A jar of orange marmalade with a spoon resting on top and a few orange wedges beside it.

4.84 / 6 votes

Orange Marmalade

This orange marmalade requires only three ingredients—oranges, lemons, and sugar—to achieve a perfectly balanced sweet English style marmalade. And it's so easy to pull together. We suspect you'll never go back to the store-bought stuff again. Here's how to make it.

Prep Time25

Cook Time1 15

Total Time1 40

Course: Condiments

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings | 4 pints

Calories: 70

Equipment

Sterilized canning jars (See note below)

Ingredients

▢ 1 1/4 pounds oranges, preferably seedless, whether Valencia, navel, or Cara Cara
▢ 1 large or 2 small lemons
▢ 4 cups granulated sugar

US - Metric

Instructions

Wash the fruits well and then chop them roughly but thoroughly. You needn't worry that the pieces are all the same size, just that they're small enough to give the marmalade a pleasantly chunky texture, 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick or so. Remove and discard any seeds.
Combine the fruit and 4 cups water in a medium nonreactive saucepan with a lid. Bring to a simmer over low heat, then remove the pan from the heat and cover. Let the mixture sit at room temperature for 24 hours.
Return the pot to the stove, turn the heat to medium, and simmer, uncovered, until the volume is reduced by half and the citrus rinds are tender, 60 to 75 minutes. Stir the pot from time to time and turn the heat down a touch if it looks or smells as though it's scorching.
Once the fruit is tender, add the sugar a little at a time, stirring all the while, until you've added all 4 cups and it has dissolved. Turn the heat up to medium-high and boil until the mixture is thickened, not more than 15 to 25 minutes. When done, it will slide off a spoon in sheets, not droplets, and a spoonful poured onto a cold plate should gel and seem firm.
Transfer to jars, cover tightly, and refrigerate for up to a couple weeks.

Notes

Refrigerator Jam Safety

Use sterilized heatproof jars. To sterilize, wash jars and lids in hot, soapy water, rinse well, then either run them through a dishwasher’s sanitize cycle or submerge in boiling water for 10 minutes; let air-dry (do not towel-dry). Fill hot, cap, and refrigerate promptly (≤40°F). Use clean utensils—no double-dipping. Keep 2 weeks (low-sugar: 7–10 days). If any mold appears, discard the entire jar—do not taste. For longer storage, freeze up to 3 months with ½-inch headspace. Label and date.

Nutrition