Mike's Orange Marmalade

Makes 6 half-pint jars.

Ingredients

4 medium-sized oranges
2 lemons
1 grapefruit
3 cups water
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 package powdered pectin
6 cups sugar

Special Tools
canner or stockpot
candy thermometer
6 half- pint canning jars with 2-part lids
* avoid using parafin and jars with clamp-down lids and rubber sealers when canning, since they allow a greater risk of contamination.

Instructions

Prepare jars and lids by washing thoroughly and slowly bringing to boil in a large stockpot or canner. Keep them in the hot water until ready to use.

Remove zest from oranges and grapefruit with a paring knife, then go around the oranges and grapefruit again with the paring knife to remove the white pith from the fruit. Reserve fruit and discard pith. Thinly slice zest. In a medium saucepan or stockpot, combine zest with water and baking soda. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, 20 minutes. Remove seeds and any white membrane from oranges and lemons. Coarsely chop fruit. Add fruit to zest mixture and return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Measure five cups of prepared fruit.

Combine prepared fruit and pectin in a large saucepan or stockpot fitted with a candy thermometer, and bring to a rolling boil. Stir in sugar; return to a rolling boil. Stirring constantly, boil hard until thermometer reads 8 degrees above boiling (boiling point varies from 112°C according to altitude). Skim foam if necessary. You may want to test for jell set at this point by placing a teaspoon of marmalade onto an ice-cold plate—you're looking for a jell-like consistency with a crinkly skin. If the marmalade is still liquid, continue to boil for a few more minutes and test again. Carefully ladle hot marmalade into hot jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Wipe rim and threads of jars with a clean damp cloth. Place lid on jar with sealing compound next to glass. Screw band down evenly and firmly just until a point of resistance is met—fingertip tight.

Process 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner.

Note: If you're inspired to keep tradition alive, in place of powdered pectin you may reserve the pith and seeds, and boil them in cheesecloth with the fruit and zest prior to adding the sugar. You can then squeeze out the clear, thick liquid—which is the pectin—into the marmalade. Because Valencia oranges aren't particularly pectin-rich, you may need to boil the marmalade a bit longer until the gel-point is reached.