I want to show you how to make orange marmalade and catch sunshine in a jar!! It's not difficult, and your kitchen will smell amazing! You know what's even more fun? Teaching someone how to make orange marmalade! 😊 That's what I was able to do today!
I'm so glad canning, freezing, and preserving have made a comeback. It may be one of the few positive outcomes of the pandemic. We learned we could do exceedingly more than we thought we could.
Orange marmalade brings back sweet memories of my childhood. My daddy loved orange marmalade, but I didn't get it as a kid. I preferred grape jelly, which is sweet, simple, and less complex. It must have been my immature palette.
Now that I'm grown, it's a whole new game. Whenever we go out for breakfast, I dig through the basket of little jam packets, hoping for orange marmalade! In the rare event that I find one (and it's usually only in the fancier places that we visit every blue moon or so), I call dibs on it and hide it under my napkin until our order arrives.
Then, I slather it thick on an English muffin and take a big bite! My mouth does a little happy dance, and I lick my fingers to ensure I get every last bit!
There's an unwritten rule somewhere that says we should never try a new recipe when we have company. I should probably stick to the same rule when blogging. Play it safe; stick with the tried and true, right?
As in, don't use your first attempt as a blog post. Ha! I recklessly began my first-ever batch of marmalade one afternoon at about 4:00, snapping pictures as I went along. Here we go!
There's something deeply soul-satisfying about any canning and a huge sense of accomplishment! In today's world, we rarely have a chance to relish a visual of "the fruits of our labors." (Every pun intended!) It's fun to line up the jars and count them.
At our house, when we make jelly, jam, or marmalade, as in this instance, we call them all a "jam session." I want you to have as much fun as we do making, eating, and giving away these coveted canned goods!
Please read through all the instructions before you begin, and be ready to follow them. They are simple but critical to success. Getting all your canning supplies together is important, too, to avoid a mad rush to the store. Once you have started a batch, it's almost impossible to stop.
Everything you'll need is readily available at grocery stores, hardware stores, online, and even Walmart. The items are all inexpensive and last a long time. And believe me, you'll find lots of uses for jars, jar lifters, and canning funnels beyond making jam!
Those are my supplies: my lovely, shocking pink canning towel. It was probably a graduation gift from long ago. I keep it stashed in a handy drawer on my island, where we conduct our jam sessions!
Navel oranges are winter oranges, so they are at their peak close to the holidays (although I found very nice oranges this week!) Any time is the perfect time to make some marmalade for gift-giving! Marmalade is less common than jam or jelly, so people really get excited when they get a jar of it!
Navel oranges are also amazing in fresh cranberry orange sauce, so be sure to tuck this recipe away for later.
Begin by using a vegetable peeler to remove the outer layer of the orange peel. Use only the colored part of the peel. Try not to include any white "pith" between the fruit and the peel; it's bitter. Then, do the same thing with the lemons.
An important step before you proceed is to bring a large pot of water to a boil as you begin making the marmalade. The pot must be deep enough to cover the jars with at least an inch of boiling water.
This process will keep the marmalade shelf stable for up to a year. If you have hard water, put a couple of "glugs" of vinegar in the water to keep lime from forming on the jars.
Use a chopper, knife, or food processor to reduce the peel to a confetti-like size. Then, put it into a large, deep pan with water and baking soda and bring it to a boil.
I used my big blue LeCrueset Dutch oven this time. It was a cherished gift from a very generous friend, and it is my kitchen workhorse! Reduce the heat and let it simmer while you cut up the fruit.
Now, remove the rest of the peel and cut the fruit into bite-size chunks, being sure to remove any seeds or tough membranes as you go.
Add the cut-up fruit with any juice to the peels. Cover and simmer for an additional 10 minutes. I used a potato masher to break up the fruit as it cooked.
Measure exactly 4 cups of the prepared fruit into another six or 8-quart saucepan and stir in the pectin. Add the butter to reduce foaming. (Note: I saved the leftover mixture and added more prepared fruit and peel to make four cups, enough for a second batch of marmalade.)
Bring the mixture to a full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly, then stir in all the sugar at once.
