February. 2nnq Seville oranges in the shops signal that it's the time of year for the making of marmalade, a curiously


British concoction but whose name is widely accepted to come from the Portuguese term for preserved quince, or mamielo. Mamialade maker GILLIAN WHALIEV - just about to start on her annual task with


quite a few pounds of oranges, plus grapefhiits, lemons and limes - looks at the history of this particular and popular product - which even has its own festival this month.


tifully feline marmalade cat, orange with a few white stripes. Wc christened her Oxford


v ^ t ' r : / N A • ?5^SaS^ ■ S i


Seville oranges make a bright splash of colour in the kitchen as they await assembly into that most English of breakfast foods, marmalade.


th e ____ - - r r : . * E . - s ■/;;<•/'.•- • *a-'^ \ ■


as sliort for Oxford Orange Marmalade, just one of the many brands of the break­ fast preserve the English have always loved on toast... and she went on to produce some little ‘pots’ of her own - not all ‘marmalade’ how- ever!


And it’s pots of the home­


made fruit marmalade - thick or thin cut, richly dark or attractively light, three- fruit or just Seville - which


Toasting marmalade W


E once had a cat called Oxford. She was a beau­


also have much variety and always tend to sell well at local fairs and functions. Commercial


pots are also dis­ tinctive on super­ market shelves - Robertsons, Dundee, Tiptree, Keiller - and it is said that


Scotswoman Janet Keiller invented the marmalade as we know it today. The story goes


that she made the first batch at her home in Dundee in the 1790s after being faced with a pile of the bitter Seville oranges and dealing with them by cooking


• them with sugar : for several hours. Whatever the


Thursday 19th February APPALACHIAN MAGIC


An evening of Appalachian music S dance witii Debby McClaUiy &


Uncle Henryts Favourites. 7.30pm £11/£10


Also Appalachian Dance


Woritshop Friday 20th Febniaty FREE


Friday 61h March THE SWING


COMMANDERS


Forties and Western Swing


8pm£11/£10 Friday 20th March AN EVENING WITH


BLOWERS... Commentator


Henry Blofeid returns


with a brand new show 7.30pm £12.50


Friday 27th February


SWARB’S LAZARUS


Kevin Dempsey &


Maartin Alcock play traditional English Music


8pm £14 / £13 ;


Friday 13th March CRAOBH RUA


Traditional Irish Music for St Patrick’s Day 8pm £12/£10


Saturday 21st March HSK0UG»T0N WEAVBIS


Lancashire folk with gentle comedy 7.30pm £11/£10


Saturday 28th February


RUBY TURNER One of the UK's finest soul


singers 8pm £15


Saturday 14th March THE HAMSTERS PLAY


JIM I HENDRIX & ZZTOP


Standing concert with limited seating


8pmE12/£11


Saturday 28th March TIPITINA


Top quality New Orleans Jazz


. 8pm £11/£10


Ticket now available from Lancaster & Morecambe TIG & Robinson's Newsagent - Lancaster University


BOX OFFICE 01524 582803 /


R E T R E A T & ' S P A R K L E CalL01995 605162


, www.brooklandsnetreatcoiuk '


i facts, the Keiller family went on to build the first mar­ malade factoiy in 1797, making Dundee known as the ‘home of marmalade’ and there is now just one large-scale producer re­ maining in the city.


other kind of fruit


must be called‘jam’ - so, as someone has said “where this leaves chefs’ inven­


tions such as‘onion marmalade’ and


‘chilli jam’opens up a whole new de­ bate”!


Last Sunday, The


World’s Original Marmalade Festi­ val opened its Mar­ malade Day and competition at Dalemain, near Penrith in Cum­ bria.


Visitors experi­


enced the delights of marmalade from all over the world and were able to view the mar­ malade competi­ tion which was on display throughout the house. Tliey could taste last year’s winning


Ribchester artist Andrew Procter caught the essence of marmalade making in this print, test which aims to


bought at last year's Ribchester Festival o f Music, promote what is an essential part of a


. But the really early histo- ryofmarmaladecanbe traced back to Henry VIII ’ who, in 1524, was said to


have received a ‘box of mar­ malade’-probably the quince sweetmeat or paste ‘marmelada’ which was a favourite of the Portuguese. And it was this sticky sub­


stance which was also reput­ ed to have helped Mary


Queen of Scots deal with a


bout of seasickness while sailing from France to Scot­ land. ,


Also in those far off days,


marmalade was an excellent way of providing vitamins when fresh fruit was not available. Tlie British used it to help prevent scurvy and


other illnesses on board merchant vessels and Men of War.


