Pickled oranges
Yeah. It’s actually Christmas time. So no need to panic or anything. How is it here already? What happened to 2023? Who pushed the accelerator button on the year? WDK. But one thing we do know is it’s not too late to make these sweet, citrus pickles to go with your festive ham. Or to gift them so they’ll go with someone else's ham. (Or both. The recipe makes plenty to go around). A long-time Lazy Sunday fave, we don’t claim to have invented this recipe; it originally came from legendary Aussie chef Stephanie Alexander. We love the big, bright, boofy flavours and slightly old fashioned vibe, both of which seem so right for the smoky, salty goodness of baked ham. They’d also be terrific with sharp, crumbly cheddar if you’re not into ham; throw in some lovely cultured butter, a crusty baguette, a handful of leaves, and you’ve got an excellent lazy lunch on your hands.
In theory the pickles need to sit in the jar for a month to mature and the flavours to round out (the vinegar calms down somewhat), but we’ll allow a few weeks instead. Or however long it is until Christmas because we’re just generally confused about everything by this stage of the December game and running out of time all over the place. So get cracking. And get pickling. These are yum.
MAKES ABOUT 2.25 litres (9 CUPS)
1.5kg oranges (about 5-6 large navels)
2 tsp salt
750g white sugar
115g (⅓ cup) golden syrup
1.125 litres (4½ cup) white wine vinegar
4 large dried chillies
8 cardamom pods, crushed
6 cloves
3 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
Place the unpeeled oranges in a large saucepan in a single layer, then add the salt and enough cold water to cover. Weight the oranges down with a large pot lid so they remain submerged, then bring to the boil. Cover the pan, then simmer over medium heat for 45 minutes or until softened slightly. Drain the oranges, discarding the cooking liquid, and cool slightly.
Combine the remaining ingredients with 180ml (¾ cup) water in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cut each orange in half, then cut each half into thin wedges. Add the orange wedges to the pan with the pickling mixture, weighing it down with a pot lid or inverted plate to keep them submerged, then bring the liquid back to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low, then cook for 30 minutes or until the orange rinds are tender. Transfer the orange and liquid to hot, sterilised jars, then seal and cool. Leave a month before using to allow flavours to mellow.
