Orange Marmalade
Nut and Bolts
Orange marmalade is one of those jellies that you either love it or hate it. It has a sweet and bitter flavor, which makes it so unique. It can be used as a glaze or in a marinade for chicken or pork. I love marmalade as a spread on hot buttered toast. This recipe is from the legend Alton Brown, I have kept his recipe the same, but I added hints that make this recipe work better in my mess.
My Thoughts on Orange Marmalade
The different varieties of oranges will not give you the same taste in a marmalade. I have used three different oranges in marmalade:
Navel Oranges which is the most common orange in the U.S. Most domestic marmalade recipes are tested with navel oranges. I am not a fan of just using navel oranges; I feel it taste too sweet with not bitter enough, and the rind takes a long time to soften.
Honeybell oranges have a very subtle sweet flavor, and the rind has some bitterness in it. It takes a long time for the rinds to soften, but they make a rather good marmalade.
The Seville orange is what is used in traditional marmalade. They are hard to purchase because their season is very short. So you will need to buy them as soon as they are available. They are very bitter orange, but they make the most delicious marmalade. Also, the rind softens quickly and becomes translucent as they cook. I like my marmalade with all Seville oranges, but my family likes it better with a mix.
Since my family likes the mix of oranges, I developed this recipe with a blend of Seville and Honeybell oranges, but you can use any oranges you wish.
This recipe is less fiddly than other recipes to make marmalade. This is because it leaves the membranes in, but I find it does not really bother me. But see if you like it in your mess.
Canning Risk factor: Medium to low. This is not a tested recipe, but it is almost the exact recipe as National Center for Home Food Preservation for orange marmalade. Here is that recipe.:https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_07/orange_marmalade.html
The yield of this recipe: is about 8- ½ pint jars.
Top is the Seville orange and the bottom is the Honeybell orange.
Method:
Before you begin the recipe, prepare your canning equipment and your kitchen. See Canning 101 and Canning 102 for more tips in your mess.
You will need between about 6-7 oranges. I like to use five Seville oranges and two Honeybell oranges. You also will need one lemon, 3 pounds and 12 ounces of sugar, and six cups plus a little more water. This recipe takes special equipment. You will need a mandolin and scale as well as canning equipment. You will also need a plate in your freezer before starting this recipe to test to see if the marmalade has jelled.
First, select the oranges that have very few blemishes. Then wash them thoroughly; once washed, set up a mandolin on a cutting board or other surfaces where you can catch the juices. I like to set my mandolin almost 3/16. Alton Brown says 1/8, but I find that it tears the oranges too much. The oranges can get stuck in the mandolin and tear, and that is ok.
Important safety tip: Do not just use a mandolin without either cut-resistant gloves or a safety guard that come with it. I do not like the safety guard; I feel it gets in the way. I use cut-resistant gloves, and I recommend getting a pair. Never use a mandolin bare-handed.
Well used cut-resistant gloves.
I start by cutting three Seville oranges and two Honeybell oranges. First, I cut an end of the orange and discard it, then slice them with the mandolin until I get to the end that only has pith and discard. Then find the seeds and toss them.
Important tip: Different orange varieties will have different types of seeds. Seville's have large seeds, and they are easy to remove. Honeybell and Navel oranges have much smaller seeds and can be harder to remove.
Then I stack and cut the oranges into 16ths or smaller, so they are bite-size. The larger the cuts in the orange, will lead to a chewier marmalade. Place the cut oranges in a bowl with all the accumulated juices. I place a strainer over the bowl to catch the pits.
Important tip: Most recipes for marmalade call for the membranes to be cut out. This recipe does not; for the most part, they melt away into the marmalade, and no one noticed them. Some membranes are thicker, and those I do cut out. It takes practice, but the more you make marmalade, the more you recognize which membranes need to be removed.
Once I get five oranges prepared, place my pot on the scale and weigh the cut oranges with the accumulated juices. You may need to cut more to get to the desired weight of 1 and ¾ pounds. I wash the lemon and zest it into the pot. Then add the juice of the lemon to the pot. Then I add six cups of water to the pot and set it aside. Then weigh out the three pounds and twelve ounces of sugar and set it to the side.
