Orange marmalade, easier than you thought

I first got the idea of making my own jam after having an afternoon merienda at Masa Madre in Chacarita. Victor and I went there after stopping by the "El Galpón" organic market....which by the way was completely disappointing, but I'll tell you about that another time. The merienda included a coffee, some assorted home-made breads, a small orange juice and home-made kiwi apple jam. The jam itself was really fresh tasting with lovely chunks of real fruit, the flavor was intense and juicy. From the first bite, I knew I was going to have to make my own. Not to mention that home-made jam is part of my new plan on being less dependant on mass-produced food.

So, the next weekend, when I got an intense craving for cream scones (I know, weird craving, but there's something about the texture that's so comforting), I knew that only a fresh home-made jam would suffice. I scoured the internet for recipes, and unfortunately found that most recipes require lots of preparation and lots of time. Two things I'm definitely not into. Then, I found this recipe for fast, easy orange marmalade.

For my first time making marmalade this was the perfect recipe. It takes just a few minutes to throw together, and you only have to come into the kitchen every few minutes to stir it up.

It was as simple as cutting up two oranges, throwing it in a food processor, pureering it, mixing in 4 tbls of water and a cup of sugar and gently boiling it for 15 minutes!

The final product, fast and easy orange marmalade

Honestly, I was suprised at the outcome. It is such a fresh-tasting marmalade and not over-sugary at all. Plus, the house smelled uh-mazing afterwards! I can't really see the point of spending hours to make a similar jam, I mean...is it really worth it?

I've done some research, and the reason this works so well with oranges is because of the high level of natural pectin it has. So, natural pectin = easy jam, right? Definitely going to try this with other fruits this week....I have some grapefruit all lined up in the fridge waiting to be jammed. :)

Have you had any jam-making experiences? Do you have any tips to share? Let us know!

Cream scones from Joy of Baking

A Dark, Warm Place to Hide

 I’ve hesitated for a long time about creating my own blog. “What do I have to say to all those people out there?” I would ask myself.

You see, I’m afraid of writing. I go around and around in circles about what to write about, always coming up with new ideas, never acting upon them, and finally tossing them out as rubbish.

So, here I go. I’m going to just jump into the water. I’m going to share with all of you my knowledge. (Truth is, I’m a bit of a know-it-all, it’s a side-effect from being the youngest child.)

I want to share my recipes, my opinions on restaurants and businesses in Buenos Aires, my favorite places to travel and my love for cats.

Please feel free to join the conversation…it can get lonely in this warm, dark place!