For People who Hate Marmalade

I love everything citrus - except for marmalade. 

 I find it to be too bitter and too sweet. 

There is also annoyingly thick chunks of citrus peel that are just too intense for my palate.

I have a lot of peaches.  

I made peach freezer jam, sliced and froze pounds and pounds of them to use in smoothies and baking during the winter, gave several boxes to neighbors and the food bank and still had a lot of boxes of picked peaches left.

I complained to my mother-in-law about the over-abundance.

She suggested Peach Marmalade.

 (Yuck, I thought) 

 But to not hurt her feelings I told her it looked good and I would make it.

(After all, I can always gift it at Christmas time.)

The recipe is amazingly simple.

And amazingly delicious.

It is:

5 cups peeled and diced Peaches

1 large Orange

3 1/2 cups Sugar

1 tbsp Lemon Juice

Peel and chop the peaches.  With a rasp, grate the rind off the orange and add to the peaches.  Cut the remaining white pith off the orange and throw that in the compost.  Cut the orange into quarters and finely chop in a food processor or blender.  Add the peaches and pulse two times - short bursts - don't puree - leave some small pieces.

Pour this mixture into a large heavy pot,  add the sugar and lemon juice and stir on medium low heat until the sugar has dissolved.  When the sugar is dissolved bring to a full rolling boil and watching closely and stirring often.  Let cook until jam/marmalade begins to set.  You will see it go from runny to thicker and when you hold your stirring spoon up over the liquid you will see that it drips off slower and kind of forms a rounded end to the drip.  The citrus has lots of pectin in it so it gels quite quickly - 10 minutes or so.

Pour into sterilized jars, top with lids and process in a canner water bath for 15 minutes.

It is so good that I am going to make more.  

and some croissants!  I think is would be delicious on a croissant.

Or maybe I should go and paint trim on the house.