My lady marmalade

It’s not easy going “back to school”, turning your schedule over to others, sitting all day, studying each night, being called on randomly in class. Returning to L’institut to study French again has challenged me in many ways, but, I must admit, I love it. One of the things that helps me hike up the hill from the Gare de Villefranche to the school in this beautiful old mansion is the marmalade they serve at breakfast each morning.

The school is situated above a tiered garden which contains several citrus trees. The chef Nathalie has the fruit harvested at the peak of ripeness and makes massive batches of marmalade which they serve at the petite déjuner each morning along with cheese, yogurt, bread and sometimes freshly baked croissants.

Nathalie was happy to share her recipe with us, but she has a~LOT of oranges, so this makes a grande batch of marmalade.

To make a smaller batch click Rosy Pink Grapefruit Marmalade for my recipe that will give you reference for how to make this classic confiture on a smaller scale. The ratio is nearly equal parts, by weight, of fruit and sugar and water.

Oh! don’t be daunted by the French, I can translate it for you @;().

Ingredients

30 pound of citrus fruit

16 – 17 cups of water

30 pounds of sugar

Preparation

Wash and peel the fruits. Cut the peel finely and put in a saucepan with half the water. Put on the lid and simmer for 2 hours.

Cut up the fruit and put in another saucepan with the rest of the water and simmer for 2 hours.

Strain the fruit from the second pan and the juice to the pot of peels. Discard the fruits of the second pan.

Boil for 10 minutes.

Add the sugar and mix until it is dissolved.

Boil quickly until smooth and pour into hot jam jars and close. At this stage you could “can” the jars using the method recommended by the canning jar company to store it a room temperature, or you could store it in your refrigerator or freezer.

During the evening, each week they offer Cine~club. Where students are invited to watch and discuss a french movie together.

The lemon trees that flank the front entrance are lit up with colorful, sparkling lights.

Bonsoir!