Sweet Satsuma Orange Marmalade

The Satsuma Oranges are too fragile to be shipped and the closest you may find in a grocery store are the Clementines.  We have two Satsuma trees on Back Forty and they are producing.  I have canned some, I have put some in the freezer, and eaten my share but we still have plenty of these small sweet oranges with few seeds and easy to peel.

I had my large enameled stock pot on the stove, left there since canning the oranges, so I might as well make Satsuma Marmalade.  Here we go:


I used 2 lbs which came out to be nine ((9) oranges, juice of two (2) large lemons, and 4 and 1/2 cups of sugar.

To spice up the marmalade, I tossed in a 4 inch stick of cinnamon and a twig of Rosemary.  No commercial pectin was used.

From the Cowlick Cottage Farm, I found out that I didn't have to peel the oranges just halve them and chop them up a bit and pulsate them a few times in my food processor.

I don't have a processor so I cut up the juicy oranges any way I could and collected them in  bowl.  Do cut them up as finely as you can or the marmalade will be too chunky.  I like my marmalade to be just a little chunky.

Now then, bring three (3) cups of water to boil in your stock pot.  When the water is boiling, add the  oranges, peel and all.  Let it come to a boil and ease up on the heat but let it boil for 30 minutes or until the rinds are soft.

When the 30 minutes are up, add the 4 and 1/2 cups of sugar and the lemon juice stirring constantly until sugar has dissolved.

Turn heat up and let it boil for 20 - 30 minutes and then start testing for setting.  I put a little marmalade on a small plate and put it in the fridge for a few minutes.  I found that it was indeed beginning to settle.

Time to ladle the marmalade into clean (sterile) jars and I sealed my jars with hot wax.  You may want to give the filled and sealed jars a water bath for five (5) minutes.  Keep it clean and keep it safe.

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Oh, Christmas Tree!

Decisions, decision!  What kind of a Christmas tree will it be this year?  This is the season.  Again.  A busy season too.  Is this the time to buy a tree or shall I wait a while?  How about a live tree or what about an artificial tree? 

When our kids were growing up, we selected a live tree with roots.  When we brought it in, our dog Sir Henry thought it was a great idea and was ready to mark it--naughty dog.  He learned.

When selecting a cut tree, look for a healthy dark green color, smell it, and feel it; however, some trees do not have a fragrance.  Wrap your hand around a branch and (gently) try to pull the needles and hopefully they do not come out but perhaps for a few.

You may also try to lift the tree a few inches off the ground and drop it on its base and again hopefully not too many needles will drop.

Ask the tree attendant to cut a few inches off the base so that you will have a fresh cut when or if you can't put the tree up right away but you can put it in a bucket of water and keep it fresh.  When it has reached it fill, it won't take up any more water.

The Frasier fir seems to be the most popular fresh cut tree because of its dark green needles and its ability to retain them. 

Some years ,we had live cedar trees that we set at in the front yard.  They grew and provided us with shade and privacy but had to come down after 30 some years.

My preference has always been a spruce with short needles but nowadays we have an artificial tree with built in lights.  This tree will last for many years and it is rather hassle free once we've correctly connected the lights.

Whatever your preference, I hope you enjoy shopping for your Christmas tree, enjoy dressing it, and enjoying the season.  Let me know your decision!

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Preserving Satsuma Oranges

Oh, the sweet Satsumas!  God is good to us:  At this vulnerable time of the year, the changing time of the seasons, when the immune system hasn't caught up, the beautiful sun colored oranges are brightening up our Back Forty.  They are providing us with C-vitamins, fiber, and a healthful snack when we need it the most.

My husband and I cannot possibly eat all the oranges and they seem to ripen at the same time.  We do have some help from birds and raccoons but we still have plenty.

How do I preserve the oranges for use later on in the winter?

I canned them!  I selected the largest and the most yellow, peeled them, and pulled the sections apart, and packed them tightly, into three (3) quart jars.

But first I made a light syrup consisting of one (1) part sugar and two (2) parts water in a pot, put it on stove and heated it up, stirring, until the sugar had dissolved.


I poured this sugary solution over the oranges in the clean (sterile) jars, put them into my stock pot and filled it up with water to come a few inches over the jars.

I let it come to a boil, turned the heat down a bit but let it simmer, good and hard, for ten (10) minutes.  I let it cool in the pot.

That's it!  Labeled and dated the jars.  They look pretty nice.  This is my first time for canning oranges.

By the way, save the rinds and cut them any way you like and let them dry in or out of the oven.

One more thing:  I have not written a word about washing the oranges. . . .  Of course not.  We don't use any pesticides, herbicides, and this year we haven't even used fertilizer, so we are able to go out into our yard and garden to eat right there.  (It is probably cleaner than my kitchen.)   Should you buy your oranges, be sure to scrub them well.

Bless you.

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Thanksgiving

This is no doubt the busiest few days for families and friends to move across the country and across the street to be with each other and celebrate the holiday.  This is the most difficult time for us to be mindful and give thanks.  There are so many distracting things and chores that we feel we must do.

Please, take time out and be thankful for the family.  Take care of each other.  Be together.

Give thanks and have a wonderful holiday.

Veterans Day

Every Thursday morning, the Jax Vets meet at Denny's for breakfast and they meet at a very early hour.  They are all looking forward to see each other to shoot the breeze and tell stories.  They do have  good time sharing a few jokes and laughing.  They are from different branches of the Armed Services but they served their country well.

On a serious note, if one of these veterans need to talk:  they have each other.  

There is also Veterans Crises Line, 24/7, Confidential support:  888-457-4838

or

Veterans Crises Line Prevention Hotline  Chat & text:  1-800-273-8255 and Press 1.  

Text 838255.

Thank you for your service.

Taking Back the Yard

Our Back Forty has been sadly neglected for the last year and hurricane Irma did not do anything to help.  We finally decided that we had to go out and take back our yard.  Enough is enough! 

It is very nice to have a somewhat natural backyard--to let the trees, bushes, and plants grow as they want.

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The Plumbago with its delicately blue flowers was blooming profusely just a few weeks ago, but it was spilling out well into the yard.  It was growing against the shed and it made for a great source for butterflies and other pollinators but some of it had to go  It will come back this spring.  We did leave some of the greenery against the shed.

Mexican Petunia

Then there was the Mexican Petunia with its purple flowers.  It has a tendency to spread--it creeps and crawls.   Butterflies and bumble bees like the petunia.

Most gardeners maintain that you should not prune flowering shrubs at this time of the year.  It will encourage growth that may be susceptible to the cooler temperature of winter.  What winter?

Red top or Red Tip at its best

I drastically pruned the Red Tops.  They were scraggly and made for a sad looking hedge.  I cut off the branches at the hint of new dormant growth and left some of the branches alone.  I feel that if the bushes don't come back this spring, I have not lost much.

Lantana

The Lantana is a bush with pink/ yellow/orange flowers and is also popular with pollinators.  They spread quickly through their root system.  Lantanas that are more or less permanent should be pruned or the stems become woody and scraggly. 

My husband and I are pleased with the work we have done so far but we have so much more to do.

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