Grapefruit Marmalade

It's all but impossible to think of southern California living without including sunshine and citrus. That golden disk in the sky beckoned winter-weary Easterners to build a tinsel town around a burgeoning industry of moving pictures, but acres of orange groves marching to sea sealed the deal. Fresh orange juice on every table in a neatly laid out grid of homes was the promise of the post-war City of the Future. Citrus trees really do grow right up to the sidewalk in southern California, and people really do pluck fruit from them.

On one of my first walks in my then-new neighborhood, I was surprised to encounter the glossy dark green leaves and unmistakable fruit of a grapefruit tree. This tree must have been decades old, arching over the sidewalk from behind its stucco wall since this area was bungalow courts for Charlie Chaplin's movie studio. Like many older trees on our West Hollywood streets, this grapefruit tree was both sentinel and dowager. For decades it must have overseen the street with dappled shade, with the light fragrance of its white flowers, and with the unmistakable characteristics - tart, slightly sweet, and juicy - of its yield.

To botanists, grapefruit is Citrus x paradisi, the “forbidden fruit” of a tree whose origins are as a hybrid of orange and pomelo. While those species are likely native to Asia, grapefruit is native to the tropics as the result of botanical husbandry. To farmers, grapefruit is a cash crop, with some varieties subject to patent. To breakfast eaters, grapefruit is halved and sectioned for a morning fruit cup, with the abundant juice drained into a glass or, just as likely, squirted onto the tablecloth. Grapefruit juice lends its vibrant, pithy flavor to a Phillips Screwdriver at brunch, or a sweetly sour ice pop at snack time. And grapefruit finds its way back to the breakfast table as marmalade.

Grapefruit marmalade is an appropriate signature dish for California cooking: it's slightly offbeat, it creates a distinctive usage of local abundance. Even the name is appropriate, for grapefruit is called that because grapefruit grow in clusters, and the only crop more synonymous with California living than citrus is grapes. There are always jars of grapefruit marmalade for judging at the Los Angeles County Fair, and it is as common on the diner tables along the coast as jam made from Gaviota strawberries. Here is my original recipe for a true original made from a true original: grapefruit marmalade.As a rule, the redder the flesh, the sweeter the grapefruit, but this marmalade will work with any variety. This marmalade is tart and sweet, but most importantly, it speaks of the promises of sunshine and citrus.

Grapefruit Marmalade

This marmalade sets without the use of pectin, and yes, the process is messy. This recipe should yield about 8 half-pint jars.

5 - 6 pounds grapefruit, such as ruby red, pink, or white

5 cups granulated sugar

1 star anise

Prepare the grapefruit

1. Rub each grapefruit with food safe produce cleaner and rinse under cool water until the grapefruit is squeaky clean.
2. Place a large pot on the stovetop and a large bowl near the working surface. Put on a pair of food safe latex or rubber gloves.
3. Safely use a strong citrus knife to cut a grapefruit in half crossways. 
4. Hold a grapefruit half over the bowl. Safely use a grapefruit spoon or knife to cut around the flesh of the grapefruit at the perimeter of the cut in order to separate the flesh from the peel. Safely use the spoon or knife to separate each section of grapefruit from the peel and the membranes, discarding or saving seeds as you go and letting the juice run into the bowl.
5. As the grapefruit sections are separated, drop them into the bowl and place the peels into the pan.
6. Repeat steps 3 - 5 above until you have halved and sectioned all of the grapefruit.
7. Cover the bowl containing the flesh and juice and place into the refrigerator.

Prepare the peel

1. Go through the peels and remove as much white pith as you can, along with any discolorations, bruises, and the stem and blossom ends.
2. Use a mini kitchen prep to chop the prepped grapefruit peel until coarse. Transfer the chopped grapefruit peel back to the pot. Add the star anise to the pot.
3. Measure 1/2 cup of the sugar, 1/2 cup water into the pot. Turn the heat to medium and, working safely to avoid splashing, whisk the water, sugar, and chopped grapefruit peel together until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture achieves a full rolling boil.
4. Once the candied peel achieves full rolling boil, turn the heat off and cover the pot.

Make the marmalade

1. While the candied peel is cooling, remove the grapefruit-juice mixture from the refrigerator. Use a potato masher or strong metal spoon to mash the sectioned grapefruit and juice into a pulp.
2. Once you have pulped the grapefruit, measure the remaining 4-1/2 cups sugar into the bowl containing the pulp. Use the spoon or masher to mix the pulp and sugar together.
3. Remove the lid from the pot containing the candied grapefruit. Use the tip of the spoon to carefully remove and discard the star anise.
4. Use the spoon to carefully transfer the sugared grapefruit pulp to the pot. Use a silicon spatula to get the last of the mixture into the pot.
5. Use the spoon to mix the candied peel and sugared grapefruit pulp together until well incorporated.
6. Turn the heat to medium and cook until the mixture thickens to the consistency of marmalade, stirring frequently to avoid scorching, approximately 30 minutes.

Can the marmalade

Note: It is essential to follow safe canning practices. For instructions on safe canning, click here: http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/publications_usda.html or here http://www.freshpreserving.com/getting-started.aspx.

1. Place a clean towel on a counter near the canner but not near the burner.
2. Use canning tongs to remove hot jars from water bath. Do your best not to touch the hot jars; let the tongs do the work. Place hot jars mouth up on the clean towel.
3. Use a jar lifter to transport a jar mouth-side up to the pot containing the hot marmalade. Place a clean canning funnel into the mouth of the jar. Carefully use a large spoon to fill the jar with marmalade to the ½-inch mark.
4. Check for and remove air bubbles if any.
5. Use a clean, damp sponge to wipe the rim of each jar. Center a clean, hot lid on each jar. Screw a band down on each jar until it meets resistance; increase just until tight.
6. Use canning tongs to return the jars to the boiling water bath. Add more water if necessary to ensure that the jars are completely covered by boiling water by 1 inch. Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
7. After jars have processed for ten minutes in the boiling water bath, turn off the heat. Remove the canner lid and set aside. Let jars sit in hot water ten minutes.
8. After ten minutes, use the canning tongs to remove the jars. Being very careful of the hot jars, lids and liquid, place jars upright on the towel. Allow to sit 24 hours.
9. After 24 hours, check for a vacuum seal (see instructions).Label each jar with the contents and the date prepared.
10. Safely prepared, stored and sealed, grapefruit marmalade will keep for one year from date of preparation.

Resources

Strawberry-Balsamic Jam

Habanero Gold

Red-Hots