THE MARMALADE WILL BE VERY HOT! I used a LONG wooden spoon to stir it. Return the mixture to a full rolling boil and boil for exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Remove the pan from the heat. Skim off any foam with a metal spoon.
Now, using a canning funnel, ladle the hot orange marmalade into the jars you have ready. Wipe the rim and the threads with a clean, damp cloth. My young friend Traci was a quick learner and handled the marmalade like she'd been doing it all her life!
Cover each jar with a two-piece lid. Screw the bands in place by hand tightly. Place the jars in the hot water bath. (Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches; add boiling water, if necessary.)
Cover and bring the water to a gentle boil and process for ten minutes. Use a canning jar lifter to remove the jars from the canner and place them upright on a thick towel or a rack to cool completely.
Do not touch the jars until they are completely cool. After the jars cool, check the seals by pressing the center of the lid with your finger. (If the tops spring back and the lids are not sealed, refrigerate the orange marmalade and use it within three or four weeks.)
I hope you'll try this recipe; it is so amazing! If you get tired of using it on toast or English muffins, it makes a great glaze for pork, chicken, or salmon! Put a spoonful on your dish of yogurt or use it in a stir fry! It's awesome as a sandwich spread for ham or turkey, too! The possibilities are virtually endless!
Here are some more of my favorite jam recipes. Pineapple jam, Strawberry-rhubarb jam, and Apricot jam. Hungry for more? Type jam in the search bar and watch for more recipes!
Beautiful and sunny, this sweet and tangy marmalade has bits of citrus peel. It's wonderful on English muffins or toast! It also makes a great glaze for pork or chicken!
1. Before you begin to make the marmalade, fill a large, deep pot half full with water and bring it to a simmer. If you have hard water, add about 2 Tbsp of vinegar to prevent hard water deposits from forming on the jars.
2. Wash the jars, flats (lids), and screw bands in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Dry the jars or let them air dry.
3. Pour boiling water over flat lids in a heat-proof vessel. Let the flats stand in hot water until ready to use.
4. Use a vegetable peeler to remove only the colored part of the peel from the oranges and lemons. Do NOT use the white "pith" between the peel and the fruit.
5. Cut the peel into thin slivers. I did this step in my food processor, pulsing and stopping until the pieces looked like confetti.
6. Combine the peels, water, and baking soda in a large saucepan and bring it to a boil.
7. Reduce the heat to medium-low; cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, while you peel and cut up the fruit.
8. Cut the oranges and lemons into bite-size pieces.
9. Add the cut-up fruit with any juice to the peels. Cover and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
10. I used a masher to break up the fruit as it cooked.
11. Measure exactly 4 cups of prepared fruit into another six or 8-quart saucepan.
12. Stir the pectin into the prepared fruit.13. Add butter to the fruit to reduce foaming.
14. On high heat, stir constantly and bring the mixture to a full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred).
15. Stir in all the sugar at once.
16. Return to a full rolling boil for exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. THE MARMALADE WILL BE VERY HOT! I used a LONG wooden spoon to stir it.
17. Remove the pan from the heat. Skim off any foam with a metal spoon.
18. Ladle the hot marmalade into the prepared jars immediately, filling to within 1/4 inch of the tops.
19. Wipe the jar rims and threads with a clean, damp cloth and check for nicks.
20. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw the bands in place by hand tightly.
21. Place the jars in the boiling water bath. (The Water must cover the jars by 1 to 2 inches; add boiling water, if necessary.)
22. Bring the water to a gentle boil and process for ten minutes. Use a canning jar lifter to remove the jars from the canner and place them upright on a thick towel or a rack to cool completely.
23. Do not touch the jars until they are completely cool.
24. After the jars cool, check the seals by pressing the center of the lid with your finger. (If tops spring back and lids are not sealed, refrigerate the marmalade and use it within three or four weeks.)
*If you buy pectin in bulk in a jar, use six level tablespoons of pectin
If you liked this recipe, you are my people! Please share it on your social media accounts, such as Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter! It would sure tickle me, and I would be ever so grateful!
If you haven't already, please look for me on Facebook and Pinterest. I share easy, delicious, family-friendly recipes there every week!
Love, GB (Betty Streff)
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