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You need
2 lemons
enough mandarins to total 1kg/2lb fruit when added to the lemons (it takes quite a lot)
2kg/1lb granulated sugar
a pint or so of cold water
Halve each fruit as if for juicing, then scoop out the inside.
Thinly slice the peels to the size you like.
I usually cook the peels and the insides separately, using about 3/4 of a pint of water with each, but if you prefer you can tie the insides in a muslin and cook all of it together. Boil for 2 hours, or pressure cook 35 mins. If cooking in 2 batches, the insides can be microwaved with their share of the water, full power until boiling vigorously (you probably know your microwave well enough to work this out, it was 8 mins in mine), then on medium for 10 mins.
The peel should be soft enough to 'cut' with the back of a knife. Best to test lemon peel, because that is harder...
Strain the insides, getting as much as you can through the sieve (or squeeze the muslin thoroughly to extract as much goo as possible) and add the liquid and goo to the cooked peel. That goo is full of pectin, which is what you need to set the marmalade.
Add the sugar, warm gently, stirring, until all the sugar is dissolved.
MAKE SURE THE SUGAR IS DISSOLVED.
Bring to boil, and boil until setting point is reached (can be anything from 5 mins to ½hour or so, depending how much water you need to boil off).
Test for set in the usual way, I use the 'cold saucer' method.
Jam thermometers are good, if you use them exactly right (it's all too easy to misread, or get a 'hot spot'). It should have a mark on for 'jam'.
If mandarins are not in the shops, clementines or satsumas will work, subtly different flavours, but all delicious!
2 lemons
enough mandarins to total 1kg/2lb fruit when added to the lemons (it takes quite a lot)
2kg/1lb granulated sugar
a pint or so of cold water
Halve each fruit as if for juicing, then scoop out the inside.
Thinly slice the peels to the size you like.
I usually cook the peels and the insides separately, using about 3/4 of a pint of water with each, but if you prefer you can tie the insides in a muslin and cook all of it together. Boil for 2 hours, or pressure cook 35 mins. If cooking in 2 batches, the insides can be microwaved with their share of the water, full power until boiling vigorously (you probably know your microwave well enough to work this out, it was 8 mins in mine), then on medium for 10 mins.
The peel should be soft enough to 'cut' with the back of a knife. Best to test lemon peel, because that is harder...
Strain the insides, getting as much as you can through the sieve (or squeeze the muslin thoroughly to extract as much goo as possible) and add the liquid and goo to the cooked peel. That goo is full of pectin, which is what you need to set the marmalade.
Add the sugar, warm gently, stirring, until all the sugar is dissolved.
MAKE SURE THE SUGAR IS DISSOLVED.
Bring to boil, and boil until setting point is reached (can be anything from 5 mins to ½hour or so, depending how much water you need to boil off).
Test for set in the usual way, I use the 'cold saucer' method.
Jam thermometers are good, if you use them exactly right (it's all too easy to misread, or get a 'hot spot'). It should have a mark on for 'jam'.
If mandarins are not in the shops, clementines or satsumas will work, subtly different flavours, but all delicious!
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