It has been quite some time since I last nestled down with my laptop and a cuppa and wrote about chutneys and jams and the garden. The past few months have been busy, both with the business and with home life. Oscar's Kitchen and some other local artists and artisans have opened a delightful little shop in the heart of the village, called Crefftau y Bont (same as the old shop, just a new and better address.) I spent a wonderful week in Cardiff Christmas Market, had a weekend in Llandeilo and broke sales records, and sold umpteen hampers and gift boxes.
Also, Ben and I have started house-hunting, and he's had a new job, so personal life is getting very settled and enjoyable. Oscar (the cat) has come out of his terrible two's and has embraced what I've titled The Hellish Third Year of Life.
And then January came with it's Seville oranges and Blood Oranges and it was time to make marmalade. I have come to realise that I enjoy making marmalade more than I enjoy eating it (and by jove do I LOVE eating marmalade!) There's something unnaturally soothing about slicing 40kgs of oranges and watching the bubbling of thickening marmalade and the drastic change of colours of orange to amber to honey-gold. It's like edible-therapy.
Pink Grapefruit - have also made a Pink Grapefruit and Dark Rum marmalade which has proven to be a best seller
Lemon and Lime - again, made a variation on this one by adding some freshly grated ginger
Blood Orange - such a delicious marmalade, but far my favourite
The classic Seville Orange - a bittersweet delight, used these oranges as the base for my Whisky marmalade and my Orange and Coriander marmalade
As Seville's and Blood oranges are only around for a very short time, I bought huge amounts and prepared them all in alb bags and put them in my freezer. And my parents' freezer. And my grandmother's. There were so many oranges, all I did for about a month was slice, bag and freeze. But, it's paid off as I literally just defrost and cook and bottle, which makes things happen so much quicker in the kitchen and doubles what I can get done in a day. And with the way my marmalade is selling this year, being prepared has been a blessing.
Hope you're all well out there,
Ruth and Oscar x
