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Citrus is the star of winter. When not a lot else is in season, it is sweet, colourful and cheap. Citrus trees can produce big crops and many people who have them in their gardens are faced with the “problem” of how to eat it all! If you have a citrus tree, it is best to leave the fruit on the tree and pick as needed. Citrus can stay good for months on the tree and the longer the fruit stays on the tree, the sweeter it gets.
If you have bought or been given citrus, keep it in the fridge until you want to eat it –it will last for a couple of weeks at least.
Should you have more fruit than you can handle, contact your nearest branch of Community Fruit Harvesting. They collect excess fruit and turn it into preserves and cordials, which are donated to foodbanks.
Making marmalade is a great way to preserve citrus for the coming year. The beauty of this recipe is that you can use any sort of citrus – limes, grapefruit, oranges, tangelos and so on, or mix them up for a wonderfully tangy spread. Keep the skin on the fruit so that nothing goes to waste.
Marmalade
Ingredients:
About 1.6kg citrus fruit
1.5 litres (6 cups) water
2 lemons
1.25kg (5 cups) sugar
Method:
Cut fruit into quarters and slice finely. Put into a large bowl and cover with the water. Allow to stand overnight.
Tip the fruit and water into a large pan, bring to the boil and simmer covered until the rind is very tender (40-60 minutes depending on how finely you have cut the rind).
Add the sugar and stir until it has dissolved. Increase heat and boil uncovered until it gels when tested on a cold saucer. This will probably take at least 45 minutes. Pour into hot, sterilised jars and seal. The unopened jars will keep for up to a year.
Recipe by Community Fruit Harvesting. More ideas for citrus at the website.
