Preservation II: Clementine-Ginger-Habanero Marmalade

Oh yes baby.  Delicious: Clementine-Ginger-Habanero Marmalade.

I enjoyed making the Orange-Ginger Marmalade so much I decided to take on a new batch.  This time, I used Clementines.  They're sweet, seedless and full of flavor.  To give it a kick, I added ginger, this time in the form of candied ginger and three, yes THREE habanero peppers.  Surprise!  It was a little heat way back on your throat, but not "hot".  Turned out to be delicious.  And here's how it happened...

Ingredients:

16 Clementines, whole
5 cups water
2 Lemons, halved

3 Habanero Peppers

6 oz. Candied Ginger
7 cups sugar



I used one pint sized jar, five half-pint jars and two one-cup sized jars.  Gather all your stuff, make sure you have everything together. Running to the store isn't usually an option in the midst of this.

This is so easy ..... and addictive.

Day One:

Thoroughly wash clementines. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the yellow zest from the lemons and reserve.  Cut the lemons in half and squeeze the juice and reserve. Take lemon seeds and put them in a cheesecloth bag or, as I did, empty a tea bag and tie up with string. Add bundle of seeds and the lemon halves to pot. 

Be sure to use stainless steel or another coated, non-reactive (ie: porcelain over cast iron, etc) pot: NOT ALUMINUM or other reactive material.  Cover the pot and simmer until fruit is soft – mine took almost 2 hours.  Remove pot from heat, cover and cool overnight.  

Cleanliness ... next to Godliness. Really

Day Two:

Start the day by filling your canning equipment. It takes forever for 21 quarts of water to come up to temp.  Trust me. It is all about timing.  Get it hot, sterilize your jars and keep them hot. I used a 21.5 quart canning pot with a lift out rack.  You do not want to put the jars directly on the bottom of the pan.

Start it out slow and WATCH the temp.

I used my handy candy thermometer (on the top) and tried out a second one too.

Remove and discard bundle of lemon seeds, do not strain liquid. Remove clementines and lemons from liquid.  Depending on your preference for chunky or more jelly like marmalade, you can place a strainer over the pot of cooking liquid, or, as I do, use it “chunky” style.

Cut the clementines in half and scoop pulp into the strainer set over the pot that was used to boil the fruit. Save all peels. I just squeezed the halves and the fruit popped right out. Rub pulp through strainer or, as I did, coarsely chop and reserve.

Add sugar and lemon juice to pot of reserved liquid. Heat gently, stirring until sugar dissolves, then boil for a about 5 minutes.

I stacked up the peels and sliced the clementine peel into a fine julienne.  Add the peel and the chopped fruit into boiling sugar-lemon-liquid syrup mixture. Remove the stems, seeds and membranes form the habaneros.  Finely mince them and add to the fruit.  

I put the candied ginger in the mini-prep food processor and processed it until it was all chopped finely.  You can also use fresh ginger if you like, but use less as it is much more pungent.  

Bring to a boil and continue boiling until marmalade reaches the setting point (220*F at sea level).  Be careful, it can scorch due to the high sugar content and it will also burn your skin if it pops so wear long sleeves!  

Stir frequently.  This can take awhile.  The water has to cook out to the point that the syrup will thicken allowing the rise in temperature.  Pectin "sets" at 220 degrees fahrenheit.

You will know just by looking at it that it is working!

The pulp and peel takes on a translucent quality.  Once the mixture has reached the correct temperature, remove pot from heat.  Skim foam if any, and let mixture rest for 10-15 minutes. Stir to distribute peel evenly.

 


Fill hot, sterilized jars to within one-quarter inch of the top, wipe and seal appropriately.  

Process in boiling-water bath for 15 minutes (at sea level). Once done, remove to a rack to drain and cool.  You will hear the “PING!” as the jars seal themselves.  If any do not have the concave “dimple” indicating they are sealed, place them in the refrigerator and use them first.

 

Label jars and store in a cool, dark place.  Common sense says this keeps for a year, but I’ve seen it last longer.  Store without the rings.  This helps because rings can rust in place, and if by some chance you didn’t get a great seal and the mixture goes off, it won’t explode.  You’ll be able to see it and empty.

Do not reuse the round lids.  They are cheap (I paid $1.65 for a dozen Ball lids at WalMart) and for the best possible seal, use new ones each time. Rings can be used until they go bad - they usually rust and when they do, toss em!



This is delicious served cold over cream cheese or used as a glaze for chicken or fish on the grill.  And, of course, delicious with breakfast.