I make this marmalade when my tangerine tree in Sicily is loaded with fragrant fruit, and when I spread it on warm toast, the whole kitchen is infused with a profumo di Sicilia.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. (1 kilo) organic tangerines
- 2 organic oranges
- Juice of 1 lemon (2 TB)
- 2 cups (400 grams) sugar
Preparation
Cut the tangerines in half, and squeeze them on a juicer, measuring 1 ½ cups (300 ml) of juice. (Save all the tangerine peels!) Remove the seeds from the rest of the tangerine pulp, roughly chop it and set it aside. Peel the orange (throw out the peel), chop the orange sections into pieces, and pile it with the tangerine pulp.
Chop all tangerine peel into very small pieces (I use a food processor for this.) Place the peel in a non-reactive pan (I use stainless steel), cover with water, and bring to a boil. Simmer 5 minutes and drain in a strainer. Return the peel to the pot, add the pulp and all the juices. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
Add all the sugar to the fruit/peel mixture, bring to a boil and cook for about 25 minutes, stirring often with a wooden spoon to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan and burning. If you use a candy thermometer, it should reach at least 210° F.
Ladle the hot marmalade into sterilized jars (I boil the jam jars and lids in a pot of water, and take them out just before I am ready to put in the marmalade.) Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean damp cloth, and tightly screw on the hot sterilized lids. Let cool away from drafts. Makes about 3-4 small jam jars. Recipe can be doubled.
This marmalade has an intense scent and tastes of pure tangerine. It is great as a complement to sharpcaciocavallo cheese from Ragusa. Come and taste it on our walking and cooking tour in eastern Sicily, where we visit our garden and dine in our home. Buon appetito!