Mmmmmmmmarmalade… This marmalade is darn good. Reminds me a bit of Rose’s Lime Marmalade for some reason.
(thanks to fab new website discovery The Middle Class Handbook for the pic)
Do quinces taste like limes in some circumstances? I do not know, because I’m not sure I have ever tasted quinces, apart from possibly in something Battenburg Belle has rustled up…
Mary and Vincent’s recipe made a good few birthday and Christmas present jarfuls (I made it back in October). I had a bit of it warmish on a slice of toast and it was absolutely delicious. I shall label it up as Quincent Price Marmalade – pun copyright Lucy Smee of Holdfast Magazine.
I made the marmalade with the quinces I bought on Mersea Island. Ah, this picture brings back memories of a lovely, lovely minibreak with Mr R…
Talking of Mr R (mentionitis) I was only able to eat a tiny piece of toast on the day I made the marmalade. This was because the night before, he made me a curry and it was so fab that we ate what should have been four helpings between the two of us – greedy fat pigs!
He found the recipe here – Marmaduke Scarlet – so now of course I want to add Barbur to my culinary bucket list, maybe with some dancing at the nearby Rivoli Ballroom afterwards to work it off.
It’s so rare that I get cooked for these days (apart from the aforementioned BB of course, who can rustle up a half baked chicken at the drop of a hat) that I really RELISHED being cooked for by my new man. It was the best home made curry I have ever had – including the legendary Basil Rathbone’s.
And the quince marmalade? Here’s the recipe. I recommend it…
[yumprint-recipe id=’2′]I used Jam Sugar (which has added pectin) and half a bottle of Certo. It’s a bit difficult to know what size a bottle of pectin was in 1969 and whether Certo approximates, but it is what I had to hand so in it went. Seemed to do the trick as it has set nicely, which makes a big change for me… Here’s the book the recipe is in – it is absolutely splendid and has great illustrations.
Now then, I did not cover the top of each of my jars of marmalade with 1/8 inch paraffin – of course not. What kind of madness is that? It’s for PEDICURES not MARMALADE!
BUT I do have a marmalade mould issue. So obviously I should have done.
If you don’t fancy mucking around with paraffin I suggest you keep the marmalade in the fridge – that seems to stop the mould in its tracks. I gave Mr R’s sister a jar of the Quincent Price Marmalade for her birthday and was very pleased to hear that she did exactly what I do when she found a bit of mould on top. She scooped it off and got on with eating the rest of the jar. My kind of woman, and Vincent’s too I expect!
How fitting that Vincent Price’s marmalade should have a spooky mould on top. I’ve been making mandarin marmalade for a few years and I recommend to avoid yukky stuff on top you need to sterilise the jars first, ie wash them and then put them into a warm oven for 10-15 mins until dry. Then fill them while still hot. I’ve always had success doing this. cheers.
Aw, thanks Ambra – I did sterilise the jars and lids using boiling water and I’ve never had this problem before with other jams / chutneys. Might have been because the quinces were over-ripe?
Anyhow, I kind of like the idea of putting paraffin on top – however crazy it may sound. You’d think it would taint the marmalade somehow but maybe not…
Scouting around on the internet I just found some “food grade parrafin wax”
http://www.jamjarshop.com/buy/paraffinwax400g/?catid=39
This is doubly intriguing as I thought the Jam Jar Shop had gone bust?
https://www.silverscreensuppers.com/joan-crawford/joan-crawfords-charcoal-broiled-steak-6
Hmmm – I will investigate…