Bitter orange marmalade for long journeys
A marmalade of Seville bitter oranges, with the peel cut into fine ribbons, neither too sweet nor too bitter. Jarred, it keeps for months — enough to spread on a Devon toast all the way to a dig site in Mesopotamia.
A marmalade of Seville bitter oranges, with the peel cut into fine ribbons, neither too sweet nor too bitter. Jarred, it keeps for months — enough to spread on a Devon toast all the way to a dig site in Mesopotamia.
On the digs, far from England, it was the marmalade that brought me home every morning. We make it at the end of winter, when the Seville bitter oranges arrive — the only ones suitable. I sliced the peel as finely as possible, boiled it for a long time until set, then into tightly sealed jars. In a trunk, under the sun of Nimrud, a pot of marmalade and a cup of tea, and one could almost imagine oneself in Torquay.
- •Seville bitter oranges — a good amount (base)
- •Lemons — a few (pectin and acidity)
- •Sugar — in roughly equal weight to fruit (preservation)
- •Water — as needed (cooking)
Bitter orange marmalade for long journeys
A marmalade of Seville bitter oranges, with the peel cut into fine ribbons, neither too sweet nor too bitter. Jarred, it keeps for months — enough to spread on a Devon toast all the way to a dig site in Mesopotamia.
Why this dish? Christie would leave for months on archaeological digs at Nimrud, Iraq, with her husband Max Mallowan. Bitter orange marmalade, the iconic English breakfast preserve, travelled in trunks: a taste of home in the heart of the desert.
On the digs, far from England, it was the marmalade that brought me home every morning. We make it at the end of winter, when the Seville bitter oranges arrive — the only ones suitable. I sliced the peel as finely as possible, boiled it for a long time until set, then into tightly sealed jars. In a trunk, under the sun of Nimrud, a pot of marmalade and a cup of tea, and one could almost imagine oneself in Torquay.
Ingredients (period version)
- Seville bitter oranges — a good amount (base)
- Lemons — a few (pectin and acidity)
- Sugar — in roughly equal weight to fruit (preservation)
- Water — as needed (cooking)
Ingredients
- Seville bitter oranges — 1 kg (base)
- Lemons — 2 (pectin and acidity)
- Granulated sugar — 2 kg (preservation)
- Water — 2.5 L (cooking)
Method
- Scrub the oranges, squeeze the juice and reserve the pips (rich in pectin) in a muslin bag.
- Slice the peel into fine ribbons. Place peel, juice, water and the bag of pips to soak overnight.
- Boil for 1 h 30 until the peel is tender and the liquid reduced by half.
- Remove the bag, add the sugar, dissolve then bring to a rolling boil until setting point (105 °C).
- Skim, leave to cool for 10 min, then pour into sterilised jars and seal immediately.
How it was made : Bitter orange marmalade, popularised in Dundee in the 18th century, was a staple of the British breakfast. It was prepared in large quantities during the Seville orange season (January-February) to last the whole year.
The contemporary twist : Add a spoonful of whisky at the end of cooking and label the jars 'expedition reserve'.
Agatha Christie · Charactorium