Three citrus whisky and ginger marmalade

As you might have noticed, making preserves is something I really enjoy. So for our wedding favours, my fiance and I decided to make personal gifts that really represented us.

The first of these is a truly delicious three citrus whisky and ginger marmalade – my fiance loves whisky, and I love marmalade, so it seemed a perfect(ly delicious) pairing.

Marmalade is a bit of a mission to make – you need to get rid of all the pith, keep the seeds separate (in a muslin cloth), and soak the rind overnight. But believe me, it’s well worth it.

Ingredients 

• 1kg kumquats
• 1.2kgs oranges (approx 4 big ones)
• 280g lemons (approx 2 medium ones)
• 1.1kgs white sugar
• 1.1kgs brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons treacle
• Thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• 8 tablespoons whisky
• 2 small squares of muslin fabric

Method

1. Without cutting all the way through, quarter the kumquats and squeeze all the seeds out. Keep the seeds in a muslin bag, and process the kumquat flesh until it’s medium texture in the food processor.
2. Peel the oranges and lemons, and discard the pith and seeds. Slice the peel thickly and chop the flesh coarsely.
3. Peel and roughly chop the ginger. Gently crush 4 cinnamon sticks to release the scent, and add both to a muslin bag.
4. Add 11 cups of water, and the bag of seeds, the bag of ginger and cinnamon, and leave to soak, covered, overnight, or for around 8 hours.
5. The next day: Remove the seeds, and discard. Leave in the bag of ginger and cinnamon, and bring the fruit mixture to a simmer on the stove. Leave to simmer, covered, for about an hour.
6. Turn off the heat, remove the muslin bag, and measure the fruit mixture. For every 1 cup of fruit mixture, add 1 cup of sugar (1/2 cup white & 1/2 cup brown).
7. Return the fruit and sugar mixture to the heat, and add the treacle. Stir over high heat, without boiling, until the sugar and treacle dissolves.
8. Now, bring to the boil and leave to boil, uncovered – no stirring – for about 40 minutes, or until the marmalade jells.
9. Stir in the whisky.
10. Pour into hot, sterilised jars and seal.

Kumquats from my mother’s kumquat tree

Freshly picked!

Delcious

Quarter the kumquats

And squeeze out the seeds.

Muslin bag of seeds

Ingredients!

Leave the seeds in the fruit and water mixture overnight

Ginger and cinnamon mixture in a muslin bag.

Stir

Delicious on flapjacks

Lovely flavours

Yummo