The Prettiest Marmalade

When I think of marmalade I think back to being little, sat at the big wooden kitchen table in my parents house. It's morning, the fires burning, warming up cold fingers and toes and the smell of thickly cut toast is all through the house. My dad sits reading the paper, there's a huge mug of hot coffee to his right and in the middle of the table is an open jar of orange marmalade with a butter knife sticking out of it. 

As a child it was only strawberry jam that held a place in my heart, but as I've grown older marmalade has started to become more appealing.

So as a compromise I decided to make a sweeter marmalade, and if like me, you're more of a jam kind of gal I think you'll find this marmalade a rather nice surprise.

Pomegranate, Apple and Vanilla Marmalade

Ingredients

This recipe is quite small, making only two medium jars. Perfect if you're in need of a homemade birthday present and don't want to be eating left over marmalade for years!

3 Cooking apples

1 Lemon

1 Pomegranate

1lb Sugar

1 Vanilla pod

1 tsp Rose water

1) Righty ho, first things first, peel the apples... 

A little note: The small pretty knife in the picture is by Kuhn Rikon and comes in all different colours! Available in our shop! 

2) Now slice the apples into thin chunks and pop them into your favourite large pan!

A little note: If you want to invest in a large pan then Le Creuset or Kilner do some fabulous large Jam Pans. Or you could use a large casserole pan, and if Le Creuset pans are a little bit on the heavy side of life for you, Stellar do a lovely range in Easy Lift Cast Iron. 

3) This next part can take a while, but it's worth it when your don't have any of the nasty sour white pith! Cut the pomegranate in half and remove half to three quarters of those lovely dark pink seeds. (Save the seeds that are left because you'll need them in a moment!) I tend to use something small, like an olive or pickle fork.

4) Now then, add the seeds to the pan along with the juice of the lemon, as it combines with the bittersweet pomegranate and sour apples the smell will make your mouth water!

5) Throw in a few drops of Rose Water and then add enough water to cover all fruit. Now simply simmer until all apples and seeds are soft.

6) Once the fruit is mushy, strain it through muslin. If you leave it for a few hours or over night (and resist the urge to stir it around with a spoon!) the liquid will be a beautifully clear pink. However, if you're pushed for time you can always strain it quicker, it will be just as yummy and just as pink, but maybe just a little bit cloudy.

7) Cut the vanilla bean length ways and scrape out the seeds. Then cut the two halves of the vanilla pod into thinner strips.

8) Pour the liquid back into your pan and add the remaining pomegranate seeds and vanilla seeds. (Not the strips of vanilla pod though, hang on to them to use a little later.)

9) Stir in all the sugar, let it start to boil and then turn it down and simmer gently for about two hours. 

You'll see it reduce down and go all gooey and thick, mmmm! 

10) Now all you need to do is pour the yummy sweetness into jars.

A little note: Kilner jars work very well as they're airtight and look mighty pretty along your kitchen shelves!

 As a finishing touch you can push the strips of vanilla pod down into the marmalade and you'll see them along with the pomegranate seeds through the clear jelly. 

And boom! You're done! Enjoy spread onto homemade scones, sourdough bread, stirred into porridge or with a spoon straight from the jar!

Oh, just one more little thing! All that fruit you strained? The mushy apples and pomegranate? Why not make a cheeky crumble with it? All you need to do is stir a bit of sugar into the fruit and then spread it into the bottom of a small but slightly deep baking dish. Now sift 8oz of flour into a mixing bowl, rub in 4oz of butter and then stir in 2oz of sugar. Sprinkle the flour mixture all over the fruit and bake at about 180c until golden brown and the fruit begins to bubble through. 

And there you go, homemade marmalade and a lovely crumble, do I hear you say domestic goddess?! 

http://www.kitchenercookware.com/

Millie Fraser