Mixed citrus marmalade tends to divvy the world into a couple camps—those who simply must have it with their morning toast and those who think they can live without it. Before you count yourself among the second camp, do yourself a kindness and try this mixed citrus marmalade with orange and mandarin and lime. It’s unlike any fruit preserves you’ll ever find in a store and is essentially citrus on a spoon. Simple to make at home. Complex as heck in taste.–Angie Zoobkoff
What’s the difference between marmalade and jam?
They’re quite similar. Put simply, jam is sugar and fruit whereas marmalade contains sugar as well as the rind of citrus fruit for a pleasingly chunky texture.
Mixed Citrus Marmalade
Equipment
- Jars with canning rings and lids
Ingredients
- 1 pound 2 ounces thin-skinned seedless oranges, preferably organic
- 1 pound 2 ounces thin-skinned mandarins, such as clementines, preferably organic
- 1 pound 2 ounces thin-skinned limes, preferably organic
- 8 cups cold water
- 4 pounds 6 ounces superfine sugar (or simply pulse granulated sugar in a food processor or blender until finely ground but not powdery)
- Juice of 2 lemons (4 to 6 tablespoons)
Instructions
- To make a chunky marmalade, combine the whole fruit and water in a pot, cover, and simmer for 1 to 2 hours, until the fruit is tender. Use a slotted spoon to remove the fruit from the liquid and let it cool slightly. Cut the fruit into slices. Pick out as many seeds as you can and toss them in the cooking liquid. (The seeds contain pectin for setting the jam.) Simmer the liquid for another 20 minutes, then strain the liquid and discard the seeds.To make a less chunky marmalade, coarsely chop the fruit, toss it in a pot with the water, cover, and simmer for 1 to 2 hours, until the fruit is tender. Use a slotted spoon to remove the fruit from the liquid and let it cool slightly. Pick out as many seeds as you can and toss them in the cooking liquid. (The seeds contain pectin for setting the jam.) Simmer the liquid for another 20 minutes, then strain the liquid and discard the seeds.
- Measure the fruit in cups and add enough strained cooking liquid to make a total of 6 cups (1.5 litres). Return the fruit and liquid to the clean pot. Add the sugar and lemon juice and stir over low heat until the sugar dissolves.
- Increase the heat and boil, stirring occasionally to keep the mixture from scorching and skimming foam from the surface as necessary, for 30 to 35 minutes, until the marmalade reaches its setting point. This happens around 220°F (104°C) can be tested by putting a teaspoon of the marmalade onto a chilled plate and observing it. The marmalade is set when it appears firm with a wrinkle on the surface once it cools slightly.
- Ladle the hot marmalade into warm sterilized jars and immediately seal the jars. Store in a cool, dark place for up to 12 months. Refrigerate after opening.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
This mixed citrus marmalade in no way resembles store-bought citrus marmalade. It’s far superior in taste.
I used 3 navel oranges, 4 clementines, and 6 limes. I chose to chop the fruit before simmering it in the water for 2 hours. After straining, I was left with almost 6 cups poached fruit. Adding most of the liquid back to make 6 cups left 500 ml of the strained liquid leftover. I simmered the whole thing with the sugar for 45 minutes until it was jammy, it being quite thick by that time and only a small amount of foam to skim off.
We thought it might be too sweet after adding all that sugar, but it’s not. It has that lovely sweet-tart marmalade-y taste that’s so familiar. It’s not clear like the store-bought stuff but rather more jam-like in appearance. I filled a 500-ml jar, a 250-ml jar, and six 125-ml jars. Marmalade is the sort of thing people either love or hate so finding homes for the marmalade will be the biggest challenge for this recipe.
Hello! If I remove the citrus seeds while chopping up the fruit, and then simmer the chopped fruit 1-2 hours, is there any reason to do the straining step before the final boil, except to make sure that I have a total of 6 cups? I would add back the seeds in the final boil, in a small, cheesecloth bag.
Ted, if you cook the seeds for enough time to extract the pectin it should work. If you try it, please do let us know how it turns out.
So when you chop the fruit, you use the pith and everything? Does the pith actually disintegrate? I’ve made marmalade before but never with the whole fruit chopped like that. Will give it a go with all citrus, even a grapefruit or two!
Michon, the intention is for you to use all of the fruit. The pith won’t disintegrate, so you want to have fairly thin slices. If you’re opposed to the flavor or texture, you don’t have to use the pith.
I don’t understand what I have to do after I take the fruit out of the water. After I’ve boiled it while I should just take it out, use the seeds and throw the whole fruit away?
Jodie, once you remove the fruit from the water, you’re going to cut up the fruit, collect as many seeds as possible, and add those back to the liquid to help it thicken. Once you strain that liquid, you’ll combine it with the cut up fruit to make a total of 6 cups and cook it with the sugar and lemon juice until it’s nice and thick. Does that make sense?