Grapefruit Marmalade
Ingredients
5 pounds ripe grapefruits
6 cups sugar
4 cups water
3 pint canning jars (or 6 half pint canning jars)
Directions
Wash and dry the grapefruits. Use a sharp vegetable peeler or paring knife, remove the brightly colored zest–and only the brightly colored zest–from the grapefruit. Be sure to leave behind any and all of the white pith directly underneath, it is very bitter.
Chop the resulting zest. Bigger pieces for chunkier marmalade, ribbon-like strips for a more spreadable result. Set zest aside.
Cut the ends off the zested grapefruits. Working with one fruit at a time, cut off the thick white pith from around each grapefruit.
Working over a bowl to catch the juices, hold a fully peeled grapefruit, and use a sharp knife to cut out each section of the membrane holding the sections together. Squeeze any juice out of the membrane once you’ve cut out all the fruit. Set the membrane aside, along with any seeds. The pectin in these will help “set” the marmalade later.
Combine the zest, fruit, juice, 4 cups of water and sugar in a large heavy pot and bring to a boil.
Meanwhile, lay a double layer of cheesecloth in a medium bowl. Put membranes and seeds in the bowl. Lift up the corners and tie the cheesecloth into a bag to hold the membranes and seeds. Add this “pectin bag” to the pot.
Put a few small plates in the freezer to chill them. Bring marmalade to 220 F and hold it there for 5 minutes. Be patient, this can take quite a while.
Put a dollop of the mixture on a chilled plate, swirl the plate to spread the mixture a bit, and drag your finger through the mixture. A “set” mixture will hold a clean track behind your finger.
Remove “pectin bag,” squeezing any marmalade in it out and back into the pot before discarding the bag. Take marmalade off the heat and let sit 5 minutes. After 5 minutes stir marmalade to distribute the zest evenly in the mixture.
Set up clean sterilized jars next to the pot. Use a ladle to transfer the marmalade into the jars, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace at the top of each jar. Wipe rims of jars before place on lids. Put lids and bands on the jars.
Put the jars in the canning kettle and process for 10 minutes. After time is done, remove jars from water, and place on a towel on the counter to cool to room temperature before labeling and putting in a cool dry cupboard.
