Just Jammin'

Last Saturday morning Bob had a Deacon's Prayer Meeting at 7.30am [then a Men's Breakfast] and I had the house to myself. I had a great burst of energy and put some bread in the breadmaker, washing in the machine, cleaned the bathroom...and made some marmalade. Now I have good friends who always make their marmalade in January when the Seville oranges are in the shops. I admire their diligence. But for forty years I have always taken the easy way out and made mine with a can of MaMade.

Despite using pre-prepared fruit, I feel my marmalade making is becoming more professional. I now have maslin pan, a jam funnel, and a proper set of jamjar tongs. Bob found the tongs in a sale in Poole recently.
These seven jars [plus the less photogenic final jar, not a gingham Bonne Maman one] will keep us going for a year or so. 
These worked out at around 40p a jar. I could buy 'basics' spread for slightly less in the supermarket, but the flavour is not so good - more sugar, less fruit, little peel.
And it is so easy. I always add in the peel and juice of one lemon to each batch too.
After my Mum died, in 1991,  people were very kind to my Dad, and he asked if I could think of a simple Christmas gift he could give his thoughtful friends. I suggested he did marmalade like this - and saved all sorts of interesting jars for him. He designed his own custom labels and about two dozen folk were thrilled with their presents.
We were all highly amused when one lady whispered to me "Your Dad is so good, he made us marmalade you know. And it tasted brilliant, you could tell it was proper home-made stuff from real oranges, not that tinned stuff like B. uses, hers is not as good. And he's a man"  We never told her Dad used Mamade too. But every time I make a batch I think of the incident and chuckle to myself. 
Maybe in these days of equality they should produce cans of 'Pa-Made' too!