Texas Ruby Red Grapefruit Marmalade
Posted: March 22nd, 2010 | Author: KMT | Filed under: Grapefruit, Preserving, Recipes | Tags: Texas Ruby Red Grapefruit | No Comments »
SO.
With my FREE BOX of Texas Ruby Red Grapefruit, I thought I would try a recipe that I had been dying to try: The Cosmic Cowgirl’s Grapefruit Marmalade. Or perhaps I should say, the F*A*M*O*U*S Cosmic Cowgirl’s Grapefruit Marmalade, because ADDIE BROYLES also posted about it. Also, Kingmaker that I am, I, with my mighty pen, elevated The Cosmic Cowgirl to one of Austin’s best Food Blogs by SAYIN SO.
So: Definitely F*A*M*O*U*S!
To give a little background information, I really love marmalade. But it was not always the case; back in my youth, when I was touring with my Somewhat Famous Rock Band, we ate breakfast every morning in truckstops and diners. In these inexpensive places, there would usually be a little tower of Smucker’s Jams in little individual rectangles, but mostly all used up and picked through, because the best one was STRAWBERRY, followed by GRAPE. Often, all that was left in the Individually Packaged Jam Tower was Orange Marmalade, because no one likes marmalade hardly. In America.
But after feeling frustrated for long enough, I decided that I would go ahead and USE the orange marmalade, because, frankly, we were all starving. Our daily “per diem”, the money that we got to spend on feeding ourselves, was $5 a day (including tipping), so we ate (typically) two meals a day, both of which had to cost @ $2.00. Food was cheaper then, but NOT THAT MUCH cheaper! We were always hungry.
But often at a crummy diner one could obtain a simple breakfast, two eggs, hash browns, and toast, for $1.85. But the Caloric content could really be upped by adding Individually Packaged Jam Rectangles, so I just started eating the orange marmalade. And in the typical Hunger Is The Best Sauce Fashion, I began to like, then L*O*V*E, Marmalade.
Later on, I began to try making marmalade at home, because If there is one thing I really like, it is having olden days skillz. So I have made many batches of Marmalade: Orange; Orange, Grapefruit and Lemon, and Grapefruit. I think only one or two have JELLED, though. One year I ended up with jars and jars of candied grapefruit peel in heavy syrup, because the damned stuff just would not jell!! I was still a (relatively) young and poor musician at the time, and Brian Beattie used to open the jars of Candied Grapefruit peel and eat it like candy, which, I guess in 1860, it was. I then began to make my own Christmas Fruitcake, because, what ELSE are you going to do with Candied Grapefruit Peel?
So, ultimately, I was sad when I finally used it up. (Maybe someday I will find a use for the jars and jars of blackberry syrup I have, that is blackberry jelly that wouldn’t jell.)(I have sometimes thought I could mix it with soda water, and make blackberry soda. But that really doesn’t sound all that great. Maybe for a special cocktail?)
ANYWAY
This recipe by THE COSMIC COWGIRL looked like it would easily result in beautiful, firm marmalade, PLUS, the food processor method she uses for the peel sounded like a real Time-Saver!! (Usually for marmalades, you have to shave the peel into thin zest strips: TIME CONSUMING!) So now I will share the Recipe in Photographs!
YOU WILL NEED:
5 medium sized Rio Star grapefruit, cut in half horizontally
juice of 4 lemons
8 cups sugar
Cut the five grapefruits in half, and put them in a stockpot, and cover them with water. Then, bring it to a boil and reduce the heat, and simmer for TWO HOURS.
Take the grapefruits out of the water and discard the water. When they are cool enough, remove the seeds (there won't be many.) Then, a few at a time, chop the grapefruit halves up in the food processor. You can chop them as fine or coarse as you like. Then, dump all the chopped grapefruit into your jam-boiler, and add the lemon juice and the sugar.
Bring to a boil and boil and stir until it reaches the jelling point.
SEE THE JAM BOILING! IT BOILS FOR THEE!!
When it is ready, pack in sterilized jars. Process for ten minutes. Now it is done! My Grapefruit Marmalade did not come out terribly hard (it is a little runny) but it is plenty firm enough when chilled. Sadly, I overpacked two jars and they SPLODED in the water bath. I HATE IT WHEN THAT HAPPENS! But overall, the B*E*S*T marmalade I have made thus far and BURSTING with Grapefruit flavor. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!
Grapefruit marmalade on Grandma Dottie's Oatmeal Bread
