Citrus Marmalade Recipe (2024)

It is not necessary to separate the peel from the flesh. Instead, cut the fruit in quarters, remove stringy interior section and seeds, and then slice fruit.
Try using different kinds of oranges for delightfully different marmalades, or mix oranges and lemons.

As good as this recipe is, there's a much easier way to arrive at comparable results thanks to a wonderful English product, Robertson's Ma Made, a tin of concentrated Seville oranges. It produces 6 lbs of marmalade in about 20 minutes. The recipe on the can calls for 4 lbs of sugar, but for me the right amount is 3 lbs. I sometimes substitute lemon or lime juice for some of the water. Stored in screw-top Mason jars, Ma Made marmalade lasts for months and months. I buy it on Amazon.

If you have never tried kumquat in a marmalade, give it a try. Skin is softer so you don't need to soak as long. I always add grated fresh ginger to my marmalades.

Making (orange) Marmalade since the 50's!! Tradition says Seville oranges, but hard to find. G'ma's formula calls for 4-5 navel oranges and two lemons per size. I use about 50% of the sugar (personal taste) and have never needed pectin. Full 24Hr soak; rind and pith in a fine dice and the rest is about the same. Rarely make other jams due to seeds and jelly is too much work! (Stone fruit is for eating, no jam making!!) Jar sealing in a different subject... Think paraffin!

The first time I tried this recipe I followed the timing too assiduously and ended up with burnt orange candy. The next time I halved the recipe (two large navel oranges) and cut the rind much thinner—closer to 1/8”. After soaking for about 16 hours and cooking more slowly, I produced a fantastic marmalade! I used a pan with volume markings on the inside—extremely helpful if you have it. I wish a range of set temperatures was given. I will start checking for set sooner in future attempts.

Last winter I made a similar marmalade recipe, including navels, Meyer lemons, blood oranges, and two grapefruits. I also added a vanilla bean, Aleppo pepper, and candied ginger. The results were to die for! I look forward to making this recipe again in mid-winter when my fruit ripens.

Word of caution for any beginners like me: I followed tje directions to theletter and ended up with a substance so hard I couldn’t get it out of the jars. After research I now understand that you really do need a candy thermometer and that it needs to heat to 217-222 degrees. Anything higher won’t be edible. Back to try this again.

I made this with grapefruit and it was inedible. The pith made it so bitter it gave me goosebumps and the grapefruit lovers in my life wouldn’t take it off my hands after a taste test. I’ve checked out other recipes for marmalade on the Internet and there seems to be a debate about whether or not to use the pith. Next time I’m definitely NOT using the pith, and instead just removing the zest with a vegetable peeler.

This marmalade is amazing! I use 50% more fruit to make a bigger portion but the same amount of sugar as stated in this recipe. The result is tangy and not to sweet. I also adjust Step 7 and do not cook it down until most of the liquid evaporates because I want more jelly with the fruit. I use a combination of grapefruit, lemons and clementines/mandarins depending on what's available that is organic. I also put the seeds in a spice bag and cook with the fruit to add more pectin.

Grapefruit is particularly marmalade-friendly and marmalade is a good way to use up damaged grapefruit, which tend to split when they fall off the tree. I use a vegetable peeler to remove the zest and chop it in a food processor. Adding chopped ginger is a good suggestion!

If you can find seville oranges it is worth it. I have made this with all sorts of combinations of citrus and seville oranges are the best.

People who reduce the amount of sugar should be careful. I know that sugar is considered “evil,” but in jams and jellies it is acting as a preservative by inhibiting microbial activity.

In my experience lemons darken very easily. Save the lemons for lemon curd and make marmalade with grapefruit, oranges, or both.

Meyer lemons and the piquant is all time. Took 3.5 hours to boil down though. I'll use 2/3 the water next time and see.

I can't give you a scientific explanation, but I made this with grapefruit and it was super bitter until I added the lemon juice, which seemed to lift the whole batch right out of the bitterness.

Made this today with my plethora of Meyer Lemons. It took more cooking time than listed but I’m very happy with the results. I added the earl gray since I didn’t have a vanilla bean. I think it would be good with ginger.Just mixed some in with my yogurt for dessert and it’s great.

