homemade orange marmalade

I bring you a recipe that will leave an irresistible smell in your house, it will be the ideal accompaniment for Sunday breakfasts and it can also become a small homemade gift to surprise on these dates. Does it sound good?

They say it's often the little things that are the biggest. The same goes for this easy orange marmalade recipe . It's an unpretentious recipe but with a truly delicious result.

Making jam is always an easy task. You just need good raw materials and let the chup chup do all the work. Don't forget to stir it often, though.

Le Creuset ceramic pot with lid

Ingredients

• 4 oranges
• 1 vanilla pod
• 200 g icing sugar*
• Juice of 1 lemon

*See notes below.

Elaboration

1. Wash the oranges and boil them whole in a cast iron cocotte for one hour.
2. Remove and cut the oranges into large pieces. Blend until you get a smooth texture (leave more or less lumps according to your taste; keep in mind that they will soften after cooking).
3. Add the vanilla, icing sugar, lemon juice and orange puree to the cocotte and cook until the mixture thickens.
4. Distribute the boiling jam into jars and seal immediately.

Grades

• When you cut the orange into pieces, you can cut a slice of orange and set aside. Without mashing it, add it to the cocotte with the rest of the mashed orange when you make the jam. It will be sweet and wonderful and is a nice presentation detail if you intend to give the jam as a gift.
• As for the sugar, you can also make it with normal sugar, or with brown sugar (the flavour of a good brown sugar is fabulous with the citrus of the oranges and the exoticism of the vanilla). You can also use a mixture of both. Ideally, use half the weight of the oranges once boiled, in sugar (if you have 500g of oranges, use 250g of sugar, which can be 150g of brown sugar and 100g of white sugar).
• If you decide to use all-purpose brown sugar, the jam won't be as sweet. It's a matter of taste!
• Orange marmalade is ideal for a slice of toast, crepes or for filling or decorating cakes and tarts.
• If you want to make more, just double the amount of the ingredients indicated, except for the lemon. Keep the juice from 1 lemon even if you make twice as many oranges.
• Jam will last for weeks in the fridge if you keep it tightly sealed. Le Creuset ceramic jars with airtight seals are a good option, as well as being perfect if you want to make jam to give as a gift.

I hope you enjoy many quiet breakfasts at home with this homemade jam, that you can surprise someone this Christmas with a beautiful and thoughtful gift, and that your house smells of a thousand and one delights thanks to the aroma that comes from its preparation. You will love it!