Here's a first rate recipe that I have used a dozen times or more. It appeared in Homemaker's Magazine Cookbook, publ. McClelland and Stewart 1986, $29.95 (in 1986)

minutes Degree of difficulty Dead simple Calories per tbs 56

Scrub oranges, place in a large saucepan and cover with 4 cups of water. Cover and simmer for about 1 hour, until oranges are quite soft. Lift out oranges and reserve cooking water. Cut each orange in half and scoop out the pulp and pips into another saucepan. Add remaining water to pulp and pips, bring to a boil and simmer 10 minutes.

Finely chop the soft orange peel amd return to the pan containing the cooking water. Add the sugar, finely grated peel and strained juice of the lemons and strained water from the pulp and pips. Stir over low heat until all the sugar has dissolved, then bring to a boil and cook rapidly until liquid sets, about 20 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat, spoon away the scum that has risen to the surface and allow marmalade to cool for 20 minutes, which ensures even distribution of the peel. If desired stir in orange liqueur or whiskey. Ladle marmalade into warm, dry, sterilized jars, cover and seal immediately. Makes 4 to 6 8-oz. Jars.

Now, my variations: I don't bother to peel and strain the lemons, I just toss them in with the oranges at the first boil, and treat them like oranges all the way through the process. If I want a lighter marmalade, I'll boil it rapidly for the 20 mins. As stated, but if I want it darker, I'll boil it a lot longer. You be the judge. I use the mason type jars with the vacuum sealer and ring, and boil the filled jars in the canner for the approved time. When I put them out to cool, for about an hour they make me jump as the sealer top pops down and seals. I have used sterilized jam jars or pickle jars, etc., but I always sealed with a double layer of wax. It works fine, if just a bit messy.

The Sevilles are in now, but because I had some left over from last year and had to come up with inexpensive and different Christmas gifts, I took the three large jars I had and used ordinary oranges, to extend the amount. So I have enough now to last me for a while.