How to Make Orange Marmalade

I grew up making Orange Marmalade the old-fashioned way: soaking citrus overnight and boiling it rigorously to extract the natural pectin in the rind. When you follow my technique, you don’t need to add any store-bought pectin, and you get the best, cleanest-tasting marmalade.

Nearly 1,000 5-star reviews prove this unfussy technique is simple and easy to follow. I also include my handy “cold plate test” so you can know for sure whether your marmalade is done or needs a little bit more time on the stove.

Home cooks everywhere are putting their abundant citrus to use to make their own homemade marmalade, and now you can, too. This recipe makes about 3 quarts total, or 12 (8 ounce jars). It freezes beautifully or you can process it in a water bath for canning.

Marmalade Ingredients

At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.

• Oranges: This recipe is made with regular seedless oranges. You can definitely substitute Seville oranges if you can find them. They are only in season from the end of January to mid-February, but they have an intense flavor that is ideal for marmalade.

How to make Orange Marmalade

1. Using a sharp knife, cut oranges and lemons in half crosswise, then into very thin half-moon slices. Discard any seeds. In a large pot (stainless steel), add the sliced oranges, lemons, and any fruit juice.

2. Add water and bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring often. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar until it dissolves. Cover and let stand overnight at room temperature.

3. The next day, bring the mixture back to a boil in the pot or saucepan. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 2 hours. Turn heat up to medium and boil gently, stirring often, for another 30 minutes. Skim off any foam that forms on the top. Cook until it reaches 220 degrees on a candy thermometer (you must hit this temperature for the natural pectin to gel with the sugar).

4. To test if the marmalade is ready, place a small amount on a plate and refrigerate it until it’s cool but not cold. If it’s firm (neither runny nor hard), it’s ready. It will be a golden orange color. If it’s still runny, continue cooking it; if it’s hard, add a bit more water.

5. Pour or ladle the marmalade into clean hot mason jars (I use this wide-mouth jar funnel for this recipe and so many others). Wipe the rims thoroughly with a clean damp paper towel, and seal with the lids. Chill in the refrigerator. It may take 24-48 hours for the natural pectin to set up properly.

Orange Marmalade Recipe Variations

• Pectin: While many jam and jelly recipes require added pectin, you don’t need to add any here. Pectin is naturally concentrated in the pith of the orange (the bitter white part under the peel). This recipe coaxes out that natural pectin by letting the citrus soak overnight and then boiling it rapidly until enough water has evaporated that the mixture can reach 220 degrees.
• Agave nectar: Agave cannot penetrate and sweeten the peel as well as sugar can. When I tested it, the consistency was fine, but the rind tasted like raw rind. I don’t recommend this substitution.
• Low sugar: I haven’t tested low-sugar/alternative sweeteners in this recipe other than agave as listed above nor have I tweaked the amount of sugar in the recipe. I recommend seeking out recipes from experts in that area.
• Slow cooker: While it is technically possible to make marmalade in your slow cooker, it really depends on the power of your appliance. I no longer recommend that method because it isn’t reliable enough.
• Instant pot: Even with an overnight soak, the IP doesn’t break down the rind sufficiently. I don’t recommend this method.

Marmalade Recipe Tips

• Yield: This recipe makes about 3 quarts (96 ounces) of marmalade.
  • If using 1/2-pint (8 ounce) jars, you’ll need 12.
  • If using 1 pint (16 ounce) jars, you’ll need 6.
  • If using the tiny jelly jars (4 ounce), you’ll need 24.
• Cold-plate test: To test if your marmalade is ready, spoon some hot marmalade on to a small plate and put it in the freezer to chill, or spoon some over an icy cold plate fresh from the freezer. If the mixture wrinkles slightly when you draw a spoon or finger across it, it has reached the setting point and is ready to go! If not, keep boiling and make sure the temperature reaches 220 degrees.
• Set-up time: Orange marmalade takes 24-48 hours for the natural pectin to set up completely. If it’s is still a little runny looking when it cools, check again in a day or two.

Storing and Canning Orange Marmalade

Storage: Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Freezer: Pack in freezer-safe containers or jars leaving 1/2-inch of headspace for expansion. Label, date, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Canning: If putting up for storage, use a hot water or steam canner with a rack to properly seal lids on canning jars according to canning instructions. Otherwise, refrigerate and use within the month. Or, freeze for up to 3 months.

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Orange Marmalade

By Meggan Hill

This Orange Marmalade recipe is made with ordinary oranges and lemons, and it’s as unfussy as it is delicious. It follows the "old fashioned" technique of sitting in a pot overnight, and every spoonful will make your morning toast sparkle.

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 3 hours hrs

Overnight soak 8 hours hrs

Total Time 11 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Servings 96 servings (2 tbsp each)

Course Pantry

Cuisine British

Calories 68

4.98 from 925 votes

ReviewPrint

Equipment

• large stainless steel pot
• Mason jars
• Jar funnel (for wide mouth jars)

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

• ▢ 4 large seedless oranges scrubbed clean (about 3 pounds or 8 cups slices, see note 1)
• ▢ 2 lemons (about ½ pound or 1 cup slices)
• ▢ 8 cups water
• ▢ 8 cups granulated sugar

Instructions 

• Cut oranges and lemons in half crosswise, then into very thin half-moon slices. Discard any seeds. In a large stainless steel pot, add the sliced oranges, lemons, and any accumulated juices.
• Add water and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar until it dissolves. Cover and let stand overnight at room temperature.
• The next day, bring the mixture back to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 2 hours. Turn heat up to medium and boil gently, stirring often, for another 30 minutes.
• Skim off any foam that forms on the top. Cook the marmalade until it reaches 220 degrees (you must hit this temperature for the natural pectin to gel with the sugar).
• To test if the marmalade is ready, place a small amount on a plate and refrigerate it until it's cool but not cold (see note 4). If it's firm (neither runny nor hard), it's ready. It will be a golden orange color. If the marmalade is runny, continue cooking it; if it's hard, add a bit more water.
• Pour the marmalade into clean hot mason jars; wipe the rims thoroughly with a clean damp paper towel, and seal with the lids. Chill in the refrigerator. It may take 24-48 hours for the natural pectin to set up properly.

Recipe Video

Notes

1. Oranges: This recipe is made with regular seedless oranges. You can definitely substitute Seville oranges if you can find them. They are only in season from the end of January to mid-February, but they have an intense flavor that is ideal for marmalade.
2. Yield: This recipe makes about 3 quarts (96 ounces) of marmalade.
   • If using 1/2-pint (8 ounce) jars, you’ll need 12.
   • If using 1 pint (16 ounce) jars, you’ll need 6.
   • If using the tiny jelly jars (4 ounce), you’ll need 24.
3. Storage: Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
4. Cold-plate test: To test if your marmalade is ready, spoon some hot marmalade on to a plate and put it in the freezer to chill, or spoon some over an icy cold plate fresh from the freezer. If the mixture wrinkles slightly when you draw a spoon or finger across it, it has reached the setting point and is ready to go! If not, keep boiling and make sure the temperature reaches 220 degrees.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tbspCalories: 68kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 1mgPotassium: 13mgFiber: 1gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 13IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 4mgIron: 1mg

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