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It’s that time of year when vibrant citrus fruits land on our shelves at Farm Shop, ready for you to create your own delicious marmalade—or, if you prefer, pick up a jar made in our Farm Shop kitchen.
Marmalade season typically runs from January to February, as this is when Seville oranges, a popular choice due to their strong flavour, are in season. We love this time of year, with the smells emerging from our kitchen as the jars of marmalade are made, especially the scent of bergamot and honey, with its Earl Grey aroma.
To make marmalade, you poach the fruit in water until the peel is soft to your liking. Then, you add the sugar—it’s important to do this when you’re happy with the texture of the peel, as adding sugar too early will prevent the peel from cooking further. Each fruit is slightly different, so in our kitchen, we’ve found our favourite cooking times for each fruit, from Seville oranges to blood oranges, bergamot, and grapefruit. The marmalade is then cooked until it reaches your desired setting point, stirring constantly to prevent the peel from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
“You have to listen to the marmalade, raw, and feel it on the spoon. Obviously, the old-fashioned way, I still use a plate to check for setting.” – Kenny, Farm Shop Kitchen
Kenny, our in-house forager and marmalade maker, says his favourite way to enjoy marmalade is on toast, spread thickly with butter (so you can see the teeth marks when you bite into it), topped with a generous layer of marmalade.
Making marmalade is so satisfying—you get to enjoy the fruits of your labour (or ours), whether spreading it onto toast, adding it to cakes, or even trying our Marmalade Martini recipe!
