Orange Peel Jam

In Israel, conservation was de rigueur.  We had little, and the market was a hodge-podge of tents and corrugated metal enclosures carrying only the essentials.  What we had in abundance were local fruits and vegetables, and a driving desire to create a country.  Oranges were plentiful, and at times my grandmother would make a wonderful marmalade (called portakal receli in Turkish) with the discarded orange peels.  Smuckers has nothing on Grandma!

4 or 5 oranges with thick skins
5 cups sugar

Juice of 1 lemon

Preparation

With a thin grater, grate the oranges so that only the colored part of the skin is taken.  Put in a pot and cover with water, cook on low heat about 40 minutes.  In another pot, put the sugar with a little bit of water and cook until it melts.  Remove the pith from the oranges, and cut up the slices, add to the sugar mixture.  Also add the cooked grated peel and the juice of the lemon, and cook for another 45 minutes.  Put in a jar and let cool before serving.

A variation of the above method is to simply cut the orange peel, rather than grating it.  Then, follow