Confit D' Oignon - French Onion Marmalade

In addition to the jelly Jody and I made, we also made a marmelade.

Confit D' Oignon
French Onion Marmalade

Ingredients

• 1 kg onion, red or yellow, peeled & cut in half & sliced thinly
• 100 ml olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 rosemary sprigs
• 150 g soft brown sugar
• 75 ml dry white wine
• 75 ml red wine vinegar
• 25 ml balsamic vinegar

Directions

1. In a heavy frying pan, heat up the olive oil and add the finely sliced onions - toss around to make sure they all have a coating of oil.
   
   
2. Cover & cook over a gentle heat until they start to colour.
   
   
3. Add the salt, pepper, bay leaves & rosemary sprigs & cook for a further 20 to 30 minutes, until the herbs have wilted.
   
   
4. Take off the lid and add the sugar, wine & vinegars.
   
   
5. Bring them to the boil and keep stirring al the time; then lower the heat & simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes until the liquid is all dissolved and the onions are soft & sticky.
   
   
6. You will need to be very vigilant towards the end of the cooking - stirring all the time so the onions do not stick and become burnt and scorched.
   
   
7. Pick out the rosemary & bay leaves and spoon the confit into a clean, dry & sterilised jar & seal straight away.
   
   
8. Ready to eat after 2 weeks, but better if kept for at least 1-2 months.

Notes:

• We had issues with the oil during the rendering process. We had to sop most of it out.

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Spiced Cranberry Jelly

One of the recipes that Jody and I made over my annual visit to see here was a Spiced Cranberry Jelly. It turend out fairly well and is delicious.

Spiced Cranberry Jelly

Ingredients

• 48 ounces (or 3 pounds) of fresh or frozen cranberries
• 4 cups of water
• 3 cups of orange juice (or all orange juice or all apple cider)
• 6 cinnamon sticks
• 12 whole allspice
• 40 cloves
• 1 T butter
• 1 box regular Sure Jell for jelly making
• 5 cups sugar

Directions

1. Place cranberries, water, juice, cinnamon sticks, whole allspice, cloves, and butter in a large pan. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered for about 15-20 minutes to release juices of cranberries. Almost all berries should burst to know when it is finished simmering. Remove the cinnamon sticks before straining.
   
   
2. Rub through a screen strainer to remove skins and small seeds of cranberries.
   
   
3. At this point you have juice and can follow the directions of the Sure Jell. Which is to bring the juice to a full rolling boil along with the packet of pectin, add the sugar and bring to a full rolling boil for 1 minute.
   
   
4. Ladle into sterilized jars....
   
   
5. I usually end up with around 9 jars for one batch of jelly.

Notes:

• Jody and I agreed that it is a good idea to measure the amount of liquid you have strained to determine the appropriate amount of pectin you need. Yu might get a more liquid jelly like we did if you don't.

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