Jane Grigson’s rhubarb and grapefruit jam is a great favourite but, for a change, I wanted to make more of marmalade. There is no recipe as such for making this marmalade but rules:
- You need well flavoured juice made from the grapefruit and rhubarb pulp.
- The grapefruit must not be waxed.
- Be very sure the peel is soft. Check it by breaking it between your fingers.
- A pound of sugar to every pint of liquid.
- Don’t be in a hurry.
I started with five organic pink grapefruit (but yellow grapefruit would be fine too). Cut them in half, take out the flesh and pips and take the peel from the pith. Discard the pith. Slice the peel very finely to make shreds or mince it to make a chunkier marmalade.
Put the shreds or minced peel into a basin, cover with water and leave overnight. To give more texture, some finely cut, skinned grapefruit segments could also be added.
Pick five or more thick stalks of rhubarb, washed them and cut them into 2cm pieces.
Put the grapefruit flesh, the rhubarb pieces with a sliced lemon or two, if you want, into a preserving pan and add enough water so that you can see it but not so much that it covers all the fruit. Cook slowly for about 30 minutes until the pulp and rhubarb are soft. When cool enough to handle, poor into a muslin cloth and leave to strain overnight.
Pour the grapefruit peel and water it is in into a saucepan. Bring to the boil, cover and let simmer for about an hour until the peel is soft. Half way through cooking, add pieces of thinner rhubarb stalks if you want.
Measure the strained juice and the softened peel mixture. For every pint, have ready a pound of sugar.
Put the liquids into the preserving pan. Heat up, add the sugar, preferably warmed, and stir to be sure it is dissolved. Let boil for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the marmalade is set. Test for setting by putting a little onto a saucer and placing this in the deep freeze for a few minutes. The marmalade is ready if a skin forms when you run your finger through it.
Put into clean, warmed jars and give the marmalade a gentle stir to make sure the peel is evenly distributed before fitting the lids.
I made seven pots.
