Do you dream of being the neighbourhood Nigella? Would you kill to be Susie Homemaker; the crafty domestic goddess with Christmas all sewn up?
Well we've got the key to all of that and the eternal praise of your friends and loved ones. It's all down to a clever little recipe that will not just solidify your position as Queen Bee, but also save you a fortune in gifts in the coming weeks.
The answer: homemade Gin and Lime Marmalade.
This tangy, zingy, sticky treat can be whipped up in a cosy afternoon in the kitchen, deposited into pretty jars and festooned with ribbon, handmade labels or fabric cap covers,
The best recipe we've found is by Katie Bryson of
Feeding Boys. It makes 14 jars - make sure to keep one for yourself!
Kit you’ll need
Large stainless steel lidded pan
Muslin squares
String
Pretty jam jars
- 675 g limes
- 1.75 litres water
- 1.4 kg granulated sugar
- 70 ml gin (we love Aldi's Boyle's Gin)
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Cut the limes in half and juice them all. Pour the juice along with the water into a large stainless steel plan. Scrape the membrane and pips out of the remaining lime halves and save it in a bowl.
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Chop the membranes up either by hand or in a small food processor, then sit on top of a square of muslin and then gather up the edges and tie securely with string and pop it into the pan, tying it to the handle so it doesn’t bob about too much.
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Next finely slice the lime halves into the thinnest strips you can manage and pop them into the pan to soak overnight – they’re pretty tough so it’s worth doing this to make your marmalade softer to eat.
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The next day bring the pan to the boil with the lid on, then turn the hob down to the lowest setting and allow to simmer for two hours. Your kitchen will smell of zesty citrus.
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Meanwhile, pop your sugar into an ovenproof bowl and warm up in a low oven. Wash your jam jars in hot soapy water, rinse with hot water then air dry in the oven.
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Remove the muslin wrapped lime innards from the pan, squeezing gently to remove any excess juice. Add the warmed sugar and dissolve over a low heat, then turn the heat up until the liquid churns up into a rolling boil. Take your jars out of the oven and place onto a wooden board. Pour approx one teaspoon of gin into the bottom of each jar.
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Keep the rolling boil up until you reach setting point. This can take 5 minutes, but always seems to take me more like 20 mins. Keep checking by plunging a wooden spoon into the marmalade, lifting out and twisting until the liquid runs off. If you’re left with a droplet that hangs stubbornly from the spoon like a flake without dripping, then you’ve reached setting point. Don’t fret, just keep boiling until it happens. Turn the heat off and push any scum that’s formed on the surface to the side with a metal spoon and then lift out and into a dish. (I like to spread this on toast later)
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Ladle the marmalade into a jug and pour into the jars and fill to just under the brim and then seal with lids. Allow to cool completely before labelling.
Recipe by Katie Bryson of FeedingBoys.
