PRICKLY PEAR MARMALADE

Prickly Pear Marmalade image

Provided by Diana Adcock

Categories Fruit

Time 50m

Yield 7 8-oz jars

Number Of Ingredients 5

3 cups oranges, chopped and seeded
1 cup lemon, thinly sliced and seeded
4 cups water
4 cups prickly pears, chopped and seeded
6 cups sugar

Steps:

Do NOT peel your oranges or lemons. (small chop on oranges).
Do wash them well to remove any wax and pesticides.
In a large stainless steel saucepan combine the oranges, lemons and water.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium high and gently boil for 5 minutes.
Remove from heat, cover and place in a cool spot for 12 to 18 hours.
When ready prepare canner, jars and lids.
Bring orange mixture to a boil over medium heat.
Boil, stirring frequently until peel is tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
Stir in prickly pears, return to a gentle boil.
Maintaining boil gradually stir in the sugar.
Boil hard, stirring often until mixture reaches gel stage, around 30 minutes.
Remove from heat and test gel.
If gel stage has been reached skim off foam and ladle into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space.
Remove air bubbles, wipe rim, center lid and screw band down to fingertip tight.
Place in canner-repeat with remaining jars.
Process in a boiling water bath canner for 15 minutes.
Turn off heat, remove canner lid and let jars stand in canner an additional 5 minutes.
Remove jars, cool and store.