Meet the woman who has been on a marvellous journey, thanks to marmalade

From the tropics and Japan and to the Marches – meet the woman who has been on a marvellous journey, thanks to marmalade.

Orange, lemon or lime – whichever is your fruity favourite on toast or in a sandwich just like Paddington Bear – it turns out there is a whole world of other citrus varieties just waiting to be discovered.

And chief judge of Dalemain World Marmalade Awards for the last three years, Jane Maggs is keen to usher everyone into the magical world of marmalade.

Jane, who won best-in-show Double Gold twice at the awards before being invited to become a judge of the artisan marmalades 12 years ago, will be bringing a selection of exotic flavours to Kington’s Marmalade Competition.

How about trying Taiwan Tankan Orange Marmalade with Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor or Yuzu and Lime Marmalade with homemade Feijoa Liqueur?

Jane has brought back about 30 marmalades mainly from Japan, Taiwan and even one from the island of Reunion in the Indian Ocean.

There are marmalades from citrus we never see – so forget your chocolate spread or peanut butter, marmalade should be your mouth-watering preserve of choice

Kington’s competition will take place on Saturday, April 11 from 12pm until 4pm at Open Arms Kington at the Oxford.

Exciting prizes will be available for best in class for homemade and under 14’s marmalade categories.

Jane said: “Marmalade has taken me on a marvellous journey and has given me the opportunity to meet some wonderful people.

“I never set out to be defined by marmalade. My background is as an agricultural botanist and later, landscape architect.

“Having lived in the Tropics for a number of years, I do love tropical and sub-tropical plants as much as those from more temperate climates.

“I learned to grow garden citrus in Australia: Meyer lemons and Tahiti limes.

“Living in warmer climates makes you understand that there is a whole different world of varieties and species of tropical fruit which are never in our greengrocers here and citrus is a prime example.”

Japan alone has about 250 different species and varieties of citrus. For instance, where Britain’s selection of sweet peeling citrus stretches to mandarins, ‘easy peelers’ or Satsumas, in Japan there are hundreds of varieties of ‘mikan’ or mandarin varying in fragrance, sweetness, juiciness, thinness of peel, colour, acidity and bitterness and all named for the consumer to choose which best suits their purpose.

Jane started a preserves business in Cumbria over 25 years ago, to complement a small B&B and a tearoom.

The aim was to use foraged plants and local fruit which would otherwise go to waste and initially her mum made the marmalade to her mother’s recipe.

Jane said: “My nana made marmalade annually: 2lbs Seville oranges, 1 orange, 1 lemon, twice the weight in sugar and water, cut up the raw fruit and soak the peels overnight with the pith and pips in a muslin bag. Bit of a faff, but you get a lovely clear marmalade.

“I started experimenting with different flavour combinations and after a few years started to enter the Dalemain World Marmalade Awards.

“I won the best-in-show Double Gold twice and after those two wins I was invited to become a judge of the artisan marmalades.

“Every year there are about two thousand entries to the competition from all over the world. Around half the entries come from Japan and Taiwan.

“I have been judging for 12 years now and three years ago, on the retirement of the food writer Dan Lepard, I became chief judge and the adventure continues.

In May each year Jane is honoured to be invited to Japan to judge at their national competition.

“Again there are around two thousand entries and it is a beautiful education in the seemingly infinite range of citrus and its combination with other fruit, vegetables, fungi, alcohol, tea to make marmalade.

“Give 20 people a kilo of Seville oranges, sugar, water and maybe some lemon juice and you will get 20 quite different marmalades. The magic that happens when you combine those simple ingredients, the citrus tang, that balance of sweet, sour and bitter is a wonder of nature and chemistry and is what I really love about marmalade.”

Now living in Woonton near Kington, Jane is retired and has just become a director at the Open Arms Community Hub at the Oxford Arms, Kington and helps out at Kington Country Market on a Friday

The bitter orange, actually a hybrid of a pomelo and a mandarin, originated in China and reached Europe via North Africa with the spice trail and Arab migration into Spain.

The word marmalade comes originally from the Greek melimelon (quince) and is used in Portugal to describe a quince paste in Spain its membrillo.

The first orange marmalades in Britain were of a similar consistency and were eaten to settle the digestion after sumptuous fat-laden dinners.

The Portuguese introduced a sweet orange which gained popularity across Europe but the Brits clung onto the bitter Seville for our traditional breakfast preserve.

The Scots were the first to use marmalade for breakfast and it really took off across Britain.

If you are a marvellous marmalade maker head to Kington for Saturday, April 11 and pitch your preserves against the best in the area.

There are categories for 100 per cent Seville, mixed citrus and an under 14’s class for the first tome and exciting culinary prizes will be available.

Jane said: “The standard of homemade marmalade-making in Kington and the Borders is very high. It compares very favourably with marmalades at the top competitions.

“Therefore I'm hoping for lots and lots of lovely entries to judge, more than we've had in the last years if possible. They are all so delicious it is a pleasure to taste them.

“People shouldn't be reticent about entering. It doesn't have to be a jar made especially for the competition: a jar of your normal marmalade is all it takes.”

Pick up an entry form from The Grape Vine in Kington High Street or Bees Knees Cookshop on Church Street or email [email protected].

Entry forms and marmalade must be handed in at the Grapevine or Bees Knees by 5pm on Thursday, April 9.