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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.
If you find yourself lucky enough to have a bounty of oranges (or other citrus fruits like grapefruit), this easy Orange Marmalade recipe is the one to make.
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 white 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.
We use a combination of orange and lemon slices here for the best taste. There is no need to remove the zest with a vegetable peeler. After soaking the citrus slices in sugar and boiling water, turn off the heat and let the pot sit overnight. The next day, turn the heat back on and boil the marmalade. It’s that easy!
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 the marmalade until it reaches 220 degrees on a candy thermometer (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 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.
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: 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.
- 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. 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 nor have I tweaked the amount of sugar in the recipe. I recommend seeking out recipes from experts in that area.
- 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.
- 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pectin is naturally concentrated in the pith of the orange (the bitter white part under the peel), so you don’t need to add any to this marmalade recipe. 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.
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.
Even with an overnight soak, the IP doesn’t break down the rind sufficiently. I don’t recommend this method.
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.
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Orange Marmalade
Equipment
- jar funnel (for wide mouth jars)
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 (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
- 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.
- 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.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
it’s my 3rd year making this recipe for my shop’s Christmas ice cream Orange Brandy flavour! Thank you for such an easy recipe. I usually sub half the water with orange juice.
You’re welcome, Eve! Thank you for trusting my recipe year after year, I appreciate it! Take care! – Meggan
So easy and delicious
Thank you for sharing your comment, Lorna! Take care! – Meggan
can ii reverse revers the orange and lemon mix and what is the difference. If raw sugar is used ?
Hi Victor, thank you for your questions. Another reader used raw sugar and ran into some issues with the marmalade. If you use more lemons than oranges, your marmalade will not be as orange-flavored and will likely be more sour or tart, depending on the sweetness of the lemons used. If you are looking to make lemon marmalade with raw sugar, I would recommend you use a recipe that was developed for that specifically so your marmalade isn’t ruined. If you do try it, please write back and let me know how it turns out! – Meggan
In the recipe the required temperature lbs stated at 220 degrees. Is that degrees (F) or (C) as there is quite a difference.
Hi Noel, it’s 220 degrees Farenheit. I live in the US so all the recipes are in Farenheit. Sorry for the confusion! I hope you love this marmalade. – Meggan
Delicious! Easy to follow steps.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Julie! – Meggan
It looks delicious 😋
Thank you, Charmaine! Thank you for stopping by! – Meggan
been using this recipe for a couple of years now. It’s perfect, simple and makes great marmalade.
Hi Phil, thank you for your comment! I’m happy this recipe has been great year after year. Take care and thank you for visiting! – Meggan
I had to cook it about an hour more to get it to thicken. It’s delicious and easy to make. Thanks for sharing such a great recipe.