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.
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.
Table of Contents
Recipe 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.
Ingredient notes
- 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.
Step-by-step 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. 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 tips and variations
- 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.
- Storage: Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
- Freezer: Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- 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. Your marmalade 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 your marmalade is still a little runny looking when it cools, check again in a day or two.
- Pectin: While many jam and jelly recipes require added pectin, you don’t need to add any to this marmalade. 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. I recommend seeking out recipes from experts in that area.
- Canning: If putting up for storage, use a hot water or steam canner to properly seal lids according to canning instructions. Otherwise, refrigerate and use within the month. Or, freeze for up to 3 months.
- Slow cooker marmalade: 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 marmalade: Even with an overnight soak, the IP doesn’t break down the rind sufficiently. I don’t recommend this method.
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Orange Marmalade
Ingredients
- 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. 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Storage: Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
- Freezer: Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- 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. Your marmalade 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 your marmalade is still a little runny looking when it cools, check again in a day or two.
- Pectin: While many jam and jelly recipes require added pectin, you don’t need to add any to this marmalade. 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. I recommend seeking out recipes from experts in that area.
- Canning: If putting up for storage, use a hot water or steam canner to properly seal lids according to canning instructions. Otherwise, refrigerate and use within the month. Or, freeze for up to 3 months.
- Slow cooker marmalade: 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 marmalade: Even with an overnight soak, the IP doesn’t break down the rind sufficiently. I don’t recommend this method.
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Haven’t made it yet….Do you have to use lemons with the orange?
Hi Robin, adding lemons thickens it up with the extra pectin they have. If you’d like, you could substitute oranges for the lemons. Hope this helps! – Meggan
Is it possible to make this recipe with tangerines (cuties)?
Hi Jennie, I’m so sorry but I haven’t tested it with tangerines! It probably would work, as long as you use 3 pounds of them, but again we have tested it so it may not have enough pectin to set. You may want to search for a recipe that uses tangerines! Sorry about that! – Meggan
First time making any sort of jam and I made both orange and lemon marmalade using fruit picked fresh off my sister’s California backyard. Both marmalades turned out perfectly. Neither reached 200F but the cold plate test worked for both.
Everything went as described in instructions really easy. When canning does mixture set from 24 -48 hours? We always trying new recipes, I think this one is a keeper.
Hi Mike, yes! Give it a cold plate test to be sure it’s set. – Meggan
Hi. I would like to make this marmalade…. It looks like what i had in Turkey. It was home nade by the lady cook and so delicious. Your recipe doesnt give the amount of water ir Sugar. Please can you advise how much i need. I hope mine turns out like you photos . Thankyou. Kind regards Ann in Leeds. UK.
Hi Ann, the recipe cards list the amount of sugar and water needed. Hope you enjoy! – Meggan
There is no measurement of water and sugar. I made this and followed EXACTLY step by step. It did not turn out. It never ‘froth’ and turned to a ‘mush’. There is no translucency to the jelly/sauce. It was a waste of time, money and resources for a failed product. The lemons did not add a good flavor to the mix. I will try a different recipe. Hopefully it works.
Hi PJ, did you look at the recipe card? All measurements are listed there. – Meggan
I started making this Marmalade yesterday, left overnight as stated and finished it today.
I dint want the amount specified so I just halved the ingredients.
Just towards the end I used a potato masher to break down the rind a bit then served into my jars.
What can I say its fabulous!
Thank you for the recipe.
When you cut the recipe in half did you use a full 2 cups of sugar? And did you use a water bath for sealing?