Pamplemousse Squared: Spirited Marmalade, Two Ways

The following is a recipe for Scotch Marmalade, from Kevin West’s Saving the Season: A Cook's Guide to Home Canning, Pickling, and Preserving. If Scotch isn’t your thing, you can omit the spirit entirely, and still have an amazing marmalade. But if you have made Vin De Pamplemousse recently…well, you are in luck. The softened rinds of the Vin de Pamplemousse are perfect for making marmalade, and you can skip the first-day step of soaking the peels in water beforehand. In that case, it’s not Scotch Marmalade, but Vin de Pamplemousse marmalade.

While the recipes are otherwise alike, the end products are very different. The Scotch marmalade, best made with a smoky Islay single-malt, is assertive, bold, and dense. The Vin de Pamplemousse recipe is softer; the long immersion with vanilla beans and chamomile gives this version a dreamy, tender, herbal quality, very different indeed. Whichever you choose (or don’t choose! make both! we did!) you will surely delight in the rich citrus hues and the thick, bittersweet stuff that is heaven on a bit of hearty bread. Makes about 8 pints

If you are not familiar with the water bath canning method watch our water bath canning video workshop. Always make sure you are following all safety guidelines outlined by the USDA when canning anything. 

Directions

Day 1 (if starting from scratch) Skip ahead to Day 2 if you are working with Vin de Pamplemousse.

Prepare the fruit. Slice a thin round off the end of each fruit, and discard. Cut the fruit into quarters, and cut each wedge crosswise into 1/4 wide “chips,” discarding any seeds you may encounter.

Put all the cut citrus into a large non-reactive bowl, and pour the 10 cups water over it. Cover the bowl, and set it in the refrigerator to soak overnight.

Day 2
If using rinds from a finished batch of Vin de Pamplemousse, strain the liquid from the rinds as directed in the Vin de Pamplemousse recipe. Next, weigh the remaining rinds, and note the amount. Chop the peels into 1/2 inch pieces, and put them in a deep pot. Cover them with water to a depth of 1 inch. Bring to a boil and simmer for 45 minutes, or until the peels are tender and translucent. Add an amount of sugar equal to the weight of the marinated fruit. continue as for Scotch marmalade, omitting the Scotch.

If using fresh citrus that has macerated overnight, transfer the citrus and water to a large preserving pan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for about an hour, stirring every 5 minutes to turn over the contents of the pot. Cook until the peels are tender and translucent.

Add the sugar slowly to the preserving pan, stirring well to dissolve it. (Kevin West recommends warming the sugar on a baking sheet in a 225 °F oven before adding it, but secretly, we never bother with this step.) Bring the mixture back to a boil.
Reduce at a full rolling boil, stirring frequently, until the gel point is reached, about 45 minutes, or longer. Prepare a water bath canner and the jars while the marmalade cooks, and set the canner bath to boil.

Once you are satisfied with the gel set, stir in the Scotch, if using. Omit if making Vin De Pamplemousse marmalade. Boil hard for 1 minute, then turn off the heat, stir one minute longer, and verify the gel set. Allow the hot marmalade to cool slightly, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.

Ladle the marmalade into the warm jars, and process in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes.

Serve on a crusty loaf, with soft cheese, on crepes or with roasts or shaken in cocktails. Any way you like it, that’s the way to eat it. Enjoy.

 

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