Click here to add text.Harrys Marmalade Recipe

2kg Seville (marmalade) oranges
2or3 lemons
6lb Sugar
6 - 8 pints of water

Method
Wash oranges and lemons
Cut in half and de-juice using a lemon squeezer or something similar keeping juice in a large pan. At this stage I use my slow cooker pot.

Using a dessert or soup spoon scoop out the inside of the oranges as much as you can and put the flesh, pith and seeds into another pan for boiling, add  2 pints of boiling water from your kettle, and simmer for an hour or so until everything is very mushy.

Chop the remaining peel into small dice or shreds depending on your personal taste and put this into the pot with the saved orange juice. 

Add 6 pints of water and boil this until the peel is soft.

Strain the mush from the boiled flesh and pith by pushing it through a sieve keeping the resulting goo which is added to the pot where the peel is being cooked. Discard any seeds and fibre that wont go through your sieve.

When you are happy that the peel etc is soft enough add the sugar and begin to boil the mix until you reach setting point.  ( to check for setting point put a small sample on a chilled plate and leave in the fridge for 5 mins or so, run your finger through the sample and if it wrinkles into a gel then your marmalade is ready).  You may wish to skim the mix as it boils to remove any scum.

When ready turn off the heat under the pan and add a knob of butter to help remove any remaining scum and stop a skin forming

Pour into heated jars, cover with a waxed paper disc and put lids on while hot as this helps create a vacuum which assists the marmalade to have a longer shelf life.

When cool wipe down and label jars.

Make toast

This is a great way to cook your carrots for Christmas.

Chop your carrots into rounds or batons or both, place a large knob of butter in a
Pan or a covered oven dish, grate fresh nutmeg or sprinkle with1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg, do not add water and either cook in the oven or on top of the stove for 10 - 15 mins until tender but with a little crunch.

Chunky Christmas Chutney

Ingredients

1 pint malt or distilled vinegar
1lb brown sugar
2 0r 3 lb of apples peeled cored and chopped
3 onions diced
6 carrots diced
Some green beans chopped small
small courgette chopped
1lb raisins & sultanas
Tsp ground ginger
Tsp mixed spice
4 whole cloves
2 inch stick of cinnamon or 1tsp ground cinnamon

Method
In a large pan put vinegar sugar and all spices and heat until sugar is dissolved 
Add all chopped fruit, veg and dried fruit
Bring to a boil and leave pan uncovered
Allow the liquor to reduce until the mixture is of a thick consistency and there is no liquid at the bottom of the pan when you pull a spoon through the mix.
Pot into jars and cover with a waxed disc, put on jar lids while mix is still hot to create a vacuum which helps to lengthen the life of the preserve.

A great accompaniment to Christmas leftovers, cheeses and meats.

Lemon Curd Recipe

4 large egg yolks

134g granulated sugar

1 tablespoon lemon zest

Fresh lemon juice from 2/3 lemons

Pinch of salt

85g unsalted butter ( cut up)

Use a double boiler

Place the egg yolks, sugar, zest, lemon juice and salt in a bowl, whisk together over a medium heat.

Whisk continually to stop the eggs from splitting, continue to whisk until the temperature reaches 170 or 77.

Take of the heat and whisk the butter in.

You can leave the zest in or remove at this point.

Poor mixture into sterile jars.

It will take an hour to set and will keep in the fridge for 4 weeks or can be stored in the freezer.

Enjoy