I have been intrigued by this recipe for some time. I saw Ina make it on her show and she made it look so easy. Like caramel, I find jams and jellies to be tricky. I needed to make an orange marmalade for my Orange Tian so I deviated a bit from the Daring Baker challenge recipe and used this recipe instead. It worked! I followed the recipe exactly and it really worked! Don’t laugh. I really do get so upset when my jams don’t jell right or my canning doesn’t work. You invest so much time and energy only to be disappointed with the results. While this recipe does take time to make, 2 days to be exact, the actual hands on time is nothing. The most energy expelled is the slicing of the oranges. I also added a split vanilla bean to my marmalade. One, I love the vanilla and orange combination, and two, I thought that pieces of vanilla bean would be gorgeous flecked throughout the jelly. I was right.
4 large seedless oranges (organic would be best here because you are using the whole orange, wash very well)
2 lemons
1 vanilla bean split
8 cups sugar
8 cups water
Cut the oranges and lemons in half and then into paper thin slices. I would have used a mandoline but I couldn’t find the right piece so I just did it by hand. Isn’t that always the way? When you need something you can’t find it?
Put the sliced fruit and all of their juices into a pot. Ina calls for a stainless steel pot, mine were all occupied at the time so I used a cast iron one. Add 8 cups water and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar until it dissolves. Add the vanilla bean. Cover and allow to stand at room temperature overnight.
The next day, bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 2 hours. Turn the heat to medium and boil gently, stirring often, for another 30 minutes. Skim off any foam. Cook the marmalade until it reaches 220 degrees on a candy thermometer.
If you want to be doubly sure that that the marmalade is ready, place a small amount on a plate and refrigerate until it is cool. If it is firm (neither too runny or too hard) it is done. It will be a golden orange color. If the marmalade is runny, continue cooking it. If it is too hard, add more water.
Pour the marmalade into clean, hot Mason jars. Wipe the rim thoroughly and seal the lids. Store in the pantry up to one year.
I use orange marmalade all time time. While it is delicious on toast with butter, it is also delicious in salad dressings, marinades, and pan sauces. I think that I have gotten over my fear of jams and jellies. Good thing that spring is in full swing, can’t wait to make another one. How impressed will your friends be when they have you over and you hand them a jar of homemade orange marmalade as a hostess gift?
Ingredients
- 4 large seedless oranges (organic would be best here because you are using the whole orange, wash very well)
- 2 lemons
- 1 vanilla bean split
- 8 cups sugar
- 8 cups water
Instructions
- Cut the oranges and lemons in half and then into paper thin slices.
- Put the sliced fruit and all of their juices into a pot. Ina calls for a stainless steel pot, mine were all occupied at the time so I used a cast iron one. Add 8 cups water and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar until it dissolves. Add the vanilla bean. Cover and allow to stand at room temperature overnight.
- The next day, bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 2 hours. Turn the heat to medium and boil gently, stirring often, for another 30 minutes. Skim off any foam. Cook the marmalade until it reaches 220 degrees on a candy thermometer.
- If you want to be doubly sure that that the marmalade is ready, place a small amount on a plate and refrigerate until it is cool. If it is firm (neither too runny or too hard) it is done. It will be a golden orange color. If the marmalade is runny, continue cooking it. If it is too hard, add more water.
- Pour the marmalade into clean, hot Mason jars. Wipe the rim thoroughly and seal the lids.
I am Bree. I love to cook. Even more than I love to take pictures.
[...] Go here to see the original:Â Orange Marmalade [...]
Beautiful! I never knew marmalade could be so easy! This will be a definite must-try for this summer. Thanks!
Well, I would like to make the comment that I was one of the lucky ones to receive a jar of this! I used some of it to make a salad dressing for a wonderful tossed green salad for Easter. I even took your suggestion and I went to the Farmers Market on Saturday morning (our local one, not Davis) and got some very lovely fresh greens…..it was splendid and the entire salad was gone!…..THANK YOU my BFF….
I love that you didn’t have to use pectin!! This looks great!!
