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THE LOVELINESS OF
HAVING MY FAMILY WITH ME
***
Itās so nice to come home and see my mum and my sister – whoāll excitedly tell me about their day, whether theyād been hanging out at home on a grey and rainy day, or whether theyād gone horse riding in the nature reserve ā that I could get used to it every day.
I still canāt really get over the fact that I can just pick up the phone and reach them at a local number, and that theyāll pick up and be completely awake ā in the same time zone as me. I also love that we’ve even developed household habits ā like ordering Chinese food delivery and then cooking plain white rice to eat with it; or that we’ve even decided which supermarket is our āgo-toā store. And I love the fact that we can also take day trips together, like the trip we made to Colonia, Uruguay.
Itās crazy how fast we’ve settled into a routine, and it feels as if they’ve been living here with me in Buenos Aires forever, when in fact they’ve only been here for just short of two weeks.
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GRAPEFRUIT MARMALADE
***
One of the perks of having them here is that in the morning, my mum always wakes up early just so she can have breakfast with me.Ā
“I’ve been eating a lot since I got here,” my mum told me the other morning.
“I eat my first breakfast with you when you wake up, and then I eat breakfast for the second time when Val wakes up.”
My mum has always been an early riser, but these days, even while combating jet lag and despite the fact that sheās on holiday, she still makes it a point to get up when I do, with the sole purpose of making breakfast for me, and then spending 10 or 15 minutes with me at the breakfast table ā which is absolutely the sweetest!
While I usually rush out of the house and grab a croissant or two from the kiosk below my office, these days I find myself waking up and craving warm, freshly toasted bread, with a generous spread of butter and marmalade.
Not just any type of marmalade though – Iām talking specifically about the grapefruit marmalade that Iād made a couple of weeks ago in anticipation of my familyās visit here.
Remember the candied grapefruit peel Iād told you about earlier last week?
Well? Itās not hard to guess what I did with the grapefruit flesh.
I could have made a grapefruit, orange and lemon cooler, like I did in the summer, of course,Ā but this time, I decided I would finally get back to canning.
Most people probably make jams and marmalades during summer when there is just too many fresh fruits than we know what to do with.
I, on the other hand, first started learning how to can last winter, when I first made orange marmalade, then tried my hand at strawberry jam, and finally moved on to peach jam when spring arrived.
I like the fact that while it may be winter and so ridiculously cold to be outside, I can stand by the stove, warm with the heat of the fire and comforted by the slight bubbling of the gently cooking jam.
Once the marmalade is cooked to the right consistency, thick enough but still sufficiently liquid to be spread easily on toast or crackers, I store them in jars, cap them tight, and then leave them to cool.
Then comes the best part, of course, when I spread it on freshly toasted bread, together with a thick slice of butter, and then eat it with a relish that justifies all the effort it takes to make the marmalade.Ā
GRAPEFRUIT MARMALADE (Makes 2 jars)
Ingredients:
1) 1kg of grapefruit (or oranges if you prefer orange marmalade)
2) 700g of sugar
3) 1/2 lemon (for the juice)
Steps:
1) Peel the grapefruit, and remove as much of the white pith from both the flesh and the peel
2) Using the peel of one grapefruit, slice into strips as thin as you possibly can
3) Roughly chop up the grapefruit flesh into small pieces and put the pieces in a bowl
4) Pour sugar over the chopped up grapefruit and mix sugar with the fruit
5) Allow grapefruit-sugar mixture to rest for about 30 minutes
6) After 30 minutes, pour the grapefruit-sugar mixture into a large pot, add in the sliced peel, and squeeze in the lemon juice
7) Heat over low fire, stirring every few minutes for around one hour to ensure it does not stick to the bottom of the pot
8) Once marmalade reaches the desired consistency, remove from fire and pour straight away into sterilized jars, capping them immediately
9) Allow the grapefruit marmalade to cool before serving with toast or crackers
Peel the grapefruit, and remove as much of the white pith from both the flesh and the peel.Ā Using the peel of one grapefruit, slice into strips as thin as you possibly can:
Roughly chop up the grapefruit flesh into small pieces and put the pieces in a bowl:
Pour sugar over the chopped up grapefruit and mix sugar with the fruit, then allow grapefruit-sugar mixture to rest for about 30 minutes:
After 30 minutes, pour the grapefruit-sugar mixture into a large pot, add in the sliced peel, and squeeze in the lemon juice:
Heat over low fire, stirring every few minutes for around one hour to ensure it does not stick to the bottom of the pot:
Once marmalade reaches the desired consistency, remove from fire and pour straight away into sterilized jars, capping them immediately:
Allow the grapefruit marmalade to cool before serving with toast or crackers:
DocSavage says
The recipe above should also be good for Lemon Marmalade. I would use Meyer lemons, they are naturally sweeter. It might need more sugar as well.
