Tatli Khushkhash
تَاتْلِي خُوشكَاش
Khushkhash or Bitter (Seville) orange marmalade — is by far my favourite marmalade. Bitter oranges — recognizable by their wrinkly appearance — aren’t ideal for eating fresh off a tree, but they’re just right for making a sweet-tart-bitter marmalade. Spread on buttered toast, top on vanilla ice cream, or use it as a filling for tarts and pies, you’re in for a treat. It’s an annual tradition in our household to make it in season, enough to last us the whole year. Left over orange peel can be dipped into dark chocolate for a sweet treat, and the bitter orange zest can be dried and used to add another dimension of flavour to your vanilla or chocolate ice-cream, or even to cake icing.
Ingredients
- 14 bitter (Seville) oranges
- 1 lemon, peeled and quartered
- 1 sweet orange, peeled and quartered
- 7½ cups granulated sugar (approx.)
Instructions
- Zest the bitter oranges. Spread the zest on kitchen paper, and allow to dry for two days, preserve and use sparingly to garnish desserts.
- Peel the bitter oranges discarding as much of the pith as possible. Separate the flesh into quarters and set aside. Repeat with the sweet orange, and then the lemon.
- In a large pan over medium heat, add the lemon, sweet orange, and reserved bitter orange pulp. Using a potato masher, crush the citrus and then cook until it’s broken down into a moderately thick paste, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Place all the peel in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook over medium heat until soft, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Using a coarse sieve, strain the cooked pulp mixture into a bowl, using the back of a spoon to press through every drop of juice you can. This gets ride of the seeds as well.
- Once the peel has cooked and cooled down, drain, squeezing out excess moisture. Cut the cooked peel into thin strips. Add to the strained flesh pulp.
- In a large pot, for every cup of citrus mixture, add 1¼ cups of the sugar. Stir to combine. Heat the mixture over medium-low heat, and cook, skimming off any foam, until the mixture starts to bubble, the foam disappears, and the marmalade has thickened, about 30 minutes. Place 2 tbsp of the mixture on a plate and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Run your finger through the cooled mixture. If the mixture holds, then it is ready. If it doesn’t, cook for another 5 minutes and then test again.
- Divide the marmalade between your sterilized canning jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Cover with the lids. Screw on the bands just until fingertip tight. Process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes. Remove the jars from the water and let cool overnight.
- Refrigerate any jars that do not seal properly and consume within a year. Store sealed jars in the pantry for up to 1 year (note that the marmalade will naturally darken over time, unless refrigerated). Refrigerate after opening.
TIP
Cut any excess peel into long, thin strips and place in sugar syrup for 2 hours, and then remove and arrange in a single layer on the baking sheet. Then coat with melted dark chocolate and let cool on parchment paper until hardened. Keeps for months.