Grapefruit Blinker Marmalade

A Blinker is a classic cocktail made with 2 ounces rye, 1 ounce grapefruit juice, and a teaspoon of grenadine. This marmalade is inspired by the cocktail and everything else that tastes good with grapefruit.

Ingredients

• 2 medium grapefruits
• 1 medium orange
• 1 lemon
• 4 cups raw sugar, divided
• 2 tablespoons chopped ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups water
• 4 ounces rye whiskey

Preparation

1. Juice the grapefruits and orange. Finely chop the rinds and combine with the juice in a large non-reactive soup pot.
2. Zest and juice the whole lemon. Add the lemon zest and juice, chopped ginger, salt, water, and two cups of sugar to the pot.
3. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring frequently, and cook for 10 minutes.
4. Remove the mixture from heat. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight.
5. Once the mixture has matured, add the remaining two cups of sugar and rye whiskey. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stir frequently to prevent the mixture from burning and continue to simmer until, using a candy thermometer, the mixture reaches  220 degrees Fahrenheit. If you have to increase the heat-level to reach the right temperature be sure to increase the frequency of your stirring as well.
6. Remove from heat, and ladle into sterilized half-pint canning jars, leaving 1/4-inch head space. Wipe rims, seal jars and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
7. Carefully remove the jars from the water bath and let cool for 24 hours. Test the seals then store in a cool, dark place until ready to use or serve.

Makes 4 half-pints