Orange Marmalade Preserves (2024)

Published: August 21, 2019

Perfectly tart and sweet Orange Marmalade Preserves is made without any thickening additives – great at breakfast time or over vanilla ice cream! Once you taste this homemade marmalade, you’ll never buy it from the store again!

Of all the marmalade recipes, I think Orange Marmalade Preserves is my personal favourite. I do have another marmalade recipe that I quite enjoy, but that one is more traditional in style. This one is less chunky and has the best possible balance of tartness and sweetness.

REMOVING THE PITH

The only part of Orange Marmalade Preserves that I don’t like is the preparing of it. Ha! I’m not convincing you to make this, am I? Let me explain. The process of making this marmalade is quite easy, but it’s the removing of the pith from the orange and lemon peel that made me want to just run to the store and buy a jar of marmalade!

I knew if I remained calm and persisted, my efforts and time spent would pay off in the end. And, boy, did it ever! Just look at how beautiful that marmalade is! It’s not at all stiff like most marmalade, and that’s because I did not use any pectin or any other preservative or thickening ingredient.

I’m all for thick and chunky jams and preserves, but I lean more toward a softer, runnier consistency. Unlike my Traditional Citrus Marmalade, this Orange Marmalade presents itself more like a jam. You can spread it very thin if you prefer, or you can smear it on thick and watch it slowly spread and drizzle down the side of your toast or your bagel.

A LITTLE BIT OF MARMALADE TRIVIA

You know I love food-related trivia. And, I may have said this already in a previous post, but did you know that King Henry VIII received a box of marmalade as a gift in 1524? And that marmalade was a favorite treat of Anne Boleyn and her ladies in waiting? I just read that and the timing couldn’t be better. I’m re-watching the BBC series, The Tudor’s, for the fourth or fifth time. I can’t get enough of the monarchy!

Much like Boleyn and her ladies in waiting, marmalade is also one of my favourite sweet treats. I tend to be rather traditional when it comes to jam and marmalade. I like to enjoy them both on toast, an English muffin, or a scone. A scone would be my first choice though!

MARMALADE AND SCONES ARE A PERFECT MATCH

Speaking of scones, once you make a batch of this Orange Marmalade, I highly encourage you to make a batch of my scones too. I have two scone recipes that you can try. The first is my Sour Cream Scones. I tend to make these most often. I find that the sour cream adds such a moistness to the scone and elevates the texture just a little bit more.

The second scone that you can try is my Basic Scone Recipe. Even though there are many similarities in the ingredients, the basic scone is the best option when adding ingredients to the recipe. It will hold up well to just about anything you throw at it – dried fruit, nuts, chocolate, etc.

CONCLUSION

So, how do you like to eat your marmalade? Are you a purist, meaning that you like it at breakfast with toast and tea? Or do you find new and interesting ways to incorporate it into other meals or recipes? Personally, I like to use it in savoury dishes like roasted chicken or pan-seared pork. I’d love to hear how you use up your Orange Marmalade Preserves!

Equipment

5 250 ml mason jars with screw bands and new, unused sealing discs.
Water Bath Canner with Jar Rack
Jar Wrench/Lifter
Canning Funnel
Ladle
Non-metallic Bubble Remover
Magnetic Lid Lifter

Ingredients

4 large oranges
2 whole lemons
2 1/2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
6 cups sugar

Instructions

To Prepare Mason Jars:

Wash mason jars and screw lids in soapy water and rinse soap off well under running hot water. Place clean jars on a baking sheet and place in oven preheated to 200 degrees. Set screw bands aside. Next, boil a kettle of water and pour into a clean glass bowl. Carefully submerge the sealing discs in the bowl of hot water. Set aside.
Wash the fruit very well and dry with paper towels. Using a paring knife, peel the fruit like you would an apple. Try to peel away as little of the pith as possible.
Once all the fruit has been peeled, turn the pieces over so that the pith side is facing up. Using the paring knife still, gently but firmly scrape away the remaining pith.
Slice the peel into roughly 1/8th of an inch slices and transfer to a small cooking pot with the water and baking soda. Stir and bring to a low boil. Boil for 20 minutes.
Still using the paring knife, peel away the remaining pith from the fruit. Next, working over a bowl to catch the juice, carefully slice down each side of the membrane to remove each section of the fruit. Discard the seeds and squeeze the remaining membrane in your hands to collect all of the juice.
Add the fruit sections and pulp, along with the juice, to the pot. Stir to combine. Cover and gently boil for 10 minutes.
In the meantime, fill your water bath canner to the halfway mark with water and add the jar rack. Bring to a full boil.
Next, add the sugar and stir to combine. Stir until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture has returned to a low boil. Allow the mixture to boil for 10 minutes, stirring often. As you approach the 7-8 minute mark, stir constantly to prevent the fruit from burning.
Ladle the marmalade into prepared mason jars using a funnel to prevent the sauce from touching the rim of the jars.
Use the non-metallic bubble remover to remove any air bubbles.
Wipe down the rim of each jar with a damp paper towel to ensure no sauce has come in contact with the rim.
Carefully remove the sealing discs from the hot water with a magnetic lid lifter. Position the sealing disc directly onto the lid of the jars. Do not touch the underside of the lid.
Screw on the screw bands until firm – do not apply pressure! Just use your fingertips to tighten the screw bands.
Using the jar lifter, place the jars into the water bath canner with the boiling water. Do not place the lid on the canner.
Boil for 20 minutes. Carefully remove each jar from the canner using the jar lifter. Try not to tilt the jars. Place jars onto a wire cooling rack that has been covered with a clean kitchen towel.
Leave the jars to cool for a minimum of 12 hours. Once cooled, wipe the jars of any residue that might have been transferred to the outside of the jar during the boiling process. Label the jars and store in a dark, cool cabinet for up to one year.