Simply the zest

THE Malaga oranges have just arrived in the shops. I know there are many people out there who reckon that life is far too short to make marmalade but I can’t wait to get started.

I love making marmalade. I love the smell that permeates through the whole house and the way it steams up the kitchen windows and the smug feeling of delicious satisfaction when you survey the result of your hard work — jars and jars with thick peel glistening through the glass. I even love the chopping and slicing that many find laborious. For me it’s therapeutic, where I can just effortlessly slice and dream for as long as it takes to do the job.

A sharp knife is definitely a bonus otherwise it does become tedious. One could just chuck the peel into a food processor and press the pulse button — it’s faster of course but I’m not keen on the sludgy texture that method produces.