Project 365 day 30: Oranges and Lemons

It's been a miserably wet day after a very disturbed night, so I found it hard to summon any motivation for anything this morning; but the Seville oranges were waiting, a wonderful splash of colour in the gloom, so I began my seasonal marmalade making, and the mindful absorption of shredding orange peel slowly raised my spirits. I've always loved preserving: in summer and autumn it brings the comforting reassurance of good things squirreled away for the cold days of winter, and making marmalade in January is part of the turning of the year, a reminder of bright days and flavours to come. I always love sowing seeds because they are so full of hope and promise . It's a gesture of faith in the future, and today I felt the same about filling the cupboards with more preserves - I surely wouldn't be doing this if I didn't trust that we will be here eating them through the coming year. Today I've tried simmering the peel in the slow cooker, the first time I've used this recipe, so I won't complete the marmalade until tomorrow: I'm looking forward to the magical moment when the drip gels on the edge of the spoon, and to the row of bright jars.