Blood Orange Marmalade

Adapted from Epicurious
Yield: 6½ pints

Ingredients:
8 (1 1/2 lbs) blood oranges
4 cups water
4 cups sugar
1/2 vanilla bean

Instructions:

Halve the blood oranges. quarter each blood orange, half and thinly slice.

Combine with the water in a 5-quart heavy pot and let mixture stand, covered, at room temperature 24 hours.

Add seeds from the vanilla bean (cut vanilla bean in half. run a pairing knife down the center of the vanilla bean half and open it up. Scrape out the seeds and add to the mixture). Bring blood orange mixture to a boil over moderate heat.

Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until reduced to 4 cups, about 45 minutes.

Stir in sugar and boil over moderate heat, stirring occasionally until a teaspoon of mixture dropped on a cold plate gels, about 15 minutes.

Fill mason jars with marmalade, filling to within 1/4 inch of top. Wipe rims with dampened cloth and seal jars with lids.

Put jars in a deep pot. Add enough hot water to cover jars by 1 inch and bring to a boil, cover, 5 minutes and transfer with tongs to a rack.

Cool jars completely.

 

- Susan Salzman