Finger Lime Marmalade
I have recently been experimenting with native finger limes. I have
several varieties including some of the newest hybrids (but these are
yet to bear fruit). To date my culinary experiments have been carried
out using a reliable and productive grafted variety called ‘Rainforest
Pearl’.
Ingredients
● Finger limes (2L ice cream container full)
● Mandarins (6) or Oranges (3)
● Sugar (up to 2.25 cups)
Method
Collect the ripe finger limes. I usually wait until some are dropping to
the ground as this indicates that most are ripe for the picking.
Remember that the colour of ripe fruit varies according to the variety
you grow (black, green, orange), so waiting until the fruit drops is a
useful way to determine fruit maturity. Wash the fruit in cold water,
then place in a heat-proof bowl or saucepan. Pour boiling water over the
fruit and leave to stand. Once the water cools a little, use this to
wash the fruit; pour the water off and repeat the process. This
sterilizes the skin of the fruit and removes some of the bitter oils
found in the skin. Roughly chop the drained fruit and place it in a
saucepan (skin, seeds and flesh). Add the juice of mandarins (use
oranges if that is all you have), so that you have just enough liquid to
poach the fruit. Reserve some extra juice to add later to thin the mix
if required. Poach the fruit and juice until the skin is softened
(20-30minutes). Use a stick blender in the saucepan to chop up the
softened fruit, then strain through a kitchen sieve pushing what pulp
you can through with a spoon. If you have trouble pushing the mix
through the sieve, you can add some of the extra juice to help the
process. Return the sieved mix to the stove and add ¾ cup of sugar for
each cup of pulp (use less if you prefer a more tart taste). Stir in and
dissolve the sugar, then bring to a slow boil for 5-10 minutes. The
skins and seeds add pectin, so you should not have a problem with the
jam setting. It will be quite jelly-like when cold and a beautiful rich
orange colour. Add the hot marmalade to warm, sterilized jars (washed
with boiling water). Makes 3-4 jars. Enjoy. |