Mandarins, this last time. And, since they peel so easily — just peel, slice thinly, cut up the fruit and you’re done.

I used 98% Pomelo skins!!! (They have very thick pith. I used it all!Plus,Orange with fruit, and added about a cup of orange juice.Be patient with the cooking and liquid reducing. -Especially towards the very end. My temp kept hovering around 216, and right at the end, when almost no liquid was left, it shot over 220.I quickly scooped it into jars, and let it cool.My result was more chunky than “spreadable”, but absolutely delicious!Great with peanut butter on a toasted English Muffin!

We didn't have a kitchen scale or measuring utensils, but there was a navel orange tree in the yard, sugar in the cupboard and some fresh ginger. About 20 tennis-ball sized oranges, prepared as directed, and about 3 cups of sugar. 2-3 TBSP of chopped ginger. These were delicious and will be made again.

This is my third time making this wonderful recipe. I like her method but I don’t use the pith. I peel the skin with a very sharp knife, remove the pith, then section the fruit and slice thin. Peels are also sliced very thin. Last year I zested a Buddha’s Hand and OMG what a revelation. So this year I’m doing the same thing. Soaking the fruit and peel for 24 hours is like magic. With the Buddha’s Hand no need to add any flavoring. I use a candy thermometer for accuracy. Best marmelade ever!

As usual the Notes are almost more useful than the recipe! Only been making marmalade jam for 20 years and I can offer this;- add a shredded floury red apple. This solves any pectin problem- steeping over night in the fridge increases your chances of a great jam- making jam is chemistry and one thing you need to add to that is practice. Recipies don’t get updated, your experience will do that Hope that helps. Enjoy!

The amount of lemon juice depends on which oranges are used in this recipe. Sweet oranges need the entire 1/4 cup , others not so much.I usually end up with a blend of citrus for marmalade because it is how I use up aging fruit.Ginger is an excellent addition.Easy and delicious, as all homemade citrus marmalades are. No comparison to store bought.

I've made this recipe several times over the years with many varieties of citrus - Meyer lemons, blood oranges, navels, "regular" lemons, grapefruit, and even yuzu - with solid success. The only recipe that did not turn out was pomelo, which I believe is due to the extraordinary amount of pith relative to the zest, flesh, and juice. My magic number is 220, for which I always use a candy thermometer.

I have made marmalade before, usually meyer lemon, but tried this one with oranges and mandarins. I'm at elevation, so mine cooked 50 min initially and close to 70 once the sugar was added. Made 5 1/2 pt jars. Didn't bother with a thermometer, just used the cold plate test. I added a vanilla bean since someone mentioned that, it's interesting but doubt I'd do it again. Not in step 6 where it says reduce the liquid by 3/4, my take was to reduce it down to 3/4 of what I started with.

I wish I'd read the comments first. I'd never made marmalade before. I had the same experience as someone else: "I followed the directions to the letter and ended up with a substance so hard I couldn’t get it out of the jars." This was with rangpur limes. Would it be possible to update the recipe to include information that avoids overcooking? Rather than just focussing on not letting the sugar burn?

Prepare to use 50 min both rounds. Makes about five 8oz jars, plus a bit more.

This came out so delicious! Accompanied by Melissa Clark’s buttermilk biscuit recipe & everyone was asking for seconds this morning :) I’ve read online that marmalade on average will last about a month in the refrigerator if not canned- would this be true for this recipe?

I just used this recipe for a second time. I cut it in half, and used 1 grapefruit and 1 lemon that totaled a pound. Added some grated ginger and 1 cup sugar (enough). It produced about 2 Bonne Maman jars.

How much jam is produced and many jars are needed?

I made this the other day with blood oranges. I made a double recipe, using 4# of oranges, but cut the sugar down from 8 cups to 6 cups, as I prefer a tarter marmalade. I have a candy thermometer, and despite cooking for much longer than was stated, I never got the oranges to 220 degrees. Got to 215 or so. The set therefore is more thin, but still yielded a tasty result. I am curious what results with timing and sugar quantity others have found.