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Monday, March 21, 2011

Homemade Series #3 - Grapefruit Marmalade made with 4 simple ingredients!

Seeing the word "homemade" always gets "ooohh's and aaahhh's" because it seems soooo complicated and time consuming. But after trying out some great homemade recipes I realized just how wrong that misconception is. Making homemade food can be easy and simple! Yes, there are steps to follow and it may take a couple hours out of your day; but it is worth that small effort to use and share something special made with your own hands.

What I also appreciate about making food at home is that for the amount of effort that it takes initially, what you make can last a long time. A great example is homemade jam/jelly/marmalade. To make a nice batch it may take the better part of a morning or afternoon but the results last for months and months! Plus you can share that hard work with others to enjoy as well!

I invite you to try out at least one of the homemade series' recipes this weekend.   : j

The combination of sweetness and slight bitterness of marmalade has always been a favorite of mine. For a new and different twist on the traditional marmalade that is made with oranges, I decided to incorporate grapefruit instead.

Ingredients: source: http://southernfood.about.com/od/jamsjellies/r/bln361.htm

2 large grapefruits, thick skinned
1 large lemon, thick skinned
2 cups water
4 cups granulated sugar

Steps:


1. Peel grapefruit and lemon; cut away inner white part of peel, leaving rind and white pith. Cut rind into slivers 3/4 inch long and 1/8 inch wide. Chop fruit coarsely, reserving juice.








2. In an 8-quart nonreactive heavy kettle over moderately high heat, simer rind, chopped fruit, reserved juice and water, uncovered, 10 minutes. Pour into a large heatproof glass bowl and let stand, covered, in a cool place overnight. **I wanted my marmalade to be a clear with bits of rind in it, so I placed the chopped fruit in a cheesecloth during the cooking process**


3. Return mixture to kettle. Add sugar and set over moderate heat. Insert a candy thermometer and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Continue boiling, stirring occasionally, until thermometer registers 218 degrees F to 220 degrees F.


4. While that mixture is cooking, sterilize jars and lids.







5.Remove from heat, skim off foam and ladle into sterilized half-pint canning jars, leaving 1/4-inch head space. Wipe rims, seal jars and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes (15 minutes for altitudes abouve 6000 feet).


6. Remove jars from water bath, let cool for 12 hours and test for airtight seals. Label and store in a cool, dark place. If you decide not to sterilize and process jars, refrigerate marmalade and serve within three weeks.







yummmmmmmmmm
After it cools, try a bite with a simple piece of toast. Amazing!

















I would like to take this opportunity to thank Cheryl and Adam from http://picture-perfectmeals.blogspot.com
for being so kind and passing along the "Lovely Blog Award" to Our Eyes Eat First. 


Here are some other bloggers who are also deserving of recognition as well! 


  1. http://picture-perfectmeals.blogspot.com/2011/03/wed-like-to-thank-academy.html
  2.  http://theaddictedbaker.blogspot.com/
  3. http://muppyat.blogspot.com/
  4. http://eatdrinkandrun.blogspot.com/
  5. http://prep2eat.blogspot.com/
  6. http://greengirl-alittlebitofeverything.blogspot.com/
  7. http://regionalrecipes.blogspot.com/
  8. http://thiswomancooks.blogspot.com/
  9. http://www.zestyflavors.com/
  10. http://cilantropist.blogspot.com/
  11. http://www.sprinklesofparsley.com/
  12. http://www.sunshineandsmile.com/
  13. http://thatskinnychickcanbake.blogspot.com
  14. http://www.mydeleriouskitchen.com/
  15. http://yumanddelish.blogspot.com
Congrats!



17 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for the award! I'm honored!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you so much for passing the award on to me, you are absolutely deserving of the award since you have such a 'lovely' blog with beautiful photos! :)

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  3. Speaking of lovely, just look at your marmalade! Gorgeous AND tasty I'm sure~

    Thank you so much for the Lovely Blog Award...there is nothing more touching than being honored by a fellow blogger. I look forward to reading many more of your posts :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Congratz on the award , your blog is perfect for it and also a big thank you for passing it on to me , can't wait to share :D .

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thank you for the mention and passing along the Lovely Blog Award to Prep2eat :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thank you so much for the award!! I feel so honored. Congrats to you as well, your blog certainly is very lovely. :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thank you for the award. I cannot feel more blessed that you gave me this award. I feel like someone actually reads my blog. Thanks so much and check out your own award: http://theaddictedbaker.blogspot.com/2011/03/and-award-goes-to.html

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  8. Congrats on the award :) and THANK YOU SO MUCH for sharing the same with me.
    Now talking about your Marmalade, i don't like them much.. but your recipe and the GORGEOUS clicks is making me SO crave for it !!
    www.sunshineandsmile.com

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  9. This is so beautiful! My mom was always making marmalade, however I never tried..Fantastic method and recipe!

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  10. Congrats on your award and thank you so much for passing along to me! I enjoy reading all of your delicious posts and looking at your great pictures!

    I absolutely LOVE marmalade and LOVE that you made grapefruit instead of the traditional orange! I need to try this!!

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  11. What a beautiful marmalade. I love the grapefruit flavor.

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  12. Hey Beautiful Marmalade..Love it! and Thanks for the award :)
    Hey...u can send this entry for my "It's Spring" Giveaway event. Its totally with the theme.

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  13. Thank you so much for the award, I'm honored.
    The grapefruit marmalade sounds delicious. perfect with toast and tea for breakfast. thanks for sharing

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  14. Thanks for the thorough directions! I love that these only have 4 ingredients!

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  15. Congratulations on your well-deserved award. Your marmalade sounds wonderful and your pictorial instruction make it very easy for any one of us to make it. This is my first visit to your blog and I've spent some time browsing through your earlier entries. I'm so glad I did that. I really like the food and recipes you feature here. I'll definitely be back. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary

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  16. Just look at that color!

    Love your blog - I just subscribed to follow it :-)

    ReplyDelete