tried Roses a while back.
DeleteI used to like the shape of the jar!
ReplyDeleteThat's true, much more interesting than a normal jam jar
DeleteI have no experience making marmalade. I buy orange marmalade at Trader Joe's and am quite happy with it. I've had lemon lime marmalade in England but not in the US.
ReplyDeleteI like making things, so was willing to give it a try
DeleteMy husband would love you …. He has a passion for marmalade and, as much as I like cooking, sweet things aren’t my favourite ( I’m a savoury kinda gal !!! ) so I lose points from my husband ! XXXX
ReplyDeleteThe marmalade made from the prepared tins are ever so easy!
DeleteTry Roses Lime and Lemon marmalade, Sue, that's better than the Lime on it's own. But Tiptree jams and jellies are excellent and they're fairly local to you, too. We love their quince jelly in the autumn on crumpets! It is expensive but then we must pay if we want quality - I'm sure all those ingredients you bought and produced just 4 small jars from were expensive, and as you say, you'd not bother again. Have Tiptree now and again as a treat, and it keeps very well in the fridge.
ReplyDeleteMargaret P
Tiptree products are so delicious. I made Quince jelly when we were at the smallholding and had quince trees - beautiful colour
DeleteI love lime marmalade but the last time I made marmalade swore I wouldn't go through that again. We don't get the prepared stuff here unfortunately.
ReplyDeleteMust be a market for the prepared tins for an entrepreneur!
DeleteI always use the jam sugar with added pectin so I can be sure to get a good set. I prefer this to cooking my jam/marmalade longer, as I think long cooking reduces the flavour of my jam, giving it a cooked/stewed taste rather than a fresh flavour
ReplyDeleteI used jam sugar - but still a poor set. I'm eating it anyway
DeleteFunny you should write about lime marmalade - last week I bought a jar of Roses Lime Marmalade (it isn't green!) thinking it might have more tartness than the orange marmalade. I'll have to open the jar and try it :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a strange co-incidence!
DeleteI remember it being very green and tangy back in the 60's - I guess they must have used a colouring. Now it was just bland
Sounds delish, now I want lime marmalade!
ReplyDeleteNice for a change
DeleteI don't really enjoy marmalade, but am so tempted to give this a try. But I have a question as a person across the pond. What is jam sugar?
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Sugar with added pectin to help the jam set better
DeleteDoes anyone remember a special offer from Rose’s lime marmalade. About 40/50 years ago. Small metal dish’s and large one .
ReplyDeleteMy Mother still has them .