A pressure cooker cuts down on the cooking time for the oranges, but remember the pressure gauge and lid are only used for cooking the fruit. After the first stage, the cut-up fruit and sugar are boiled for a set in the uncovered pan.

Scrub the fruit and pick off the small disc at the stalk end. Remove the trivet and place the whole oranges in the pressure cooker base. Add 2 pints (1.1 litres) of the water and cover with the cooker lid. Bring to High (15 lb) pressure and hold for 20 minutes, then slowly reduce pressure.

Using a perforated spoon, transfer softened oranges to a mixing bowl. Reserve the cooking liquid. When cool enough to handle, cut fruit in half, scoop out the pith, pulp and pips and put into a separate saucepan. Add the remaining 1 pint (600ml) water and simmer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, chop softened peel either coarsely or finely, according to texture liked.

Add the chopped peel to the reserved cooking liquid in the pressure cooker base. Strain the liquid from the pith and pips into the cooker and add the sugar, lemon juice and treacle, if using it. Stir over low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and boil rapidly for about 15 minutes. Draw off the heat and test for a set. Skim the surface. Allow to cool for 15 minutes, then stir once and pour into warmed, dry jars. Cover and seal.

Scrub the oranges and pick off the small disc at the stalk end. Put whole or frozen oranges into a large saucepan with 4 pints (2.4 litres) of the water. Cover with a pan lid and simmer gently for 2 hours until oranges are quite soft test with a sharp knife.

Using a perforated spoon, transfer softened oranges to a mixing bowl. Reserve the cooking liquid. When cool enough to handle, cut fruit in half, scoop out pith and pulp with pips and put into a separate saucepan. Add the remaining 1/2 pint (300ml) water and simmer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, coarsely or finely chop softened orange peel according to texture liked. Alternatively, pass the cooked peel through a mincer which results in even-sized, very finely chopped peel. (A blender or food processor may chop the peel too finely.)

Add the cut peel to the reserved cooking liquid. Strain the liquid from the pith and pips into the pan and add the sugar and lemon juice. Stir over low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and boil rapidly for about 15 minutes. Draw off the heat and test for a set. Skim the surface. Allow to cool for 15-20 minutes, then stir once and pour into warmed, dry jars. Cover and seal.

Variation Dark chunky marmalade: Add 1 tablespoon black treacle (for bitter flavour) along with the sugar. If you like, a proportion of brown sugar can be used. Replace not more than one quarter of the total amount of sugar with brown sugar. It froths and causes a lot of scum. Cut the peel coarsely, to go with a bitter flavour.

Pectin is found in pith, pulp and pips of citrus fruits (bitter oranges have plenty), so it’s very important that the trimmed pith should be chopped for better extraction and tied in a loose muslin bag (so water circulates) together with pips and added to the pan. Simmering extracts pectin. After simmering, squeeze bag between two dinner plates over the pan to extract all the juice.

Fast boiling is the secret of a good flavour and set. Test marmalade after 15 minutes and then every 5 minutes after that. Draw the pan off the heat before you test it will do no harm at all.

Don’t pot marmalade straight away unless you marmalade to cool for about 20 minutes when a skin will form on the surface. Stir once and the peel will hang suspended in the jelly, then pour into jars.

Cover marmalade with waxed discs and a clean cloth when hot. Seal with Cellophane covers when cold to reduce risk of condensation which encourages mould.

Use the whole fruit method to make a chunky marmalade. Oranges can be boiled whole and chopped after cooking. This is also the method to use with frozen oranges€”no need to thaw.

For an improved flavour in any orange marmalade recipe, coarsely crush 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, tie in a muslin bag and suspend in the pot with the simmering oranges or peel. The flavour is deliciously aromatic. Discard the muslin hag before adding the sugar to the recipe.

Pick over the cranberries and discard any bruised or soft berries. Put them into a saucepan together with the grated orange rind. Add enough water to the juice of the orange to make 1/2 pint (300ml) and add to the pan. Slowly bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. The cranberries will pop and the mixture will cook to a thick pulp.

Press cranberries and juice through a nylon sieve. Return the purée to the rinsed saucepan and add the sugar. Stir over low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour into warmed jars and leave until completely cool. Cover and store in a cool place. This preserve keeps for 1 month. Cranberries have a delicious flavour and are popular in America where this recipe originates. Serve with roast turkey or ham.

Quinces turn yellow when ready for picking and can be quite difficult to see in a tree with yellow autumn leaves. They are as hard as wood but quickly turn to pulp like cooking apples, and they make a pink jelly that has a sharp flavour.

