During his working life, my dad traveled all around the world. When he had some work to do in England he brought back ginger marmalade from Chivers for us as souvenir to try. I really liked it very much!
So, during my time at school, I had the chance to visit England a couple of times. Of cause I bought this marmalade to have it back home.
As visiting my family last time in Germany, I found exactly this marmalade in the local supermarket. As such thing is not available in Greece – at least in the shops I usually do my grocery – I decided to make it myself. Of cause, I also bought some to take back home 😉
But I had the idea to combine it with the lemons from our tree growing in our backyard.
I highly recommend to use untreated lemons (biological). For the transportation to the supermarkets and preserving the peels, citrus fruits are treated with chemicals that do not remove by simply washing and scrubbing the peel. Untreated citrus fruits you mostly recognize from the peel. If it’s shiny in the light it is most likely treated.
So I was searching the internet for recipes and ideas and found the most weirdest posts. Some were using white wine as liquid and one was even adding butter to cook. For what reason, I could not understand! I never in my life found butter as ingredient in a jam/marmalade…
Still, with all this searching and the ingredient list of my favorite ginger marmalade, the idea was born.
Until now I never used glucose syrup making my jams and marmalade, but most recipes were suggesting it. Glucose syrup is nothing else then a sort of sugar gained from corn or other vegetables. In most industrially produced sweets of any kind you will find it as ingredient as it is a cheap replacement of normal sugar. But it also gives a nice smooth texture to the product and extends the durability. Also it prevents saccharification.
In one article I read about if jams and marmalade are healthy. Honestly, I do not think that something made from fruits with added sugar to preserve really is healthy! The point is simply how much (hidden) sugar throughout the day we consume.
So using glucose syrup in this marmalade, I found out that it also improves the gelling and gives a better texture to the end-product. If you do not want to add glucose syrup just leave it away. In this case you eventually will have to add more sugar.
Making my jams and marmalade I use the gelling aid from Dr. Oetker 2:1. I recommend to try the liquid of your marmalade when you have added all ingredients, to check if it sweet enough. I have realized that the uncooked marmalade has to be slightly too sweet. When cooked, it will be the right taste. Therefor I also found out that the glucose syrup enhances the sweetness.
This marmalade has a nice sweet and sour, spicy taste.
What you need:
appr. 250gr fresh ginger root
5-6 medium size lemons
1l water
1 sachet of Dr. Oetker jelling aid 2:1
500gr sugar
3-4 Tbsp glucose syrup (corn)
Makes 4 jars
How to prepare it:
Peel the ginger with the help of a spoon. Cut into small cubes (appr. 5mm or smaller).
Add the ginger and the water into a large pot, bring to boil and simmer on medium heat with closed lid for appr. 45 minutes.
Sieve the ginger, keeping back the liquid.
Add the liquid into the same pot.
Wash the lemons, cut in halves, squeeze the juice and add the juice and the remaining lemon peels to the pot. Bring to boil and cook on medium heat with the closed lid appr. 45 minutes.
Sieve the lemons, keeping back the liquid again.
Let cool the liquid and the lemon peels. Scratch off all the white from the lemon peel with the help of a spoon. There should only remain the thin yellow peel. Cut the peel into thin slices (appr. 1-2mm thick).
Measure the liquid. For one sachet of Dr. Oetker jelling aid 2:1 you should have 750ml liquid. If necessary add some water.
Add ginger cubes, lemon peal and the liquid into a clean pot. Mix the jelly agent with the sugar as indicated on the sachet. Add to the pot and stir until the sugar dissolves.
Turn on the heat of your stove and heat until the liquid has warmed up a bit. Add as much glucose syrup as needed (to your own taste). Bring to boil on high until bubbling. Let cook for 5 minutes as indicated while stirring constantly. The liquid has to bubble during this time.
Remove from the heat and fill into clean jars. Close the lids tightly. Let stand for appr. 30 minutes upside down on the lid. This process will help to seal the glasses tightly. Then turn the glasses and let cool under a towel. If necessary shake the jars once or twice to spread the peel and the ginger evenly in the jar.
Eat Good Live Good 