: Nowadays, the styles and results of marmalade mak­ ing have come to differ widely with recipes also


All the ingredients ready to go. GiftVouchers BROOKLANDS . . COUNTRY RETREAT S HEALTH SPA Beautifully packaged,' ' ■ ... ■ -


. Brooklands .Retreat & Spa ^ ' day vouchers oi: monetary; ■


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varying hugely as family ' methods inherited fr-om mothers and grandmothers over the years are used and adapted.


Apples used to be part of the mix, included for their


natural pectin, but now a total recipe of citrus fruits should only be used be­ cause, under European law, the word ‘marmalade’ can only be applied to fruit pre­ serves made with these. A product made with any


traditional English


breakfast and to recognise the many different varieties and tastes of marmalade. Organisers say: “We hope


to encourage people to con­ tinue to practise traditional marmalade-making skills and, by introducing a cate­ gory for Bed and Breakfast and Hotel Marmalade, to include the tourist industry. “We hope to guide mar­ malade lovers to find and


enjoy the best on the mar­ ket.”


O ’


t o O T O l l T K f l O


to By ANTHONY COPPIN A 1 / \ wet winters, this year


ofa shock to the system. - Hie frost came early, with a particularly cold Novem­ ber, and the trend contin­ ued. The good news is this kind of prolonged frost • slows the spread of weeds and, even more so, pests and diseases...... ’ j The wintry weather may


. Ahas been something-


not be over yet, but there - arc jobs we can’t put off any longer, so wrap up warm, dust off your tools and get out in the garden. A good place to start is


the pruning left over from autumn. If you held back from cutting grasses and perennials, leaving them to. provide winter interest . (and ifyou didn’t, you missed out, on many cold mornings they looked fabu­ lous draped in frost), then now is the time to cut many of them back.


.


' There arc shrubs to prune in February too. Budleya, Comus and Sam- bucuscanallbcstooled,a method that involves cut­ ting the plants hard back to about a foot above ground level. In the case of Cornus, this encourages new vi­ brant stems, and prevents Sambucus and Budleya be­ coming tall and straggly. Deciduous hedges can be pruned now, as can . ' climbers such as Clematis, - Virginia Creeper and Wis- - . teria. ; Do be careful when prun­ ing and, whatever you'do, don’t prune spring flower- ' ing shrubs such as Forsy th- ia or flowering currants. If ’ ' you do, you’ll lose this year’s flowers.:: Wait until flowering is :


over and use a method ■ - called renewal pruning : v which involves cutting one in three stems to ground ' . ■ level (cut away the oldest stems). This way plants re- • - main vigorous, healthy and. ■ uncongested. If you’re in ■ ■


: any doubt as to when or. ! how hard to prune, come ;


Gardening A ETER years of mild,:


By ANTHONY COPPIN


s the winter chill continues, the RSPCA is urging people to take special care of their animals and keep a close eye on their gar­


den visitors. The call comes after a cow sadly drowned after falling into a dewpond in Susse.v, and a dog was rescued after falling into an icy pond in Cambridge. RSPCA wildlife centres caring for hedgehogs


are also appealing for extra donations of hedge­ hog bedding because it is currently too cold to re­ lease the undersized animals back into the wild. The many underweight hedgehogs that are


being cared for will now have to remain in the charity’s care until the cold snap passes. The charity has the following tips to make sure


animals don’t suffer through the cold snap: Dogs with thin or sparse coats, who arc very


young or old may benefit from a coat when out ex­ ercising. Two or three shorter walks may be en­


joyed more than one long expedition. Forsafety, keep dogs well away from ponds and lakes that are iced over. Cats must always able to find suitable warmth-


' I


Marigolds and Sweet Peas. For those of you growing


your own fruit and vegeta­ bles, February can be a busy month, with seeds to sow and beds to prepare. If you don’t do anything else, get out and buy your seed potatoes because, with home-grown produce be­ coming more popular, seed potatoes sell quickly. Once you have your


%CHRISTAYL0R of Barton Grange


and ask us in the garden centre -we’ll be happy to help. I know it’s not a pleasant


