subject: Ye Olde English Marmalade – History and Recipe 1480 AD [print this page] I thought as English Marmalade is an Iconic English Recipe and food, I thought it would be interesting to fans of English Food to know It's recipe and history. According to the Oxford English Dictionary "marmalade" appeared in the English language in 1480 AD.
In 1524, Henry VIII received a "box of marmalade" from Mr. Hull of Exeter. As it was in a box, this was likely to have been marmelada, a quince paste from Portugal , still made and sold in southern Europe. Its Portuguese origins from marmalado can be detected in the remarks in letters to Lord Lisle, from William Grett, 12th May 1534, "I have sent to your lordship a box of marmaladoo and another unto my good lady your wife" and from Richard Lee, 14th December 1536, "He most heartily thanketh her Ladyship for her marmalado".
The extension of "marmalade" in the English language refers to citrus fruits which were made in the 17th century, when citrus first began to be plentiful enough in England for the usage to become common.
Various Marmalade's from around the World
Marmalade is a fruit preserve made from the peel of Citrus Fruits, Sugar and Water. The traditional citrus fruit for marmalade production is the "Seville Orange" from Spain, Citrus aurantium var. aurantium, thus called because it was originally only made in Seville in Spain; it is higher in pectin than sweet oranges and therefore gives a good set. The peel has a distinctive bitter taste which it imparts to the marmalade. Marmalade can be made from lemons, limes, grapefruits, sweet oranges or any combination thereof. For example, California-style marmalade is made from the peel of sweet oranges and consequently lacks the bitter taste of Spanish style marmalade.
In languages other than English, marmalade can mean preserves made with fruit other than citrus. For example, in Spanish all preserves are known generically as mermelada (There is no distinction made between jam, jelly, preserves or marmalade).
The recipe for marmalade includes sliced or chopped fruit peel simmered in sugar, fruit juice and water until soft; indeed marmalade is sometimes described as jam with fruit peel (although manufacturers also produce peel-free marmalade). English Marmalade is often eaten on toast for breakfast.
Ingredients:
2 lb (900 g) Seville oranges
lb (225 g) lemons
6 pints (3.4 litres) water
1 lb (450 g) sugar per 1 lb (450 g) pulp of which 1lb should be brown
Method:
Wash and dry the fruit. Cut in half and squeeze out the juice. Remove the pips, inside skin and pith. Tie these in a piece of muslin.
Cut the peel chunkily.
Put the peel in a large bowl with the bag of pips etc and the juice. Add 6 pints (3.4 litres) of water and leave to soak overnight.
Weigh the preserving pan and make a note of it. Put the soaked peel, pith and pips into it with the water and juice.
Bring to the boil and simmer gently until the peel is soft and the contents of the pan have been reduced to half its original bulk. This will take about 1 hours.
Lift out the bag of pips and pith, squeezing it again the side of the pan with a wooden spoon.
Test for pectin.
Re-weigh the pan and subtract from this weight the original weight of the empty pan to calculate the weight of the remaining pulp.
Add 1 lb (450 g) of warmed sugar to each 1 lb (450 g) of pulp of which 1 lb (450 g) should be brown. Stir until all the sugar has dissolved.
Bring to the boil and boil rapidly until the marmalade sets when tested.
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Copyright 2010 Paul Hussey. All Rights Reserved.
Ye Olde English Marmalade History and Recipe 1480 AD
