Relaxing, Crow-Style

Day 76: I started thinking about making orange marmalade way back in November but with the hustle and bustle of the holidays, it just wasn't going to happen. Today, I decided to "relax" in true Crow manner, lining up for a job of work running three hours from start to finish.

Removing the white pith and slicing orange and lemon peels thinly is a time-consuming project ordinarily, but this year, I discovered a shortcut which should have occurred to me years ago. I used a potato peeler! The width of the blade was perfect for creating the one-inch strips necessary for a good "shred" style marmalade, and I had only to do the imitation of a microtome I've perfected in preparing lichens for microscope slides in order to achieve thread-like bits of rind. The slivers of peel are cooked with a touch of baking soda until they are tender, and then the fruit is added and cooking continues for ten minutes to soften any remaining membrane. From that point, canning is the same as for most jam...boil, add pectin, cool slightly and pour into jars. I prefer to process my jams and jellies in a water bath to ensure a good seal. Unlike most jams and jellies, marmalade takes a week or two to set, but oh, it's worth the wait to have it homemade!