This recipe started as the uniquely creative kind of weird, but wound up a little differently than preferred after an impulsively irreversible decision on my part. In other words, I unintentionally upped the weird factor.
You see, I was in a bit of a hurry and the marmalade just wouldn't thicken. Adding pectin was my first choice, and I even had a spare box of pectin on hand, but the amount of soupy orange mixture boiling away on my stove wasn't enough to warrant an entire package of pectin. What would I do with a partial package of pectin lurking in the pantry? And so, just before I tore open the package, I stuffed it back in the box, stood tip-toe, and placed it back on the top cupboard shelf. Soon I spotted a box of unflavored gelatin packets. My fingers reached into the box, tore open a packet and sprinkled it over the simmering pot. Blast, why did I do that?
Don't get me wrong, the marmalade thickened beautifully in time to snap a few pictures. I hurriedly placed the jars in the fridge and left for work. When I got home it was just as I feared; the marmalade was thick like Jello.
Funny thing, isn't it, how adding gelatin makes things have a Jello-like consistency. Pectin is for jam making and gelatin is for, well, making gelatin. I know this, really I do. I just forgot during the very same split second my fingers decided to sprinkle gelatin into the pot. And then, as suddenly as I had forgotten, I realized what I had done. Carrot marmalade turned carrot Jello. Weird.
Citrusy Carrot Marmalade
adapted from Fig and Fauna
Ingredients:
1 orange
1 lemon
2 cups water
2 cups loosely packed shredded carrots
2 cups granulated sugar
1 envelope (about 7 grams) unflavored gelatin**
**see post above
Instructions:
* Wash orange and lemon. Slice each in half and cut into very thin slices, 1/8-inch or less. Cut slices into quarters (or thirds), leaving peel attached but removing any seeds.
* In a large saucepan combine sliced oranges and lemons with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; boil 10 minutes. Add carrots and sugar and return to a boil. Boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 40 minutes or until mixture is thickened. While stirring, sprinkle gelatin over surface, and continue stirring until gelatin is dissolved. Boil and additional 2-3 minutes. Place in jars or containers and store in refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.
Food for Thought: "Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time." -Thomas Edison
No comments:
Post a Comment