Hibiscus Ginger Lime Marmalade
Hibiscus Ginger Lime Marmalade is sweet and tart, with an undercurrent of heat that’s just playful enough to keep you entertained. Two tablespoons of Hibiscus Ginger Lime in this recipe makes this recipe sweet and sour, but the flavor is gentle. Three tablespoons lets the heat come out, so adjust the seasoning as you see fit. Serve it as you would any other marmalade on breakfast toast or on muffins or scones, or play up the savory side and use it as a chutney, over turkey, or on a charcuterie board with the cheeses.
This recipe makes small, easy to manage batches and is ready in under an hour. To make this dish successfully, use stainless steel, enameled bottom, or non-stick cookware. Cast iron or aluminum pans are reactive and can give an off taste and color to your dish.
2 large oranges, scrubbed; we used Cara Cara
1/2 of a medium lemon, scrubbed
1 cup water
1 cup Demerara Sugar
2-3 Tablespoons Hibiscus Ginger Lime seasoning
1. Place a small plate in the freezer. This will be important for testing the marmalade later.
2. Peel the oranges and half of the lemon, taking care to remove only the top layer of zest with as little of the white, bitter pith as possible. Set the fruit aside for now.
3. Slice the zest peels into thin, narrow strips. Put in a deep pot or large saucepan with straight sides and add water. Bring mixture to a boil, then drop the heat to medium-low, cover with a tight fitting lid, and simmer for 20 minutes. Check the water level occasionally to make sure the water hasn’t boiled out of the pan. Add more, if the water level seems low.
4. While the peels cook, cut the remaining rind away from the oranges and lemons to expose the fruit. You should see the membranes that separate the orange and lemon segments. Hold an orange over a bowl to catch the juice and slice alongside those membranes to remove just the meaty part of the fruit. Squeeze when the segments have been removed to get additional juice out of the orange. Repeat with remaining fruit. Discard membranes and peels. Mash fruit in the bowl, with a masher or with your fingers, to break it up into smaller pieces.
5. When the zest has simmered for 20 minutes, add the Demerara Sugar and the fruit and juice mash. Turn heat to high and cook, stirring continuously, until the mixture boils and all the sugar has dissolved. Keep the mixture at a steady boil, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes.
6. Get the small plate from the freezer. Put a dollop of marmalade on the plate and run your finger through it. If the marmalade remains separated on your plate, it is ready. If it fills back in completely, it needs to cook a little longer. Check every minute or two for doneness, and if you cook marmalade too long and it feels too thick or sticky to you, you can loosen it up with a bit of water.
7. Once marmalade is cooked, stir in 2-3 Tablespoons of Hibiscus Ginger Lime, seasoning to taste for heat. Remove from heat, spooning it into a non-reactive container to cool. Do not let it cool in the cooking pan, as the residual heat will continue to cook the marmalade.
8. When marmalade is completely cool, taste for texture and flavor. Adjust water and seasoning if necessary. Serve.