Coarsely chop the quinces and put them into a preserving pan. Add 4 pints (2.4 litres) of the water and the lemon juice. Simmer gently for about 1 hour until fruit is very soft. As quinces soften, squash them with the back of a wooden spoon (extracts pectin).

Ladle fruit and juices into a scalded jelly bag and leave fruit to drip for 30 minutes. Then remove pulp from the bag and return to the rinsed pan along with the remaining 2 pints (1.1 litres) water. (Quinces are so high in pectin that pulp can be reboiled for a second extraction.) Simmer for 30 minutes, then ladle back into the jelly bag for a second straining.

Measure all the strained juice into the rinsed preserving pan and for every 1 pint (600ml) juice add 1 lb (450g) granulated sugar. Stir over low heat until sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and boil rapidly for 10 minutes. Draw off the heat and test for a set. Skim the surface. Pour into warmed jelly jars and cover. Add a spoonful of quince jelly to any cooked apple mixture to sweeten and flavour, or serve it with roast pork or game.

Take a teaspoon of the liquid in the pan and put it in a teacup. Let it cool for a moment, then add 3 teaspoons methylated spirit and shake gently together. If the juice forms a single clot the preserve will set perfectly. Several small clots means the mixture needs a little longer simmering to get a more concentrated juice. Discard test sample.

To the unsuspecting, rowan jelly will taste very astringent it’s a jelly that is traditionally served with venison and other game. The pretty clusters of rowan-berries are best picked in late autumn when they have full colour. They need some crab-apples or sour cooking apples to get a good set.

Trim stalks from rowan-berries and coarsely chop the apples, discarding any damaged parts. Put the fruit into a preserving pan and add the water (should be sufficient to cover). Simmer gently for about 1 hour until soft. As fruit softens, stir occasionally and mash fruit with the hack of a wooden spoon (extracts pectin).

Ladle the softened fruit and juices into a scalded jelly bag and leave fruit to drip for several hours. Measure strained juice into the rinsed preserving pan and for every 1 pint (600ml) juice add 1 lb (450g) granulated sugar. Stir over low heat until sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and boil rapidly for about 10 minutes. Draw off the heat and test for a set. Skim the surface. Pour into warmed jelly jars and cover.

Coarsely chop the apples, discarding any damaged parts, and put them into a preserving pan. Add the water and a small bunch of herbs tied together. Simmer gently for 1 hour until fruit is very soft. As apples soften, stir and mash well to reduce them to a pulp. Add the vinegar and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Ladle softened fruit and juices into a scalded jelly bag and leave fruit to drip for several hours. Measure strained juice into the rinsed preserving pan and for every 1 pint (600ml) juice add 1 lb (450g) granulated sugar. Stir over low heat until sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and boil rapidly for about 10 minutes. Draw off the heat and test for a set. Skim the surface. Add the chopped herb and allow jelly to cool for 5-10 minutes, or until a skin forms on the surface. Stir once, then pour into warmed jelly jars and cover. You will find mint jelly goes well with lamb, thyme jelly with chicken, sage jelly with pork and parsley jelly with ham.. The vinegar produces a delicious sweet-sour flavour.

Coarsely chop the apples, discarding any damaged parts. Put into a preserving pan and add the water (should be just enough to cover) and pared lemon rind or cloves. Simmer gently for about 1 hour until quite soft. As fruit softens, stir occasionally and crush the fruit with the back of a wooden spoon (extracts pectin).

Ladle the softened fruit and juices into a scalded jelly bag and leave the fruit to drip for several hours. Measure strained juice into the rinsed preserving pan and for every 1 pint (600ml) juice add 1 lb (450g) granulated sugar. Stir over low heat until sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and boil rapidly for about 10 minutes. Draw off the heat and test for a set. Skim the surface. Pour into warmed jelly jars and cover.

Variations Crab-apple jelly: Use 41b (1.8kg) coarsely chopped crab-apples, leaving small ones whole. Pot quickly as crab-apple jelly sets very fast. Crab-apples produce a pretty pink jelly.

Redcurrant and raspberry jelly: Use 2 lb (900g) raspberries and 2 lb (900g) redcurrants and omit the lemon (or cloves). These two fruits make a good partnership you get a marvellous colour from the raspberries and a good set from the redcurrants.

Peel, core and slice the apples into a saucepan. Add half the water and cook gently until soft. Put the blackberries into a preserving pan, add remaining water and simmer gently until tender. If a seedless jam is liked, press the blackberries through a nylon sieve and return to the rinsed pan.

Add the apples and sugar to the blackberries and stir over low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and boil rapidly for about 15 minutes. Draw off the heat and test for a set. Skim the surface. Pour into warmed jars and cover.