Homemade blood orange marmalade made with fresh oranges and lemons. It’s a quicker recipe compared to traditional French jams because it uses pectin rather than long-boiling. This glossy, sharp and sweet marmalade will be ready in less than an hour.
For a long time, I debated the pros and cons of homemade marmalade. No doubt, the jam you make at home will be so much better than any shop-bought options. Given it takes up to 12 hours to make however, I always held-back from cooking it.
But that nagging thought in my head and my love for citrus didn’t go away… I knew that it was only a matter of time before I’d be making my own orange marmalade.
I’ve always been annoyed that the natural sweetness and characteristic sharpness of oranges can’t be found in any jars on store shelves. I feel most brands use way too much sugar in their products. I just want something natural and tastier – is it too much to ask!?
So the fateful day came last week, when it was time to make my own… and I’m pleased to tell you that I made the most delicious, sharp, tangy yet sweet blood orange marmalade!
To do this, I used just a fraction of the sugar listed in many other recipes (100g). If you feel this isn’t enough for you though, feel free to add more. To make it a quick marmalade recipe, I also used pectin which helps to thicken the jam. Lastly, I boiled the mixture for a long time (60 minutes) to significantly reduce the water content. You can shorten the cooking time to 30 minutes for a runnier consistency if you prefer.
Tips for the Best Blood Orange Marmalade
To achieve the best results, follow these tips:
- Oranges – you can swap Blood oranges for Seville oranges.
- Orange skin – peel the orange skin and very thinly slice them into shreds. Take your time and don’t rush. Try to have the same size shreds.
- Add some extra acidity – lemon or lime are the best options.
- Feel free to add more sugar if needed.
- Simmer the marmalade on a low heat. Don’t rush the process, you need time to get the best results and low heat is mandatory!
- If you’re storing your marmalade, use hot water to properly seal your lids according to canning instructions.
Blood Orange Marmelade Recipe
Ingredients
1kg blood oranges
1 lemon
100g sugar
2 tablespoons pectin
Method
- Using a potato peeler, peel three oranges (do not leave any white spots on the skin).
- Slice the orange skins into thin shreds.
- Squeeze out the juice from oranges and lemon. Pour the juice, sugar and a glass of water into the pan. Add the shreds.
- Bring the pan to the boil and gently simmer the jam for 40-60 minutes.
- Add one tablespoon of pectin at a time and mix everything together until you get a thick and glossy consistency. If necessary, add another spoon of pectin.
- Let the marmalade cool down for 15 minutes and pour into jars.
- You can store your marmalade in the fridge for up to a month.
