Topic summary
Janet Keiller
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Keiller's marmalade.
History
In the 1760s, Keiller ran a small confectionery shop producing jams in Seagate, Dundee. Janet Keiller's main modification to the recipe in 1797 may have been the addition of thin strips of orange rind, creating peel or "chip" marmalade. The peel was thought to aid digestion, but the pith and much of the fiber was discarded. The consistency was also changed, from its former solid form (akin to quince jelly), to a spreadable semi-liquid form, and only at this point did it begin to be placed on toast (especially morning toast). The shipload was probably no more than some boxes, particularly of Seville oranges, which were used medicinally and in a few recipes but not really consumed fresh as a fruit. The name "marmalade" originates from the Portuguese word "marmelo" or quince, the fruit which made up the preserve with thin bits of peel. Seville orange marmalades contain peel to this day.