Grapefruit

I'm been making more grapefruit marmalade.

Packed some up and sent to friends and relatives back east along with a package of Alternative Bagels.  (I'm lucky I can pick these up at a sort of local store.)

I keep charts of how much fruit I put in the pressure cooker, how long it cooks.  Reminders to get the next set of supplies in order.  Weigh and put in sugar, and little package of the recovered grapefruit seeds.  Have ended up cooking at low saute for 30 minutes, then about 10 minutes of medium saute and then end up with 10 minutes of high.  The original recipe was for 2 pounds of fruit and only 7 minutes of high saute, I've ended up with 5 pounds of fruit and the additional cooking mentioned above.  Each time something seems to change.

I taste the mixture after the 30 minutes and need to add sugar.  Sometimes.

I always need to stir at high, sometimes and medium, and sometimes even at low saute.

The color of the marmalade is now usually golden, but when we have tasted the darker versions seems the taste is the same. ???  Have made 18 batches of marmalade!

My addition of cutting old wash cloths in thirds so I can wrap each bottle as it goes in the water has really helped with preventing the jars from hitting each other, and make it easier to insert, and remover from the water.  They make easy the final cleaning of the lip of the jar too.

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There are still more fruit to process!  I have a 5 gallon bucket in the frig and there are more fruit on the tree not ready to pick.

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Was so concentrating on marmalade that I forgot that one could just juice it.  So today I used the citrus juicer my mom left me to make morning juice, then I removed the rest of the fruit and some of the white and cut 1/4 inch strips.

Have been boiling that.  The recipe I found suggested boiling and changing the water three times.  Then to add sugar and boil - then to lay out the strips and let it all dry.  I think sprinkling some sugar on the top.  Then we will have sugared grapefruit skins.  If needed I'll dip in the dark chocolate for different taste!

After one boiling...

Watched a film on Netflix: Jiro Dreams of Sushi. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1772925/  Looks like at least part of it is posted on the web.  Our son was watching me make the marmalade and said I was like Jiro - always thinking of new ways to process things and to make them better.  I guess it's the same with quilting - always testing and thinking of new ways to piece, baste, bind and quilt!

After second boiling.

After third boiling, I weighed the peels.  Added five cups of water and four cups of sugar and simmered for 90 minutes.

Then I removed from the syrup and rolled in sugar before putting on drying rack.  This is my first time using the dehydrator machine.  We also cut some grapefruit rounds and put them on and have one tray of grapefruit bites (no peel, or sugar, just fruit).  Just tasted the candied peels - delicious and warm.  Wonder how they will be after a full night of dry heat?  It feels so frugal to use all of the fruit!