Bitter marmalade....recipe ideas please!

[miniveg]

Hi

Just made my first (and prob last) batch of orange marmalade. The result was 8 jars of marmalade that has a strong bitter peel taste. It's not awful, but not that good unfortunately !!!

Funny when I make stuff that's nice, I end up giving most of it away, but I wouldn't want to give this away, so I'm stuck with it.

The best thing to do I guess, would be to use it up in other recipes, so please could people give me a few suggestions on what I could use it in.

Thanks

[Biscombe]

In a cake layer? As a glazing with extra sugar? on toast (sorry for stating the obvious!) can't think of anything else....sorry.........

[tootles]

I have used loads of dodgy batches as a base for ice cream. If it is a bit bitter, add evaporated milk instead of cream. Very good and quick (if you have an ice cream maker).

[Flummery]

If you used propper marmalade oranges (Seville) it will be bitter. That's why we like them! If you like a sweeter marmalade use ordinary oranges. I often use half oranges and half lemons (we call it St Clement's). If you have the bitter oranges and don't like the result, google Marmalade cake - there are lots of versions of the recipe and of course, the other ingredients sweeten it up a bit. Good luck. You can't waste your own produce can you?

[Sanjo]

Well, it's cheating a bit but you can make marmalade with all the fiddly bits having been done for you.
MARMADE, available from supermarkets, makes 6 jars of very nice tasting and finely shredded orange marmalade.
I buy it because my grandaughter who is just 8 likes to help me make it for grandad and her dad and it saves messing around.
I am going to experiment though and see if I can add finely shredded lemon and lime plus juice to make three fruits.
At Christmas I made it with brown sugar so that it came out very rich and dark and I added a little whisky to a couple of the jars for presents. Tasted great. S.

[miniveg]

Thanks for the ideas.

Flummery - thanks for the comment that Seville oranges are meant to be bitter. I assumed (in my ignorance) that all orange marmalade was made with sevilles!!!! I now know otherwise. Once i've made 8 jars worth of marmale cakes & marmalade ice creams, I might just be brave enough to make some normal orange marmalade - that will probably be more to my taste. Thanks

[Hilary B]

I believe you can use marmalade as a 'glaze' for baked ham. Not got a recipe, because I never bake ham, but I bought 'marmalade baked ham' in the supermarket a couple of times and it is delicious!

If the marmalade is bitter, it may be because the peel wasn't fully cooked before adding the sugar (bits of hard chewy peel are a sign of this), or not enough sugar (marmalade needs a lot).

[pickleandpreserve]

marmalade cookies

I made some marmalade cookies with my first batch of marmalade this year, real comfort food. I found the sweetness of the biscuit offset the bitter marmalade, I guess you might need to add a bit more sugar if your marmalade is very bitter.

The recipe is here:
pickleandpreserve: Marmalade Cookies Recipe

We had a plum jam failure some years ago (it set like glue) and reused it to make a nice fruity chutney, not sure if you could do the same with marmalade though.

[Polly Fouracre]

Maybe you left to much pith on the peel which would make it bitter and take longer to cook.I use a zester over the pan so that nothing is lost.