Homemade Orange Marmalade

I'm bringing you a recipe that will leave an irresistible scent in your home, it will be the perfect accompaniment for Sunday breakfasts and it can also become a little homemade gift homemade to surprise this season. Sound good?

As they say: often the small things are the biggest. The same happens with this easy orange marmalade recipe. It's an unpretentious recipe but with a truly delicious result.

Making jam is really always an easy task. You only need good raw ingredients and let the simmering do all the work. Just be sure to keep stirring often, though.

Le Creuset ceramic jar with lid

Ingredients

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

*See notes below.

Preparation

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

Notes

• When you cut the orange into pieces, you can cut a few orange slices and set them aside. Without blending, add them to the casserole with the rest blended when you go to make the jam. It will be sweet and wonderful, and it's a nice presentation touch if the intention is to give the jam as a gift.
• Regarding the sugar, you can also make it with regular sugar, or with brown sugar (the flavor of a good brown sugar pairs fabulously with the citrus of the oranges and the exoticism of the vanilla). You can also use a mix of both. The ideal is to use half the weight of the boiled oranges in sugar (if you have 500g of oranges, use 250g of sugar, which could be 150g brown sugar and 100g white).
• If you decide to use only brown sugar, the marmalade 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 ingredient quantities listed, except for the lemon — keep the juice of 1 lemon even if you double the oranges.
• The marmalade will last for weeks in the refrigerator if stored hermetically sealed. The Le Creuset ceramic jars with airtight seals are a good option, and also perfect if you want to make marmalade to give as gifts.

I hope you enjoy many peaceful breakfasts at home with this homemade marmalade, that you can surprise someone this Christmas with a most beautiful and thoughtful gift, and that your home smells of countless delights thanks to the aroma released during its preparation. You'll love it!