It’s cold, dreary January with long dark nights – it seems so far away from sunny days and warmth. Imagine my delight when I remember it’s a new citrus season; I want the best fruit – fresh, organic and sustainable direct from the growers – so I reach for my laptop and eagerly log on to crowdfarming.com. A few days later my boxes of beautiful little balls of sunshine arrive – bergamots, mandarins and blood oranges. Ooh what to do with all this bounty?! One of my family’s favourites is this delicious bergamot marmalade, with its exotic perfume and most pleasant bitterness. Eating this on a nice crusty load of homemade soda bread, with lashings of salted butter, makes both my mouth and my soul very happy indeed.

Carrie Horne, CrowdFarmer

Ingredients

• 750g bergamots washed, green blossom ends removed, cut in half 
• 600g sugar 
• 200ml bergamot juice
• 1.5 litres cold water

Instructions

1. Squeeze the juice from the bergamots, strain to discard the seeds. 
   

2. Place the juice, the sugar and the water in a medium-sized, heavy bottomed saucepan.
    

3. Cut the bergamot skins into slivers or small dice, depending on your preference. 
   
4. Sterilise five x 250ml jars and keep them warm in the oven until you are ready to fill them. 

5. Place the bergamot skins with the liquids and sugar, stir, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat, so the mixture is boiling slowly and cook until the mixture has thickened, the skins have turned tender though not too soft, and the skins have turned a light brown colour, which will take about an hour. 
   

6. Test the marmalade by putting a teaspoon full on a small plate and putting it in the freezer for 2 minutes. If the marmalade is the thickness you like, remove it from the heat. 
   

7. Immediately put the marmalade in the jars, and seal them.