‘Tis the season for making a huge batch of something in plans to give it as gifts then put it in the fridge and forget about it for a couple weeks.
Nobody else just me?
Oh okay cool.
I actually ended up making this because I bought a 5 lb bag of clementines at the store because they were on sale and then once I got home I really realized how much 5 lbs of clementines was and if I ate them just like they were all by myself the acid would eat my teeth.
So I made a couple batches of this then gave the rest to Steve who landed on a margarita also with the hibiscus combo without knowing that was my route and here we are: loads of marmalade and some alcohol to wash it all down.
The method from this is actually from Nigella Lawson and it makes the whole marmalade process a thousand times better. No overnight soaking, no 4 hour cook times, barely any hands on time with my food processor decision. You just hot tub the citrus for a little bit then blitz it all in a food processor and cook it down with enough sugar to power a small cruise ship.
The result is a perfect marmalade, super bright orange flavor with a nice tint from the hibiscus, and a slight bitter chew from the peel. I’m usually not crazy about the classic orange marmalade because the flavor usually screams artificial orange blossom to me and if there’s any sort of orange blossom situation she better be using her best inside voice.
Each batch makes a good quart and then some so it’s perfect for gifting in smaller jars. I would 100% suggest doing it with these biscuits and some tea or coffee as a thank you to anyone hosting you this month because everyone’s going to bring a bottle of wine and you can only have so much of that for breakfast before needing something to soak it up.
Clementine Hibiscus Marmalade
Makes just over a quart
Adapted from Nigella Lawson’s How to be a Domestic Goddess
Look for smaller clementines with a smoother peel, these are more likely to have the thinner peels, and make it easier to process and whip up a batch.
1 3/4 lbs clementines (about 15 smaller ones)
1/4 cup dried hibiscus
4 1/2 cups white granulated sugar
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (1/2 cup if you want to skip the hibiscus)
pinch of salt
Scrub the clementines with hot water and soap (I know it’s weird but we need to try and get some of the wax off) then rinse thoroughly and make sure the little bits where the stems meet the clementine are picked off.
Add the clementines to a large pot and fill about halfway with water so there’s some good bobbing action going on. Bring the mixture to a boil then turn the heat down to medium and simmer for an hour if the clementines are smaller and have thinner skin, and an hour and 20 minutes if the skin’s a little thicker.
While the clementines cook make the hibiscus tea by bringing the hibiscus to a boil with 1/2 cup of water. Turn off the heat and let it hang out until you need it.
Drain the water out and wipe out any wax that might’ve happened on the inside of the pot. Add the clementines to the bowl of a food processor and pulse several times until it’s pulverized and the peel is broken up into much smaller pieces. We’re not try to make a puree, this is marmalade, some texture is good.
Add the clementine mix back to the pot and add the sugar, 1/4 cup of the hibiscus tea, the lime juice and salt. Stir to combine then bring the mix to a boil over medium heat then turn the heat down to low and let the marmalade bubble for 15 minutes, skimming the foam off the surface if it comes up, making sure you’re stirring frequently so it nothing burns. After 15 minutes turn off the heat and transfer to jars or a large container to cool completely in the refrigerator.
