The citrus season is upon us here in our US winter. If you live in California or Florida, you are blessed with tons of fresh citrus, right? It's the perfect time to stock up on Homemade Orange Marmalade!
And the bonus of this recipe is that it is not bitter and it doesn't require added pectin.
How to prepare the oranges
The first step is the carefully remove the skin from the oranges. You want to only remove the skin and leave as much of the pith as possible. The pith is more bitter and less desirable.
After using the vegetable peeler to remove the peel, slice the peel lengthwise to create a julienned cut ... long, slender pieces of orange peel.
THE biggest tip ... takes the bitterness out of Homemade Orange Marmalade
I never thought I liked orange marmalade because there always seemed to be a bitter note to it. A few years ago, I needed to make candied orange peel ... for what, I don't remember! ... and I remember watching Jacques Pepin give some tips about the process. The biggest tip is to boil the peel twice before starting your candied orange peels or orange marmalade.
OK ... Moving beyond the peels!
Use a small paring knife and remove as much of the pith from the orange segments as possible. It's just too bitter to include, not to mention that it's just not appetizing.
There's no need to supreme the segments because there is a natural pectin in the membranes that will help set the jam. (To supreme the segments means that you cut the orange flesh from in between the membranes.)
Put the orange slices and julienned orange peels into a large pot. Add the sugar.
Cook it down for about 40 minutes or until it becomes like jelly.
The frozen plate test
After the marmalade has simmered, you can test to see if it is ready by spooning a bit onto a plate that has been in the freezer. If it runs a bit, then stops, it is done. If it doesn't stop, keep simmering it for about 10 minutes and retest.
When it's done, use a ladle and a jam funnel to spoon the marmalade into heated jam jars. Wipe the rims of the jars and place the lids and rings on. They should seal as they cool. You'll know they've sealed if you hear the lids popping or if they remain indented when you press them. If they don't seal, store the marmalade in the refrigerator. You'll end up with about five jars of Homemade Orange Marmalade.
How to serve Orange Marmalade
You can pile marmalade on biscuits, scones, or croissants. You can use it in a cake. It's delicious with cream cheese or Brie. You might even use it to make a sauce for meatballs or grilled chicken! It's literally sunshine in a jar! Especially on a gray wintery day, right?
Recipe
Homemade Orange Marmalade
Ingredients
- 4 medium navel oranges about 2 pounds
- 4 cups granulated sugar
- juice of one lemon
- ⅓ cup water
Instructions
- Use a vegetable peeler to remove a thin layer of orange rind from the oranges, then use a sharp knife to cut the orange rinds into thin strips. Cut each strip to be about 2-2½ inches long.
- Remove as much of the pith from the peeled oranges as possible, then slice the oranges. There's no need to remove all the membranes.
- To minimize the bitterness, put the strips of orange rind in a Dutch oven and cover them with water. Bring to a boil and boil them for 10 minutes. Drain the water, cover the strips with water again, and boil again for 10 minutes. Drain the water, leaving the strips of orange rind.
- Add the orange slices, sugar, lemon juice, and water to the Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low to simmer.
- Simmer the marmalade for 40 minutes stirring it occasionally to keep it from sticking. At the end of 40 minutes, it will look thicker, but it won't be as thick as it will be after it cools. To test whether it is ready or not, spoon a bit onto a plate that has been in the freezer. If it runs a bit, then stops, it is done. If it doesn't stop, keep simmering it for about 10 minutes and retest.
- Using a funnel and ladle, spoon the marmalade into heated jam jars. Wipe the rims of the jars and place the lids and rings on. They should seal as they cool. You'll know they've sealed if you hear the lids popping or if they remain indented when you press them. If they don't seal, store the marmalade in the refrigerator.
Scot
What type of oranges? I know Navel and Valencia have almost no natural pectin.
