Thank you Walmart

This is the back of my Christmas tablecloth and I just wanted you to see how good the cheap fabric backing is. I bought it in Walmart, Palm Springs in the spring and its just perfect for the job. I would not make a quilt top with this quality of fabric but for backing stuff at about £3 a yard it can't be beaten. Next time I'm over visiting DD I will need more room in my bag for stashing some more.

My Seville Orange Marmalade

As you can see by the other photo it is Seville orange season and I bought 10.  My recipe is simple. I pare off the rind and place it in one pan with about 2 pints of water and simmer for 2 hours slowly, (topping up the water if need be to just cover the rind).  In the end I have about half a pint of liquid and the softened rind.  I place the rest of the oranges in another pot and cut them into quarters and then once more into eights and add another 2 pints of water to them. These simmer for the same time as the rind and I carefully watch towards the end of the cooking time for any sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Then I take the pulped fruit and pass it through a fine nylon sieve just a few tablespoons at a time and push it around with a wooden spoon so that the liquid all comes out. I scrape the mushy stuff off the bottom of the sieve and that also goes into the marmalade as its quite ok. The sieve contents should be quite dryish and well 'rung out' when I discard them. I repeat this operation until all the pulp has gone through and the result is usually a lovely thick consistency. I then add the rind and its juice to this sieved pulp and pop it back onto heat up. Then I added in this case about 2 and a half kilos of preserving sugar.  This only needing boiling for about 5 minutes and then I tested for set and it was ready. (I test on a saucer, just a small spoonful, leave it 5 minutes and then push it with my finger, if it forms creases, its ready.) I use old jam jars with the pop up lids and always make sure they seal i.e. they don't pop back up when pressed. Of course the marmalade goes in hot and the jars are sterilised prior to use with scalding water which is tipped out just before I fill them. In this case the marmalade is a lovely tawny colour and has set perfectly.


My Seville Orange Marmalade.