July 31, 2009

Spicy Blueberry-Citrus Marmalade.

Well, I have received two requests for a specific jelly flavor combinations. The first was Jalapeño Peach jelly, requested by my friend Mandy (which I will make soon).
This is the second:

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Spicy Blueberry-Citrus Marmalade:

1 valencia orange.
1 meyer lemon.
1 persian lime.
2 cups of water.
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes.
2 cups of sugar.
2 cups fresh blueberries.

Start by thoroughly scrubbing your citrus, especially if you are using store bought fruit. This is important because we will be using the skin for this recipe, and you do not want anything disturbing the natural flavors.
Next, you want to cut the rinds from the orange, lemon, and lime from the fruit in thin strips. I used a normal peeler, which worked well and made for irregular strips - which is nice. Set the strips aside.
Slice the citrus trio in half and use a reamer to extract as much juice and pulp as you can and set aside. Be sure to remove any seeds from the juice.

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In a dutch oven, bring two cups of water the citrus strips and red pepper flakes to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for about 30 minutes or until the rinds a tender. At 25 minutes, mine ended up on the firm side of tender - which I really liked.
Start your jars to sterilizing in a boiling water bath.

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Now add your blueberries, sugar, and citrus juice and pulp to the pot. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring often (222˚F). After about 15 minutes it should start getting syrupy. Remove from heat and if any foam has formed skim it off - foam can have adverse effects of headspace if you are canning the marmalade.
Ladle directly into hot, sterilized jars (it jells fast). Leave a quarter inch of headspace. Remove any air bubbles and be sure to wipe our rims clean. Lid directly and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

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I had some left over, so I quickly threw some french bread on the stove for toast and spread it over. I really love the consistency - the blueberries spread like preserves. I was also impressed by the flavor. It is tangy, and more tart than sweet, and finishes with a pleasant burn in the back of your mouth after you swallow. Success tastes sweet.

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That is all.

jon.

p.s. if anyone has any requests...

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