I have a blood orange tree that is loaded with fruit right now and regular navel oranges as well. This recipe is just what I have been looking for! I can’t wait to get started. I also have meyer lemons that I’m going to experiment with. Thanks for all the tips!
I just remembered reading a chapter in Mouth Wide Open by John Thorne that was all about orange marmalade. Apparently, there’s a lot of history behind those little jars of maralade and Thorne has gone to great lengths to replicate “authentic” marmalade. Sounds like the real stuff is extremely bitter and nasty. Anyway, blah blah blah. Like your blog. Esp the chicken nugget piece. It inspires me to voice some of my own food opinons on my blog.
Thanks and have a lovely weekend!
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This post was mentioned on Twitter by breehester: just whipped up this little ol’ thing. http://bakedbree.com/2010/04/orange-marmalade/…
[...] the variation notes there is an orange marmalade version. And while I happen to have some lovely, homemade orange marmalade in my fridge, I opted for another British favorite of mine. Ginger jam. It is my favorite thing [...]
[...] Have you ever wondered how to make marmalade at home? via bakedbree.com [...]
That’s a nice recipe with many beautiful pics!
I love marmalade on freshly baked bread +_+
thank you. I need to make some homemade bread soon.
It looks delicious. I make orange marmalade very often but I had never thought of adding vanilla bean. I will try it. Thanks
I really like the creamsicle flavor so I thought that it would be good here and thankfully, it turned out delicious. Keep me posted on how yours turns out.
Just curious…what was your canning processing time for this? How many minutes did you process them in a water bath?
I did not can it. I kept it in the fridge.
This recipe sounds great! How many jars did you make? I am thinking of using this recipe.
I think 4 jars.
I’ve been told keeping a lot of the pith and membranes in the jam make the end product bitter. Many of the recipes tell you to either juice or segment the oranges then put the pith and seeds in a cheese cloth, using only a smaller amount of peel that’s had the white part cut off. I haven’t made orange marmalade yet but am searching for a technique.
Sounds like your batch keeping all these items in turned out great. Curious what you’ve heard or learned with your process Bree!
I just bought a beautiful book called the Blue Chair Jam Cookbook, they are based out of Oakland and they have classes. I really want to learn to make jams and jellies well.
Hi Bree,
I made this over the weekend. Used organic oranges from Italy (a little like navels). The result is absolutely delicious! I used up a jar of vanilla sugar – about 2 cups – in which I had vanilla beans sitting for a couple of months. Lovely subtle but definite vanilla flavour. Don’t change a thing. There is a little bitterness, but that’s what makes orange marmalade orange marmalade. Those who don’t like it should make orange jam without peel, but it won’t be marmalade!
Can’t stop eating the darn stuff
I am so happy to hear this. I love making it. I recently got a great book called the Blue Chair Jam Cookbook, amazing marmalade recipes to try.
Great looking recipe – I really love that you have included pics at every step of the way!
I’m about to give this recipe a try – Has anyone tried making it without leaving it to stand overnight? (I need to finish it today!)
It needs to stand overnight to develop the pectin. If you are in hurry, I would tray different recipe.
[...] so I decided to try orange marmalade. I started with a recipe from Ina Garten, then found another blog where someone added vanilla to Ina’s [...]
fabulous recipe, just made marmalade for all for xmas. What an easy recipe and guess what it set for me which i always have difficulty with,
That is great Treena!
How did you seal the Mason jars after you put the marmalade in? I want to be able to make a large batch and store for the year, while being mindful of bacteria and such. Thanks!
I would consult the Ball website. I have never canned it, and am not comfortable giving information on canning.
your recipe says to seal the jar. Do you mean in boiling water? Is it ok to just put in a jar and refrigerate?
Yes it is, I am not comfortable giving canning directions. Please refer to the ball website for instructions.
I love orange marmalade and this looks fantastic. I’d really like to make it since the oranges are so awesome at the farmer’s market right now. One quick question – I’m not familiar with canning jams or jellies – you don’t need to process this in order for it to keep for a year? Thanks!
