Homemade tangerine jam

To make mandarin jam, first wash the mandarins thoroughly. From my years of experience, I would recommend using organic mandarins, as we will be using both the flesh and the peel, and the organic fruit contains fewer pesticides.

Peel the mandarins and also keep the peel. At this stage, you should make sure that all the white parts of the peel are removed, as they can cause a bitter taste when preparing the jam.

Cut the tangerine peel into thin strips. You should not have too much of the white inner skin on the strips, as this can make the jam bitter.

In a large saucepan, add the sugar, the mandarins cut into strips, the lemon juice and the water. This mixture should be brought to the boil, stirring constantly, which will help to completely dissolve the sugar and achieve a uniform consistency.

Reduce the heat to low and allow the mixture to simmer. Bear in mind that too high a temperature could caramelize the mixture and affect the taste of the jam.

Stir the mixture gently every 15 minutes until it has thickened. This process can take up to 1.5 hours, but believe me, the result is worth it.

As soon as the mandarin jam has reached the desired consistency, pour it hot into sterilized jars and seal them.

Your wonderfully fragrant homemade tangerine marmalade is now ready to enjoy or give as a gift. It will keep for around 6-12 months - if you can leave it untouched for that long!