Photo by piccantedolce
piccantedolce's Notes:
Expand10-12 blood oranges, enough for 2 cups of juice Ask a question about this ingredient
2 lemons Ask a question about this ingredient
4 cups water Ask a question about this ingredient
3 1/2 cups granulated organic cane sugar Ask a question about this ingredient
Scrub the oranges and lemons with soap and water to make sure the skins are clean. Half all of the oranges and juice each half well until you have 2 cups of blood orange juice. Be sure to reserve any seeds or membranes in a separate bowl.
Ask a question about this stepTake the rind from one of the juiced halves, cut it in half and using a spoon or the edge of a small knife carefully scrape out as much of the white pith as possible. The pith is what determines how bitter the marmalade will be. Repeat with each half and then thinly slice the rind into long strips until you have 3 1/2 cups of peel.
Ask a question about this stepHalf and juice each lemon and add the lemon juice to the orange juice, also reserving any seeds and membrane.
Ask a question about this stepPut the seed and membranes into 4 layers of cheesecloth and tie up tightly with string.
Ask a question about this stepPlace the thinly sliced rind and water in a 4-5 quart thick-bottomed pot. Stir to combine. Place the cheesecloth with the seeds etc in the pot, tie one end of the cheese cloth to the pot's handle, making sure the seeds and membrane are submerged in the liquid.
Ask a question about this stepBring the mixture to a boil and let boil uncovered for 20-30 minutes until the peels are soft. Taste the peel to determine softness. Remove from heat and place the pectin bag in a bowl and reserve until cool.
Ask a question about this stepOnce the pectin bag is cool enough to handle, squeeze it to extract any residual pectin. Add the pectin, the orange & lemon juices and the sugar to the water/peel mixture. Taste and add more sugar to taste if necessary. Tie the cardamom seeds in a few layers of cheesecloth and place the pouch into the pot.
Ask a question about this stepReturn to heat and bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring occasionally for approximately 30 minutes. Cook until the temperature reaches 220F on a candy thermometer, being careful not to over cook. To test for doneness. Place a few small plates in the freezer and as the temperature gets close, place a tsp of jam onto the plate, place the plate back in the freezer for 30 secs to a minute, if it sets up without running all over it's done.
Ask a question about this stepRemove cardamom pods. If making crostata in the next 24 hours, reserve 2 cups of marmalade. Ladle the rest of the marmalade into sterilized jars (I place mine in a 200F oven for 10 minutes to sterilize) and boil in a hot water canner for 5 minutes.
Ask a question about this step1 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour Ask a question about this ingredient
1 tablespoon granulated organic cane sugar Ask a question about this ingredient
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated Ask a question about this ingredient
1 pinch sea salt Ask a question about this ingredient
4 ounces or 1 stick unsalted butter Ask a question about this ingredient
1/2 cup iced cold water Ask a question about this ingredient
2 cups blood orange cardamom marmalade Ask a question about this ingredient
Whisk together the flour, sugar, nutmeg and salt. Using a pastry cutter or a butter knives cut the butter into the dry ingredients until there are crumbs no bigger than peas. Stir in 1/4 cup of the ice cold water and slowly add more until the dough comes together. Form into a rectangle, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for an hour.
Ask a question about this stepPreheat the oven to 350F. Lightly butter a 8"x11" fluted tart pan. In a medium bowl stir to combine the marmalade and lemon juice, set aside.
Ask a question about this stepRoll out the dough into an approximately 10" x 13" rectangle and carefully place into the tart pan, trimming the edges if necessary. Dock the crust all over with a fork, line with aluminum foil and weigh down with pie weights or dried beans. Place into the preheated oven and blind bake for 10 minutes.
Ask a question about this stepRemove par baked crust from the oven and spread the marmalade mixture in an even layer over the tart shell. Return to the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for an hour.
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Eugenia is the author of the book Well-Preserved and writes about homemade food preservation for the Denver Post's Well-Preserved blog.