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Yes you do, I am not comfortable with canning, so I do not give specifics on how to do it. If you want to, I would try an find a reliable source and follow those directions.
That sounds like a lot of trouble. Down here in Florida I make my own from my own tree oranges. Just wash an orange cut it in quatres and throw the whole thing in a food processor and chop until you see small pieces . Make sure your oranges are thinnner skinned. Ornages and Lemons have tons of pectin in them so no need to use Surejell etc… Take a 1/2 a cup of sugar and 2 tablespoons of water and throw the orange pulp in the pot with the sugar and water and stir constantly over a gentle boil for about 15-18 minutes. It should already harden up nice and firm. Grab a chair if you cannot stand stirring for 15. Then just jar them up in some olsd jars with lids. Bleah or a dishwasher will santize them just fine. Best Ornage marmalade you ever had. Just enough swee and bitter. They kill for it in The UK!
All jams and jellies are a lot of trouble. I am not really sure how our methods are that different, but I do need to be concerned with using old jars. That is a food safety issue.
Chris Florida – is that for 1 orange?
Hi Bree,
I wrote you from Madrid (Spain). I’ve done this recipe this saturday, with oranges and lemons from my parents’s garden, from in Portugal. I’m an “aficionado” of Orange Marmalade and this recipe is really simple and the result simply Amazing! Thanks for sharing it! I think i’ll never bought commercial one….
Thank you JDC! I wish that I were in Madrid right now! I am glad that you like this recipe so much.
Don’t you have to put them in a waterbath for 5 minutes or so.? I’ve never made jam that sat on the shelf without the water bath…
Just asking
Carol Ann
It is what the recipe states from Ina. Honestly, I am not comfortable sharing canning recipes so I would keep it in the fridge.
[...] fatta senza pectina e quindi con una buona dose di zucchero…la ricetta l’ho trovata qui e visto che ancora non mi è proprio chiarissimo come fare le conversioni tra cups e grammi ho [...]
Hi, really like your blog- I have a friend that went to Scotland and stayed at a b&b where the innkeeper had made his own marmalade with scotch whisky added. I was a little intrigued, and wondered when you thought one should add a couple teaspoons of it. I think I would omit the vanilla, but definitely would like to try your original recipe on my next batch.
I would add it at the very end. I would also keep the vanilla. Whiskey and vanilla are amazing together.
Sorry to repeat the question so many have asked but I’m confused. Do you need to go through the canning process, and you are not comfortable giving the instructions? Or can you skip the canning and just store this in the fridge?
I don’t need to keep this in the pantry for a year, but it seems like if I leave the oranges out overnight and don’t go through the canning process there might be bacteria. Just want to be sure. Thanks!!
I am not comfortable giving the instructions. It can store in the fridge.
Hello Bree!
Is it that easy?
I’ll try it!
Thanks so much.
Pat.DessertsLover – Thailand
Yes it is.
This looks soooo good and I don’t even like marmalade!! Lol! But I am going to make I! Thanks for the beautiful post with amazing pics! Do you know how it would turn out with a sugar substitute? I would love to make this for my brother in law who is diabetic. Once again thanks for the beautiful recipe!!
I would not attempt to make a marmalade with a sugar substitute. I don’t think that it would work.
okay for all he I want to knows’s….
sterilize jars
heat lids and screw caps in hot water to sterilize
fill jars
leave head space
wipe rim
scre on lids but not to tight
place in water bath canner
make sure water covers jars
when water boils
water bath can them for 10 minutes
remove and cool
will store on shelf for one year and probably longer
I appreciate you taking the time to write this, but my point was that I am not comfortable sharing a canning recipe unless I tried it myself. I have not canned this marmalade, therefore I did not feel that I could say for sure how to do it. I know that not every jam and jelly cans the same way and I prefer not to share something unless I have tested it myself.
It did not thicken…gently boiled for an hour. Any suggestions???
I wish that I could help, but I don’t know what went wrong.