Blood Orange, Ginger, and Mezcal Marmalade (aka, the mezcal negroni marmalade)
This is the most beautiful and heavenly scented marmalade. Tart, bitter, sweet, spicy, and a little smoky. Like the perfect mezcal negroni cocktail, it has a balanced and adult flavor profile.
Ingredients
5 lbs blood oranges (about 12), scrubbed and divided
8 cups sugar (about 2 L)
1 tablespoon mezcal
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tespoons grated ginger
Directions
PREP FRUIT: Quarter the oranges lengthwise, then slice thin, using a knife or mandolin.
MACERATE: Place in a stainless steal pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then turn off heat and let sit for 8 hours or overnight.
SANITIZE JARS & LIDS: Place your mason jars in a pot, covered with water; bring to a boil and turn off; leave jars in the hot water, covered, until ready to fill. Place lids in a heat-safe bowl and pour boiling water over them; let them sit in hot water while you prepare the jam.
Place a few metal spoons in the freezer for testing the consistency and gel of your jam later on. You can also place them in a cup of ice water if you prefer or on the windowsill in winter.
COOK: Using a slotted spoon, transfer the oranges to a 6-quart stainless steel or enamel dutch oven, reserving the soaking liquid. Add 4 cups soaking liquid to the pot. Squeeze the remaining 6 blood oranges, grate the ginger, add the mezcal, lemon juice, and sugar, and bring the fruit mixture to a boil over high heat. Reduce to medium, and continue cooking for 10 minutes or until the mixture reaches the gel stage at 221 ° F (105 ° C) on a candy thermometer. If you don’t have a thermometer, test the consistency by placing a teaspoon of the hot marmalade onto one of the frozen spoons you prepped. Let it rest for a few minutes, then test the gel by tilting the spoon vertically. What is the consistency? If the marmalade runs loosely like syrup or has pools of liquid surrounding the fruit chunks, then it’s not done yet. If it glides slowly along in a gloopy glob, then the jam is ready. If syrupy, bring it to a boil again for 5 to 10 minutes. Once it is done, turn off the heat.
FILL marmalade to ¼ inch from the top (size of your pinky nail). Place lids on top and tighten hand-tight (not body-builder tight).
PROCESS: Place jars in hot water canning pot using tongs, make sure jars are covered by at least 1-inch of water. Bring to a boil, covered, and let boil in hot water for 10 minutes (they should be clinking together at a full boil). Turn off heat, remove and let rest till cool. Jam lasts at least 12 months unopened. Store in a cool, dark place to retain color. Once opened, refrigerate.