Tammy Circeo
Hmmm... this recipe is written for navel oranges and I've never had an issue with it setting up. I think that's because when making marmalade, you use the peels and there's plenty of pectin there. Also using the lemon juice contributes even more natural pectin. I hope you meet with success if you decide to try it.
Lena
Mine turned out with chewy chunks of orange in it, like candied orange… why did this happen and can I undo it?
Tammy Circeo
It will definitely have chunks of orange in it. If it is too chewy, perhaps you allowed it to boil too hard for too long. If you wanted to salvage this batch, you could add some more orange and sugar and cook it just a bit more, being sure to not thicken it too much. Test it using the frozen plate method described in the post.
Emily B
Sorry if I missed this, but how long is this best by if refrigerated? 2 weeks?
Tammy Circeo
Because of the high acidity and sugar content, this marmalade can last at least six months in the fridge. Always be sure to use fresh utensils when dipping it and be sure to not contaminate it with anything, such as butter that might spoil if left in the jar. As always, trust your instincts and your sense of smell. If it feels or smells off, it's common sense to not eat it!
Cindi
I made this the other day and it’s delicious! I did a 10 minute canning bath because I’m paranoid 😁. A friend just brought over some oranges from her tree, so I’ll be making more today!
Tammy Circeo
I'm so glad you made it and that you followed your own instincts with the water bath. You'll always hear me encouraging you to do your own thing in your own kitchen! How lucky are you to have a friend with an orange tree. Geeze, girl ... you're living large!
Sue
wax I grew up canning on farm mom used baby food jars and wax it maybe old school but never molded
Tammy Circeo
That is definitely the way that it was commonly done. I remember seeing wax for sale in the grocery stores!
DacyG
Without processing this, it is not safe for counter storage and needs to be in a fridge. This recipe does not follow safety guidelines. Anyone making this should store it in the fridge unless it is being process in a water bath or pressure canner
Tammy Circeo
Thanks for your comment. I agree that there are more risks in allowing the seals to seal without a water bath, but this is where you have to trust your methods and pivot if seals are not created. By pivoting, I mean to store in the fridge or the freezer. I've been making jams and jellies with this sealing method for many years and have never had any go bad or grow mold. The key is to get the hot jam into hot jars and put the seal on immediately. However, if you are uncomfortable using my method, please go ahead and do a water bath for 10 minutes.
Word for word, from the USDA's labs:
"Some other methods of sealing jars call for inverting a closed, filled jar of hot product for anywhere from thirty seconds to one hour. (Inverting is turning the filled jar upside down on its lid.)
While this inversion process can be successful in producing a sealed jar, it works best with very hot product. Individual variation in practicing this process or unexpected interruptions can result in delays between filling jars, getting lids screwed on, and inverting the jars. If the product cools down too much, the temperature of the product can become low enough to no longer be effective in sealing jars or preventing spoilage.
When the inversion process does work, the vacuum seals of filled jars still tend to be weaker than those produced by a short boiling water canning process. A weak seal is more likely to fail during storage.
In addition, the headspace of the jar may retain enough oxygen to allow some mold growth if airborne molds contaminated the surface of the product as the jar was filled and closed. More complete removal of oxygen from the headspace also offers some longer protection from undesirable color and flavor changes with some types of fruit products. The canning process is therefore a more foolproof method of making jams and jellies that will not spoil.
Also, although no cases of burning have been reported in the news media, experience has shown that some people will experience leaking of the hot product from the jar when it is turned over if the lid wasn't put on just right. If hot enough, someone could get burned. Even if it doesn't cause burns, leaking means product is lost."
Annette
I have never had marmalade go off. I seal it in sterilized hot jam jars. I haven't died yet. I've been making it for years. Thanks for the recipe will try it.
Tammy Circeo
I've never had issues with it going off either, but I know some people are fearful of not water bathing it. I also make my strawberry jam this way ... it's an old school way of doing things that I enjoy. Bon Appetit!
Rhonda
Thank you!!
Tammy Circeo
Quite welcome!