Marmalade!

This past fall I made my first foray into canning. I made: pumpkin butter, pear ginger butter, crabapple jelly, pomengrante jelly, pickeled beets, pickeled carrots... and probably some other things that I can't even remember anymore. I loved it. I loved being able to reach into my cupboard for xmas gifts. So I haven't done any canning since the fall. Last week, my friend, Arjun, mailed me the most beautiful cookbook: The Blue Chair Jam Cookbook.

Arjun and I used to see the author selling her jam at the local farmer's market in Oakland. It was pretty great to see she had made a book. Receiving this book got me back on the canning kick. This book is lovely because it's organized to what is seasonally available. Although, as I'm not living in the Bay Area anymore, a lot of the fruit she uses will be harder to find here. Today I decided to try to make Blood Orange, Strawberry, and Rosemary Marmalade. I know it's not strawberry season here, but I'm pretty sure I won't be able to get blood oranges when the strawberries are in season here. I'm also not sure how much of a fan of marmalade I am. I can't remember the last time I had it. I remember wanting to try it as a kid because it was Paddington Bear's favourite food, but I remember not being too impressed with it. I make a lot of things because I like the process and aesthetic more than the food itself. Hence, making the jellies. I'd much rather have jam, but jellies are just so pretty to make. I'm sure this marmalade will be delicious. I'm not a big orange eater, but during blood orange season I eat them voraciously. Marmalade in this book is a two or three day process. This marmalade will be done tomorrow. If all goes well, I will attempt Lemon Pink Grapefruit Marmalade next weekend, as it is grapefruit season. I'm looking forward to the fall to try Cranberry Pomengranate Marmalade.