Tangerine Marmalade
The recipe I am going to share with you today is very special one. Tangerine jam or marmalade, but before I share my recipe may be I should be telling you about the place where the main ingredient of this recipe comes from. I am sure many has heard about our magnificient town, BODRUM in Turkey.
The town of Bodrum, ancient Halicarnassus, is Turkey's' premier resort, with its wonderful scenery, whitewashed houses laden with Bougainvillea and its turquise sea. Bodrum has got a style all of its own. It is a very special area since one can get fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs all year round; making it “the place” for a school of Aegean Turkish Cuisine which is based mainly on olive oil and fresh vegetables. Most of the vegetables found in farmers markets are naturally organic, brought direct from the farmers and village men and women who rise so early to harvest before taking up their spot in the marketplace.
Before Bodrum became a tourist spot its main income came from sponge divers, olives and tangerines. Bodrum has a special kind of tangerine. These fruits have a special aroma, their outstanding fragrance can easily be distinguished from all other kinds. Once you taste it you'll never forget it and this tangerine jam or really marmalade is made from the whole tangerine and its peel.
Ingredients:
- 1 kg Bodrum tangerines
- 600 gr sugar
- juice of a lemon
- tangerine skins + 1 cup of hot water
How To:
Sterilize jam jars in boiling water for 5 minutes.
Peel the tangerines and keep their skins. Cut each one in half through the middle to check for seeds.
Place the tangerine skins in a bowl and pour hot water over and knead as you would with dough.
Put the seeded tangerines in a large pan, add the sugar, the lemon juice and the water used to get the aroma from the skins, leave aside for half an hour.
Bring to the boil gently (the sugar has to dissolve first) and boil everything for 10 minutes.
Then using a hand blendar pure the jam. (Or in batches if necessary, in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth.)
Then turn down the heat a bit and boil for about 20-30 minutes more, stirring fairly often. Do not cover the pot! When it is done, ladle it into sterilized jars and let cool on the counter.
Enjoy!