We’ve had thick snow and some cold grey mornings, and heavy rain about a week ago, on and off. But we need all this in order to be sure of water through the summer months, so let it rain! Or hailstones, which we also get fairly regularly! In between, with some sunshine (and lots of it in the last couple of days), we’ve managed a run to Granada on the VFR to look at furniture for the granero, and another one heading east towards Mecina Bombaron, Ugijar and the Puerta de la Ragua for a Sunday outing. Interesting to see how much olive tree pruning is going on, as well as manuring the soil and preparing for spring planting. The orange and lemon trees are in full fruit, creating fairy-tale gardens with their dark foliage and masses of golden ‘baubles’. I might try to grow a Seville orange tree in our sheltered courtyard, not least because I am having great fun making thick-cut marmalade. Very easy, recipe below.
Last weekend someone lit a small fire in the plaza, banked it up with sand on one side and proceeded to grill an octopus brought up from the coast! A quick barbecue, which no one objected to. By this morning all trace of it had disappeared, the cats had pleased smiles and life continued as normal. I love this relaxed and spontaneous approach, far from the anxious gaze of health & safety experts!
On Saturday, several of us went to the 23rd annual Tango event in Granada - to dance, learn and watch. I took two friends, parked at the Alhambra and walked down into the city centre where we met up with other enthusiasts. Then we had the marvellous opportunity of dancing in the sunshine in front of the cathedral for a couple of hours, with a live band and a gallery of onlookers. Something I never expected to experience in my life. We attended a teaching class as well and then went to an espectaculo at the Isabel la Catolica theatre, with professionals from Buenos Aires giving jaw-dropping performances. I can manage a very simple tango but these guys are the equivalent of Torville & Dean. Wondrous.
Steve is not keen on tango (two left feet he says) so he went on a subsidised tour of historic Granada instead. 5 euros for the coach from Pitres and all entry costs plus a guide is not a bad price! He enjoyed himself and, like me, had the pleasure of being in a bustling city on a glorious day, with the backdrop of the white peaks of the Sierra Nevada above the roofs and the scent of jasmine in the air. On Sunday we saw the huge golden moon of the spring equinox - apparently the closest to the earth that the moon has been for several years - hanging over the same mountains…magical.
Anyway, here’s my marmalade recipe. It is made over 2 days which is quite convenient - just don‘t go away on your holidays after Day 1. Make sure you have a good big pan, so you don’t end up with a sticky overflow onto your cooker, and a small collection of 1lb or 2lb jam jars. In fact, it is worth investing in the following items if you are new to jam or jelly making but want to do it regularly and with ease:
1x large jam-pan
1x muslin straining bag (& stand)
1x metal jam funnel for pouring
1x thermometer with a clip to attach to the jam-pan
Packet of waxed circles, transparent tops, rubber bands etc
Quantity of used jars with lids, preferably with quite wide necks (I use Garbanzo jars)
So for about 5lb/2.25kg of marmalade you will need:
2lb/900g Seville oranges
3 pts/1.75 litres water
2.75lb/1.25kg warmed granulated sugar
Scrub orange skins lightly and then peel. Thickly slice the peel (rind) and put in a large pan. Chop the oranges, placing the pips in a small muslin bag which can be tied tightly at the top. Place the fruit and muslin bag into the pan and add the water. Measure the depth of the liquid. Bring to the boil then cover and simmer for 2 hrs, adding more water as needed to keep to the same level of liquid. After 2 hrs remove the pan from the heat and leave to stand overnight.
Next day, remove the muslin bag, squeezing it well so that its juices go into the pan. Re-boil the liquid, cover and simmer for 1 hr. Put the sugar in an oven-proof dish and warm gently. After 1 hr, add the sugar to the pan and slowly bring the mixture to the boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved completely. This is VERY important, otherwise you will have a burnt sugar base in the pan and odd-tasting marmalade! Keep the oven on its very low setting and put your glass jars in to warm up and become sterilised.
Meanwhile, increase the heat and boil rapidly for 20-25 minutes or until setting point is reached (this is 105C/220F on a thermometer, or when a drop of the mixture on a cold plate is sticky enough to make a wrinkle when you push it with your finger). I always seem to need about 40 minutes to get to this stage and sometimes the marmalade is wrinkly at 110C, not 105C. So experiment a bit, but have patience too!
Remove pan from the heat, add a teaspoon of butter to absorb any scum, leave to cool for 5 minutes, stir, then pour into the warmed, sterilised jars and seal. When cold, put on some decorative labels, then store in a cool, dark place. You can have it for breakfast the next day but don’t forget to give a jar or two to some of your friends!
