Hi there is ME........thinking orange is the colour for January - 5th February 2014

It's official, for me at any rate!  The colour orange is the colour for the first month of the year as far as I'm concerned, as seen for Seville oranges, tangerines, easy-peel Satsumas and apricots.

And Seville Oranges are the most important fruit of the winter, that is from January every year, when these wonderful fruits flood into our stores from Spain.

My aunt used to mince all her fruit and make a very easy, quick marmalade.  I've made a three-fruit marmalade, grapefruit marmalade and an orange and ginger marmalade and always found the same delight in the preparation and cooking.  Particularly, when the temperature is rapidly rising to the "rolling-boil" stage.  A light, creamy white head of froth sits on top of the boiling mass beneath, the combination of deep orange plus a creamy head of whipped cream, shot through with peachy-apricot- cream-orange shades, which is utterly delicious.

This year I used my pressure cooker to cook and soften the fruit, as opposed to slowly cooking the fruit for the usual two hour session; the pressure cooker softened the fruit in just twenty minutes, which was utter bliss.  These days, cooking must be organised so that it is done quickly and efficiently, for there are so many other interesting  activities to occupy me!

There are two  remaining batches of fruit to be marmaladed, which really must be dealt with.  I want to begin a Sourdough starter and the dear SO keeps reminding me of my promise to try my hand at crumpets and muffins, which I've not made for too many years. So as usual, there is much to be made and tested and, well tasted of course!

Spelt Soda bread too.  Yeasted Spelt flat bread as well and this year I really do want to try making those beautiful coloured macaroons - goodness me I can't wait!

Perhaps I could make peach or apricot coloured ones or beautiful orange ones with a nutty chocolate cream filling - now wouldn't they be scrumptious?

Happy cooking!

Daisy