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If kumquat jam isn't unfamiliar to you, then along with kumquat, with oranges, you can also make a unique and delicious orange jam for this Tet. Here's how to make orange jam for you to confidently prepare for the upcoming 2019 Lunar New Year.
1. Ingredients for Orange Jam
Golden Oranges: 3 – 4 medium-sized
Granulated Sugar: 150 – 200 grams
Lemons: 1 – 2 fruits
Honey: 30 ml
Other Ingredients: Table salt, chilled ice.
2. Detailed Process of Making Orange Jam
Step 1: Preparing Oranges for Jam Making
Firstly, rinse the lemons thoroughly. Ensure the peel and stem are free from any blemishes. After washing, place the lemons in a pot and boil in boiling water with 1 teaspoon of salt for about 2 – 3 minutes.
After boiling the oranges, remove them and immediately plunge them into a bowl of chilled ice. Let the oranges sit in the ice for 1 – 2 minutes, then take them out, pat the peel dry. Finally, use a knife to slice the oranges horizontally into pieces with a thickness of 0.5 – 0.7 cm.
Step 2: Preparing Lemon Water
Halve the lemons and use a spoon to scoop out all the seeds and pulp. Add about 100 ml of filtered water to the lemon pulp and stir well. Then, strain the mixture through a sieve to extract the juice and discard the seeds.
Pour all the lemon juice obtained into a small pot along with 200 grams of sugar and 30 ml of honey. Stir well to ensure the mixture is evenly distributed. Once the sugar has dissolved, place the pot on low heat and simmer until the lemon honey mixture starts to boil.
Step 3: Cooking the Orange Jam
As the lemon honey mixture begins to boil, add the prepared oranges. Use a spoon and chopsticks to gently turn the oranges to ensure they are evenly soaked in the liquid. Continue to simmer the orange jam on low heat. Every 2 – 3 minutes, gently stir the oranges once.
After simmering the jam as described above for 25 – 30 minutes, we begin to notice the sugar in the pot thickening. At this point, gently and continuously stir the oranges to ensure they are evenly coated with sugar and do not burn. When the sugar in the pot begins to turn golden brown, turn off the heat.
Step 4: Perfecting the Orange Jam
Once the orange jam has been simmered, you need to proceed with the final step of drying the jam before enjoying and storing. There are two methods you can use to dry the orange jam, as follows:
Method 1: Arrange the orange jam pieces evenly on a tray. Allow this tray of orange jam to air-dry under sunlight for 1 – 2 hours. Observe carefully during the drying process, when the orange jam pieces begin to dry out and become less moist, your orange jam is complete.
Method 2: Evenly spread the orange jam pieces on a plate. Place this jam plate in the oven at 70 – 80 degrees Celsius. Bake the orange jam for 10 – 12 minutes until the pieces become firm, slightly dry, but still maintain their sweet and chewy texture.
Once the orange jam is perfected, the final step is to store it. Typically, orange jam is stored in clean, dry glass jars. If jars are not available, you can use plastic bags instead. Store the jars of jam in a dry, cool place, away from moisture or direct sunlight.
