Try It Out Tuesday - Orange Marmalade (IS apparently harder than it looks!)

I decided on trying my hand at orange marmalade this week to use up a gigantic bag of oranges we had in the fridge (which apparently no one was going to eat).

Click here for the original pin on my Food/Recipes board.

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*Don't forget to click over to Kelly's blog, My Purple Brick Road, for a tasty review of Nutella S'mores!

I chose this recipe simply because it looked easy, fool-proof and didn't use pectin (I don't keep that on hand and didn't want to buy any).  This particular site gave wonderful step by step directions and photos.  The original recipe it links to is here.

I peeled the oranges, slivered the peel, cut up the oranges and plopped them all into my trusty stock pot.

I added water and sugar in the amounts called for and set it to boiling. I am damn sure think this is where I went wrong.

When I looked back over the recipe (I read it a dozen times before I started, one would think I'd get it right!)...it says to boil the oranges and peel for at least an hour until soft...THEN add the sugar.  It should only take about an hour to hour and a half to obtain marmalade-y texture and consistency.

Yeah, right. 

I boiled and boiled and boiled my mixture. 

And boiled some more.

When it hit the three hour mark with no signs of the slightest inclination of jelling...I called it a draw. 


I now have a stock pot full of orange vanilla sludge.  It smells wonderful, it even tastes pretty good.  However, it is no where NEAR marmalade.

Modifications: I added about a tsp of vanilla. It smelled delicious and gave it an interesting flavor.

Fail Factors: The entire project was a total and utter fail. But I believe that is all my fault as I didn't wait to add the sugar.

For The Win: The recipe really is simple. (And successful if done right, I assume).

Will I attempt this recipe again? Yes, simply because I will NOT BE DEFEATED!!! LOL

Have you made homemade jams or jellies?  With or without pectin? How have yours turned out? Any tips for the novice?

*"Try It Out Tuesday" is a blog hop (or blog party) created by 3 friends, and is inspired by Pinterest. We choose one, sometimes two "pins" (if you want to be labeled an overachiever, just sayin') per week, try them out, and review them on our blogs. Anyone can join in, just leave the link to your Try It Out Tuesday post in the comments and we'll add you to the list! C'mon, Try It Out!

Try It Out Tuesday - Pineapple Angel Food Cake

Welcome, again, to a brand new episode of Try It Out Tuesday!

Don't forget to check out these other bloggers and their TioT adventures!

     Kelly @ My Purple Brick Road - Salad in a Jar

     Mary @ Oh My Little Soul - Margarita Jello Shots and Keepsakes in a canning jar


This past weekend while my hubby was away for the weekend (in Jefferson City for clinicals), I decided to try out a pin I'd been eyeing up.  And since I had both ingredients in my pantry, it was the perfect experiment for Try it Out Tuesday.

Weight Watchers Pineapple Angel Food Cake

This recipe is ridiculously easy.  One box of "just add water" angel food cake mix.  One large (15oz) can of crushed pineapple with the juice.  Dump both in a bowl.  Mix.  Pour into ungreased pan.  Bake.  Viola!

The Good:  It's easy.  And quick.  A nice flavor.  The pineapple makes for a very summery light taste, and it would be good with a dollop of cool-whip on top.  It's low in calories and fat.  4 Weight Watchers points per serving.  

The Not So Good:  I don't know if I did something wrong, but mine turned out gummy, with a very weird texture.  It didn't rise much at all, so I was left with a very dense, rubbery, gummy (but yummy) cake-like substance.  

Would I try it again?  Oddly enough, I probably would.  I might try it again using a regular angel food cake pan and perhaps tweaking the recipe a bit.

The Final Verdict:  Overall for me, a fail.  However, if I decide to make it again and it turns out better, I will come back and modify my vote.  

What new Pins have you tried lately?