I Love Orange Marmalade

Orange Marmalade recipe (sort of):
 I wouldn't suggest winging it because that's certainly a great way to end up with a mess but that's pretty much what I did both times for my orange marmalade. The first batch I made with the clementines turned out pretty thick but still very yummy. This second batch I made is perfect. I got the recipe/ bare bones for my marmalade from this website http://arewecrazyorwhat.net/how-to-make-and-can-old-fashioned-marmalade/

For this last batch I used the three old, wrinkly, somewhat dried out clementines and combined them with a fresh large orange. I also had four pretty ugly old strawberries that I chopped into small chunks and threw in the pot just to use them up. I added 2 cups of sugar and 1 tablespoon of rum. The recipe on the website said to add lemon juice and I didn't have a lemon. I did however have a small bottle of rum that has been in my baking cupboard for years so I just said, "what the hey," and put some in. I figured the lemon juice was really just for a little added flavor so why not rum, right.

I added just enough water to cover the pot full of super thin orange slices and sugar and then on second thought because my marmalade was a bit too think last time I added about 1/2 cup more water. Yes I should have measured. Oops. I brought everything to a simmer and cooked it on low for 40 minutes. It was simmering the entire time. After 40 minutes I got out my candy thermometer and attempted to bring the glorious concoction up to 222 degrees F. Last time I did bring it up to 222 but some of the oranges burnt to the bottom of the pan. This time I stirred it more and noticed some starting to burn at 220 and since it was taking several minutes to raise just 2 degrees I pulled it at 220. And it was perfect!

This jar is from strawberry preserves we just finished that we'd gotten as a white elephant Christmas gift. I'm all about reusing glass containers, at least once. This last batch of marmalade made about three times what I've pictured here. This morning for breakfast little Abe and I had toast with cream cheese and orange marmalade on it. Yummy!!!

 In conclusion, if you have a good deal of cuties, or clementines, or a few oranges that are about to go bad (that you wouldn't just sit down and eat because they're really past that point) certainly don't be afraid to turn them into marmalade. It's kind of fun. It's super yummy and it's way better than eating crunchy oranges.

Average daily spending for 2015: $17.22
Today was NO SPEND day 12 for the year but I did end up stopping before work yesterday to get the cat food. That's what caused my average to jump.

Other side note: the bananas are in the freezer, peel-less and will be turned into banana bread at some point in the future. Thanks for all the suggestions on that one. I truly had not thought about freezing them and then making bread out of the frozen bananas.