Every year I am amused by how many satsumas people around here are trying to give away, to say nothing of the lengths to which they will go to unload them. I feel for these people. I don’t know exactly how many ripe satsumas one healthy, mature, satsuma tree will produce in a year, but I do know they do it all at once and it’s an emergency. I have ever kept an enormous bowl full of them by the door. No one was allowed to leave without taking several at least. I’ve made the UPS guy and the mail carrier take some. I’ve shown up with a basket full of satsumas as a hostess gift. I’d send satsumas to school by the dozen. And I don’t even HAVE a satsuma tree.
And then there are all the things we do to use up the rest of the satsumas, somehow. We eat a bunch, of course. My aunt and my mom both make excellent satsuma jelly. I usually freeze some juice for satsuma daiquiris when the weather gets warm. This year I wanted marmalade. So I scoured the Internet for the easiest, most straightforward marmalade recipe I could find and then I added some spice. I loved spiced oranges in all forms, so surely spicing up satsumas would be okay, right?
I wasn’t going to tell y’all about the Spiced Satsuma Marmalade if it didn’t turn out to be good. (Obviously!) But it turned out great! And it’s so easy! And it will make excellent holiday gifts!
If you’re new to making jams and jellies there are a few things you should know. First, don’t try to double the recipe. It won’t work the same way, so just don’t. This one is easy enough to make that two batches are certainly doable, if needed.
Second, this isn’t an especially sweet preserve to begin with, so don’t reduce the sugar. And you should also know that reducing the sugar in a jam, jelly, or preserve will affect the product’s ability to set up, and will also reduce the shelf life of the preserve.
Finally, you don’t need to use sterilized jars if you’re water-bath canning jams and jellies, but do start with very clean jars and lids. I wash them by hand in hot, soapy water, and rinse them well just before I begin the preserves.
And finally, note that the flavor of this marmalade will continue to develop over several days in the jars. When I first made it, I tasted it and thought I’d like more spice flavor. I decided to wait to see what happened over several days, and I’m glad I did. The ultimate result is flavorful and nicely balanced.
Cheers!
Spiced Satsuma Marmalade
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. satsumas, washed, quartered, seeds removed, don't peel the fruit
- 3 cups water
- 6 T. lemon juice, fresh or bottled
- 4 cups sugar
- 2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half or thirds
- 6 whole cloves
- clean half-pint canning jars, clean rings, new flat lids
Instructions
- Working in batches, pulse the satsumas in a food processor until chopped, but not puréed. Put chopped satsumas in a deep, heavy-bottomed pot.
- Add water and bring the fruit to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and simmer for at least 30 minutes until the satsuma rinds are tender.
- Add sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon sticks and cloves. Stir until the sugar dissolves, and fit a candy thermometer over the lip of the pot. Don't let the thermometer touch the bottom of the pot. Put a couple of small plates in the freezer.
- Bring marmalade to a full, rolling boil, and boil until the temperature reaches 220°. When the fruit is at 220°, take a plate out of the freezer and put about 1/2 t. on the cold plate. Return to the freezer for 2 minutes. Check the gel by pushing on the marmalade with your finger. If the marmalade wrinkles, you're done. If not, try again in a couple of minutes.
- Fill clean jars with hot fruit leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe the rims with a wet paper towel, and put the lids and rings on, tightening the ring only until you feel resistance.
- Put the jars in a stock pot that will fit them in a single layer. Fill pot with water covering the jars by a couple of inches. Bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, time 10 minutes. Carefully remove jars using tongs or a jar lifter. Allow to sit on the counter undisturbed for 24 hours. You will likely hear the lids pop. After 24 hours, make sure all the jars have sealed. Any jar that pops when you press the center of the lid needs to go in the refrigerator for immediate use. All others are shelf stable indefinitely.
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