In the meantime, I am researching marmalade around the globe and have discovered some interesting things about marmalade-making in India, thanks to my glamorous, actress friend Fiona Martinelli, who moved to Bangalore last year with her husband Nick and her five children. She put me in touch with Geetu Singh, who has given me so many wonderful resources, and here's some of what I've learned:
- Historically, expatriate Britons made something they called "country marmalade" in India from pomelos, the thick-skinned and rather coarse ancestor of the grapefruit.
- Marmalade has been a popular jam among the upper classes and, to some extent the middle classes, in India for a long time. It has been commercially produced for many years under the Kissan (Farmer) brand, and many Indians buy that brand, as their parents did before them.
- There are also many home jam makers and communities from the state of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and the city of Ooty, and others who love to make and can this jam, in season. For instance, Linnet Mushran (a Briton by birth) has led a group of inspired women in the fruit orchards of Himachal Pradesh, sourcing fruits directly from local small farmers and making homemade preserves and marmalades to provide a source of income for their families. What started as a small kitchen operation now employs and supports more than 100 women in the community.
- Rangpur limes (Citrus x limonia), a lemon and mandarin hybrid, originating in India, is best known for the fine marmalade produced from it, which is reputedly even better than that from Seville oranges. The fruit is grown in India, California, Australia, and Hawaii. I would really LOVE to get my hands on some of these and make some marmalade. Anyone know where I can get some?
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