The name may come from Valencia, Spain the location of where orange trees and other citrus fruit are grown, however the Valencia orange is an all-American fruit.
The Valencia orange is a cross between a pomelo and mandarin orange.? The fruit was hybridized by William Wolfskill, a pioneer American agronomist and land developer, in the mid-19th century on his farm in Southern California. Before his death in 1866 he sold his patented orange hybrid to the Irvine Ranch owners who dedicated almost half of their lands to the cultivation of Valencia oranges.
The success and popularity of Valencia oranges resulted in the naming of Valencia, California and its primary growing region as Orange County, California.
How To Make Valencia Orange Marmalade
Prep Time:? 20 mins
Ready in: 3 Days
Ingredients
2 pounds lemons, cut lengthwise into 8 wedges each
2 pounds Hale Valencia oranges?cut lengthwise into 8 wedges each, seeded and very thinly sliced crosswise
8 cups sugar (3 1/2 pounds)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Ten 1/2-pint canning jars with lids and rings, sterilized in boiling water
Directions
- Day 1: Using 2 separate non-reactive saucepans submerge the lemon wedges (1st pan) and orange slices (2nd pan) in 2 inches water and let stand overnight.
- Day 2:
- Boil lemon wedges then simmer over moderate heat and stir every 30 minutes. Cook for 2 hours and 15 minutes until lemons are tender or until liquid is reduced by half. Sieve the lemon wedges and place in a heatproof bowl. Wait until it has cooled completely before wrapping the sieve and bowl and let drain overnight. Throw away the wedges.
- Boil orange and simmer over moderate heat for 40 minutes; stir from time to time until the oranges are supple and liquid has been reduced. Cover and let stand overnight.
- Day 3: Add the strained lemon-wedge to the oranges in a saucepan and mix sugar and lemon juice; bring to a boil. Do not stir while simmering over medium heat for 30 minutes and wait until marmalade darkens slightly. Remove foam as needed.
- Test: scoop 1 tablespoon of marmalade and chill or refrigerate for 3 minutes; if it turns thick as a jelly and spoon leaves a groove when dragged through it, if not keep in simmering and testing every ten minutes for up to 1.5 hours until it passes the test.
- Scoop out the marmalade and place in canning jars but make sure to leave ? inch space on top. Screw the lids and lower the jars into boiling water using canning thongs and boil for 15 minutes. Remove the jars and let stand until the lids look concave indicating they are sealed. They can be stored in a cool dark area for up to 6 months.