Job in the cold, but if the ground isn’t frozen or too wet, have a good weed


■ through the borders as it will save a lot of time later. Add a mulch after you’ve weeded (even if you added one in the autumn, you can top it up) - plenty of organic matter really is the key to a healthy garden. If you wanted to change


around your borders, but didn’t get around to it in the autumn, there is still plenty of time. After rear-


. ranging you may find gaps to be filled. Lucidly now is a great time to buy the dry:


: bulbs, conns and rliizomes. .


spuds, the first thing to do is chit them - this involves placing them in a light, cool place and waiting for small hard shoots to develop, which normally takes around six weeks. While you are waiting, prepare the potato bed by giving it a really good dig over and adding lots of organic mat­ ter.


Now is a good time to feed


fruit trees, bushes and strawberry beds. Pick a granular or slow release food that is high in potash, as it’s potash the plant uses to build flowers and subse­ quently build fruit. Ifyou arc itching to get


some crops started, then peas, onions, broad beans : and carrots can ail be start­ ed in February.


of lots of interesting peren­ nials, which is more eco- ' nomical than buying potted growing plants later in the year. ; Ifyou have a heated area inyourgrccnhousc,youcan : start sowing some summer bedding, if not hang fire until things warm up. But ' even if you have no green-. house at all you can sow hardy summer annuals like


R E T R E A T & S P A R K L E Call 01995 605162 >


vwvw.brooklandsretreatco.uk


: Working outside in Feb- ■ ruary can be a little un­ pleasant, but jobs done now will save lots of time later in thesummer. A bit of leg work now will


give you more time to sit back and eqjoy the bcauti- ' fill summer we are most' definitely due.........


• Our featured plants this : month arc evergreen peren-


' nials including lovely Helle­ bores which always manage to brave the winter weather and bloom miignificcntly.


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.. Beautifully, packaged,-; ■ ■ BrooWands-Retreat & Spa, .day vouchers',or monetary ;,\'ouchers, are. the. perfect gift for .somedne special;; -';


Introducing... s e r e A O i t y ;


and shelter, so make sure they are not shut outside for prolonged periods of time. Outdoor pets need plenty of bedding to snuggle


in for warmth and must be able to stay dry and draught free. Horses and ponies must always have access to shelter and will need plenty of fresh water and, in some cases, a rag or extra food. Fish ponds should be checked daily to ensure


the water has not frozen. If it has, place a saucepan o f hot water on the surface to gently melt the ice, or use one of the products available


" o ^ r "\ILu


I For all your garden esseniials throughout the year Em g t e i l k SM(S.


jp H m th ib®w m g © ^© d lg i s a g ’


February, 2009


R u r a l L i f e


P a g e 9 aniinals safe


from garden centres to maintain an air hole through which pond dwellers can breathe. Never smash the ice or pour boiling water directly into the pond as this can shock and kill fish. Farm animals need good sources of drinking


water and extra food available if necessaiy. If it is not possible to bring animals such as sheep inside, be extra vigilant to ensure none are stuck in snow and if possible keep them away from frozen water where the risk o f falling in is great. Hedgehogs hibernate between November and


mid to late March so you can help by leaving piles of leaves thatyou haven’t got round to raking up yet, as these are perfect places for nests. Birds need water to bathe in to keep their feath­


ers in tip-top condition to stay warm and diy - as well as to drink. Make sure you clean water bowls and top up with fresh water, as dirty bowls can be a major source of disease. Also, break any ice if the water has frozen over. Birds may have difficulty finding natural foods


such as berries, insects, seeds, worms and frait. Any alternative food you put out during these cold months will help birds survive until the spring. Birds love left-overs, such as crumbled bread, stale cake and biscuits, cheese, cooked rice, and frait. Nuts of all kinds are welcome but make sure they are not sweetened or salted, and put them in a strong birdfeeder. Badgers will sleep through much of the most se­


vere weather, however, they do not hibernate and will continue their nightly forays to enjoy worms and fruit. They will certainly enjoy food like lightly cooked meats, cheese, peanuts and frait when the ground is frozen. • Anyone who sees an animal in difficulty can contact the RSPCA on 03001234 999.


^Floral design by;."- Helen Cartmell 07834 895 679 'For all your floral requirements' j


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