Making your own marmalade at home with just citrus, water, and sugar can easily be done over the course of two days. The marmalade can either be canned for shelf stability or placed in the fridge and enjoyed within a couple of months.
Winter is prime time for citrus and the perfect opportunity to bottle up that bright and sunny flavor in a batch of marmalade! I love a blood orange marmalade but I’ve also made ones with grapefruit and Meyer lemon. The first time I went through the long process of making marmalade, I thought I’d never do it again until I tasted it. It’s sweet, tart, and just a tad bitter with a nice bit of texture from the peels. It’s the perfect remedy to the cold, bitter days of winter!
Notes on Timing
Since marmalade is a bit of a process, it’s definitely a good activity for blustery, cold days. My marmalade making process is spread out over 2 days, but they don’t necessarily have to be 2 consecutive days as long as you don’t wait longer than a week in between each day.
- DAY ONE: you’ll remove and finely chop the peel of your fruit, then squeeze every last bit of juice out of them. You’ll simmer the juice, peels, and a bit of water for a bit, then you’ll park this mixture in the fridge overnight. The resting phase allows the peels to break down a bit and reduces the bitterness that can put some people off.
- DAY TWO: you’ll add some sugar (and a bit of flavoring if you want) and make your marmalade. You can keep it simple and put your jars in the fridge, or, you can go the extra step and can your marmalade to extend its life and make it shelf stable. It’s really up to you.
Choosing Your Citrus
Based on the amounts in the recipe card, you can use any of the following: blood oranges, cara cara oranges, navel oranges, Meyer lemons, or regular lemons. Regardless of the citrus you choose, you still need 1 regular lemon as part of the marmalade making process.
Homemade Marmalade
- Total Time: 2 days
- Yield: 3 half pint jars 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Making your own marmalade at home with just citrus, water, and sugar can easily be done over the course of two days. The marmalade can either be canned for shelf stability or placed in the fridge and enjoyed within a couple of months.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds of blood oranges, cara cara oranges, navel oranges, Meyer lemons, or regular lemons
- 1 large regular lemon, cut in half
- 3 cups filtered water
- 2–4 cups granulated sugar
- sterilized jars & lids (you’ll need at least 3 or 4 half pint sized jars)
- (plus the 2.5 lbs of your chosen citrus & your flavoring)
Instructions
On the first day, scrub all of your citrus well. Using a vegetable peeler, carefully remove the peel from your chosen variety of citrus making sure not to get the white pith with it. It’s okay if you end up getting a bit of pith with the peels because you will be soaking everything overnight to help break it down. Once you have removed all of the peel, carefully slice it into thin strips, then add it to your jam pot. The best pots for jam-making are wide and relatively shallow.
Next, cut the citrus fruits in half and juice them, making sure to reserve the seeds and halves. Add the juice to the pot with the peels. Put the reserved seeds, the lemon halves, and 4 of the halves of your chosen citrus fruit into a few layers of cheesecloth (4 layers will do), then tie the bundle closed with a bit of twine. Add the bundle to your pot along with the water, then set it over medium high heat and bring it to a boil. Once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce it to a simmer (medium low) and cook it until the peels are soft. This should take between 30 and 45 minutes. When the peels are soft, remove the pot from the heat and allow it to cool a bit before covering it and placing it in the fridge to rest overnight.
On the second day, remove your jam pot from the fridge. Remove the cheesecloth bundle and set it aside in a bowl, then carefully measure out the contents of your jam pot in a large measuing cup. You will need to add ¾ cup of sugar for every cup of juice/peels you have. Add the sugar,the juice/peels, and your bundle of seeds back to the pot. At this point you can add your flavorings (the fresh ginger goes directly into the pot while the tea, lavender, or whole spices would go in a separate cheesecloth bundle to keep them out of the final product).
Return your jam pot to the stove over medium heat. You will need to cook the marmalade, stirring occasionally, while it reduces down. As it is cooking, it will produce a lot of foam on the surface which you will need to skim off with a spoon and discard. Cook the marmalade until it thickens and gels, which will take anywhere from 30 minutes to one hour. To test the gel of the marmalade, place a small amount on a plate and put it in the freezer for about a minute. After a minute check and see if it wrinkles when you nudge it. If it wrinkles, it’s ready. If it runs, it’s not ready and must be cooked longer.
Once the marmalade is ready, remove the cheesecloth bundle(s) with a pair of tongs, making sure to squeeze any of the excess marmalade out. If you wanted to use bourbon as a flavoring, now would be the time to stir it in. Discard the cheesecloth bundle, or compost it. Carefully fill your sterilized jars, then either process them in a water bath canner for 10 minutes, or let them cool a bit before placing them in the fridge. Canned marmalade that properly seals can be stored at room temperature and used within a year. If you skipped canning and placed your marmalade in the fridge, use it within a couple of months.
Notes
- All pictures in this post are of blood orange marmalade.
- Choose from the citrus listed in the recipe card as that is what the process and amount of sugar are designed for. Whatever citrus you choose, you will still need 1 large regular lemon!
- You can add any flavorings you like! Here are some great options: black tea or earl grey tea (about 1/4 cup), fresh ginger (1-2 tbsp freshly grated), lavender (1/2 to 1 tbsp dried), cardamom (2 tbsp crushed whole pods), cinnamon sticks (3 large sticks), or bourbon/whiskey (2 to 4 tbsp).
- You’ll need at least 3 or 4 half pint sized jars. If you are canning the marmalade, you’ll need to use new 2-piece lids designed for canning.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes
- Category: preserve
Courtney, I remember the first time I tasted blood oranges and I was hooked on them! Your Dad and I were in Italy! After reading this blog, I want some blood orange marmalade now! You have done it again!