Turnips 2 Tangerines: Orange Elderflower Marmalade

On the Menu Today~
Orange Elderflower Marmalade

Orange Elderflower Marmalade
is a light, refreshing, citrus marmalade
with a faint floral aftertaste from Elderflower syrup.

What is Elderflower?
"The flower of the elder, used to make
wines, cordials, and other drinks."

What is Elderflower Syrup?
Elderflower syrup is made from refined sugar and
uses the flowers of the European elderberry.
Historically, Elderflower syrup has been popular in
North Western Europe, where it has a strong Victorian heritage.
Elderflower syrup is well-known as a flavoring for tea and preserves.

But.....
Did you know....

Did you know...
Elderflower is the oldest herb cultivated by man?
For over 4,000 years, natural healers have relied on
Elderflower to treat asthma and allergies?

Did you know....
The creamy white Elderflowers can be added to salads or
batter-dipped and fried like fritters?

The idea of adding Elderflower syrup to orange marmalade
has been around for quite sometime but
we discovered this taste sensation a few years ago,
when we bought our first jar of IKEA Orange Marmalade with Elderflower.

We have craved this delicious marmalade ever since.
Living about 4 hours away from the nearest IKEA store,
it made more sense, plus it's cheaper, to order a bottle of
D'arbo Elderflower Syrup from Amazon and
make our own Orange Marmalade with Elderflower Syrup...
So...

On this cold, wintery morning,
with the sun shinning and
the outside temperature of -9 degrees....
off to the kitchen I go...

Armed with a bag of navel oranges,
my old yellow Tupperware canister of sugar,
a box of fruit pectin and
my new bottle of D'arbo Elderflower syrup..
for my very first attempt at making marmalade.

D'arbo Flowersyrup, Elderflower Syrup
D'arbo Elderflower Syrup, Product of Austria

"The D'arbo family has been producing quality syrups since 1879. Using only the best blossoms, these syrups capture their scent and taste. D'arbo's delicious syrups make refreshing drinks....just dilute 1 part syrup with 5 parts water or sparkling mineral water. Add a splash to coffee or tea for a unique flavor treat. Versatile D'arbo syrups make ordinary pancakes, waffles or hot cereal special. Serve over ice cream, yogurt or warm cake for a delicious dessert. Indulge yourself!"

Orange marmalade or marmalades in general,
can take up to two weeks to "set and thicken up"...
In March, we'll share a recipe for scones served
with our homemade orange elderflower marmalade.

Orange Elderflower Marmalade

Ingredients

8 whole navel oranges
7 cups sugar
4 cups orange juice
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
3 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 box fruit pectin
4 tablespoons elderflower syrup, (D'arbo Elderflower Syrup can be purchased on Amazon)

Cooking Directions

Step 1: Select the fruit.
Step 2: Wash fruit
Step 3: Wash the jars in hot soapy water and rinse well or clean the jars in a dishwasher. Put the lids in a pan of hot water to keep warm and to clean lids. Keep the jars warm until needed.
Step 4: Remove the peel with a vegetable peeler, remove only the colored part of the peel. This outer part of the peel is what gives orange marmalade its classic bitter taste. Thinly slice the peel. Put the peels, 2 cups orange juice and 1/8 teaspoon baking soda in a saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil, cover, turn down the heat, let simmer for 20 minutes.
Step 5: Using your fingers, peel off any remaining white pith, discard.
Step 6: Cut the oranges in half, across the segments. The tough white part in the center needs to be removed. Using a pair of scissors, simply snip it out and discard.
Step 7: Slice the two halves into thin slices, then chop the slices up a bit. Remove and discard any seeds or tough parts of the orange that you find in the process. Place fruit in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Step 8: Measure the sugar. (You'll need to follow the directions that come with the pectin. Generally, the lower sugar pectin recipes call for 4 cups of sugar per box and the regular pectin calls for 7 cups of sugar.) Mix the dry pectin and about 1/4 cup sugar, set aside.
Step 9: Stir the pectin/sugar mixture into the chopped fruit, set aside for a few minutes.
Step 10: In a large pan, stir together the orange juice/peel mixture, sugar, pectin/sugar/chopped fruit mixture, lemon juice, remaining 2 cups orange juice and 2 tablespoons Elderflower syrup. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Bring the mixture to a full rolling boil, boil hard for one minute. Remove from heat and stir in remaining 2 tablespoons of Elderflower syrup.
Step 11: Fill the jars to within 1/4-inch from the top, wipe away any spilled marmalade off the top, seat the lids and tighten the rings. Put the jars into a boiling water canner.
Step 12: Keep the jars covered with at least 2-inches of water, keep the water boiling and boil for 15 to 20 minutes.
Step 13: Carefully remove jars from boiling water canner. Let jars cool, in a draft-free place without touching each other overnight. Loosen bands and wipe dry, this will ensure that rust doesn't form under the bands, tighten bands. Check to make sure jars have sealed. It may take up to two weeks for the marmalade to set and thicken up.