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My intuition had led me to a place called the Isles of Scilly, an archipelago of semi-tropical islands just 40 miles South West of the Cornish coast. The question of testing the validity of the technique I had developed began to occupy my mind.  When I composed a trial that would compare a group of 100 of my students following their intuitions, with a control group just following their usual rational and logical thought processes, I realised that I would need a computer to keep track.

 

In those days there was no such thing as personal computers. Most computers were housed at universities and needed a whole room and air conditioning to function. Computer time by phone was very expensive and when I costed out the time involved I was going to need at least ?50,000. Well I didn?t have that to hand so I explored the possibility of getting a grant. Then I asked my intuition, and to my total surprise it responded, make marmalade.

 

I had never contemplated making marmalade or any other product commercially before. Some years previous to this I had noticed that my favourite marmalade, Rose?s Lime marmalade had lost it?s sharp, fruity flavour and had become unpleasantly bitter. When I looked at the label, they had changed the recipe from just limes and sugar to sugar, lime oil, pectin and fruit acid. No wonder it had tasted bitter. By not squeezing the whole lime and using the juice and fruit and shredded skin, but just pressing the oil out of the skin that was the source of the bitterness.

 

If you don?t use the juice, pulp, and skin of the fresh fruit, not only do you lose the original flavour but you also lose the jellying effect of the naturally occurring pectin present in citrus fruits. So in order to get the marmalade or jam to jell you have to add commercial pectin usually derived from apple pips, which have no flavour. So fruit acid then has to be added, which as it is not derived from the original fruit does little to improve the flavour. That?s why most of the jams, jellies and marmalades that you buy today have as much flavour as sweetened turnip! Even ?home made? jams, jellies and marmalades on sale in health food and gourmet stores are much too sweet and do not have the ?bite? and flavour that they used to have when there was more fruit than sugar and no pectin or fruit acid added.

 

Well I decided not to argue with myself, but dutifully started to source oranges, sugar, jars, labels and all the other things that you need to make a product. It was my conscious intention just to make a few pounds and run a short market test to see if there was a demand. My intuition had something else in mind however. It was not long before I realised that my intuition was leading me to make a superb product that outstripped any other marmalade on the market for flavour, colour and ease of manufacture.

 

By then instead of making just those few pounds, I was working full speed about sixteen hours a day until my hands bled with the constant cutting of the oranges and lemons. The cases of finished product were stacked around the periphery of the rooms in my flat in case the joists wouldn?t take the weight.

 

Then the Seville orange season finished in March and the manufacturing came to an end. I should explain that traditionally, British marmalade is made from a very tart orange grown exclusively in Seville, Spain from late December to the end of March. It is so bitter that it is uneatable except with a lot of sugar. The British like it, because we are in the habit of eating very fat, substantial breakfasts of bacon, fried eggs, sausages, and fried bread, etcetera. Marmalade spread on hot buttered toast cuts the fatty taste and clears the palate for that last memorable cup of coffee.

 

I had become a little concerned as I had invested every penny that I had and there was no indication from my little inner voice that I should start selling any. What would happen if I were unable to sell it? Oh well, it would be a great gift for friends and relatives and would keep me supplied with marmalade for the rest of my life!

 

I had mentioned my concerns to my friends, some of whom had been top executives or business consultants before they had retired to the Islands. When they asked me what the price of the finished product was going to be, they all howled with laughter, and predicted a total disaster. You will never sell marmalade at that price and were unanimous that it would never sell on the islands. Well I am glad to say they were all wrong. The marmalade sat in my flat until a few days before the Easter holidays. Then my intuition told me to take a couple of jars down to Tregarthen?s hotel and give it to the manager to try.

 

My intuition had helped me find a very old recipe for a rich, extravagantly made marmalade and provoked me to add a healthy dollop of Harvey? Bristol Cream Sherry to one and Courvoisier brandy to the other.

 

Now, traditionally, if any liquor is added to marmalade it is Scotch Whiskey. Probably because marmalade was first made in Scotland. For my taste it was too harsh and bitter although I know many people love it. Because I used a lot of fruit in my product it set very well and there was no need to add pectin or any other thickening agent or flavourings. The sugar I was using was also rich tasting as it came from Demerara in the East Indies.