I prefer to make a pineapple marmalade. Remove the skin and core from a fresh pineapple then cut into bite size chunks. Peel and thinly slice 4 lemons (You can substitute 2 medium oranges or two limes for different flavors), be sure to get all the white you can off. Layer these fruits with 3 cups of sugar in a non-reactive pan and leave overnight. The next day, gently simmer this mixture until thickened. If you are canning it, 10 minutes in the water bath is enough.
Jess @ On Sugar Mountain says
What an awesome way to start the day! I bet that marmalade is as fresh as a summer’s day on toast š YUM.
rosewithoutthorns says
: ) indeed! This is how I’ve been starting my day the last couple of weeks and it’s definitely power breakfast!
tinywhitecottage says
I have not heard of grapefruit marmalade! I am sure I would love them because grapefruit is my favorite citrus. How long are you blessed with your mom and sister’s visit? I actually was wondering what you did with the grapefruit flesh when you posted the candied grapefruit peel. I figured you made grapefruit juice, when really you made something way better! š
rosewithoutthorns says
Hello! My mum and my sis arrived about three weeks ago and my mum flies off this Friday, so I’m starting to feel a bit sad that she’s leaving.. I was just getting used to having her around all the time. My sis will stay for another three weeks so I’m glad I have the extra time to spend with her – its been quite a while since we’ve had sister-bonding time so im glad for that!
Well, grapefruit marmalade is similar in some sense to orange marmalade! Just that its abit more sour. But since you like grapefruit that shouldn’t be a problem! Hope u try it one day – I think you’ll like it very much!!
Gnight my dear!
Min (@mjandhungryman) says
Aww!! Hi Felicia’s mommy!! The comment just melted my heart….my mom would never eat breakfast twice or get up extra early to do so since I wake up at 5 every morning…sharing a delicious toast w/this marmalade w/ loved ones sounds like the perfect way to start the day!
rosewithoutthorns says
Min!! Yes, my mummy’s the sweetest!
And, how on earth do you wake up at 5am every morning? You must go to bed super early! I wake up at 8+am and even so I have trouble getting up when the alarm rings!
Take care dear min!! BIG HUG!
gracelimsf says
Thank you darling for including us in your post. I really enjoyed every bit of your marmalade each morning I ate my toast with it. I am going to make some for Daddy and Ronald to try out your marmalade recipe when I get home. By the way, the bottle of marmalade you brought to the apartment is finishing fast and that sure testifies how great your marmalade tastes. Thanks again for the great recipe! Cheers!
rosewithoutthorns says
thank you mummy! So glad you and Val are here in BA with me!! I’m going to miss you two so much when you go back to Singapore! Hope daddy and Ron like the marmalade!!! š LOVE YOU!!
shashimcharles says
These photos are beautiful and this marmalade looks and sounds so good!
Shashi @ http://runninsrilankan.com
rosewithoutthorns says
Thank you Shashi (hope I didnt get your name wrong!)
thanks for dropping by, and I’m glad you stick around a little bit more and explore the other recipes that you might like! š
Popped over to your site, and I think it’s great that it’s also dedicated to fitness!
Have a great day!
xoxo.
felicia
Nicole says
Yum! I’ve always wanted to try Grapefruit Jam/Marmalade!
rosewithoutthorns says
Hi Nicole!
thanks for dropping by! Well, grapefruit marmalade is very similar to orange marmalade, and the cooking method is exactly the same – just need to replace the grapefruit with oranges! š
Have a great week my dear!!