The top left is the citrus and is just starting to heat on the stove. Top right is the citrus mixture, ready for sugar to be added. Bottom left, the sugar is stirred in—bottom right, almost ready to be marmalade.
Then heat the pot with citrus and water over medium to medium-high heat and bring to a boil. It should take about 10 minutes until it comes to a hard boil. Then lower the heat to a rapid simmer and frequently stir for about 40 minutes. While stirring to prevent sticking, check to see if the rinds are softening. Different oranges take more or less time to soften. When at about 30-35 minutes into the simmer, the oranges seem too dry and sticking but not soft enough, then add about a half cup of water. At this point, keep stirring and make sure the oranges are not sticking to the pot. After 40 minutes, you might need to add a little more water and add about 10 minutes to the cooking time to get the oranges to the correct softness. It will look like a soft orange mush. It will not look like a clear liquid and will be pretty dry,
Important tip: This orange marmalade gets its pectin from cooking down the oranges. As the rinds soften, it will release the pectin that jells the marmalade.
Then put a candy thermometer on the pot and bring the oranges up to a boil, constantly stirring to prevent sticking. Once at a boil, stir in the sugar and keep stirring. It will first look like a blob of sugar, and there will be very little liquid. That is fine as it keeps heating. It will loosen up and get liquidy and start to darken. You are waiting for the temperature to reach 222°F-223° F. This should take 15-20 minutes. Once the sugar dissolves, it can rapidly come up to the desired temperature. Once it reaches between 222°F to 223°F, get the plate from the freezer and spoon a little of the marmalade onto it. Then marmalade should jell quickly, and if it is a soft jell, it is ready to can. But before you can begin to fill the jar, skim off foam. If you have foam, it can crystalize in a jar. You want to fill your half-pint jars, leaving a ¼ inch of headspace. Load and cover your canner. Bring your canner to a boil and then process them for 10 minutes. After the processing time is done, turn the heat off the canner and remove the cover. Let the jars rest in the canner for five minutes. Then remove the jars to a towel or cooling rack and leave them untouched for 12 hours.
Final word on Orange Marmalade:
I am a huge fan of the recipe; it took a few attempts to get the right mix of oranges and get the technique right, so the marmalade was not too chewy. I hope you try this recipe in your mess!
Orange Marmalade
Ingredients:
6-7 Oranges, (weighting 1 ¾ pound after being cut. Suggested orange mix: 5 Seville oranges and 2 Honeybells)
1 Lemon; zested and juice
6 cups Water (plus more if needed)
3 pounds and 12-ounce of Sugar
Directions:
Before you begin the recipe, prepare your canning equipment and your kitchen; see Canning 101 and Canning 102 for more tips in your mess. First, place a plate in the freezer. Then wash the oranges, and cut an end off the orange, and discard it. This is followed by slicing them with the mandolin, set to 3/16 inches, and slice until the orange only has pith and discard. Then find the seeds and discard them. Then stack and cut the oranges into 16ths or smaller, so they are bite-size. Place them in a bowl with all the accumulated juices.
Continue this until five of the oranges are cut. Then place your pot and scale and weigh the cut oranges with all the accumulated juices. You may need to cut more oranges to get to the desired with of 1 and ¾ pounds. Wash the lemon and zest it into the pot. Then add the juice of the lemon to the pot. Then add six cups of water to the pot and set it aside. Then weigh out the 3 pounds and twelve ounces of sugar and set it to the side.
Then heat the pot with citrus and water over medium to medium-high heat and bring to a boil. It should take about 10 minutes until it comes to a hard boil. Then lower the heat to a rapid boil and frequently stir for about 40 minutes. While stirring to prevent sticking, check to see if the rinds are softening. After simmering for 30-35 minutes, check to see if the oranges seem too dry and sticking but not soft enough. If so, add about a half cup of water. At this point, keep stirring and make sure the oranges are not sticking to the pot. After 40 minutes, you might need to add a little more water and keep cooking for 10 minutes to get the orange to the correct softness. It will look like a soft orange mush and will be pretty dry,
Next, put a candy thermometer on the pot. And bring the oranges up to a boil, constantly stirring to prevent sticking. Once at a boil, stir in the sugar and keep stirring. It will first look like a blob of sugar, and there will be very little liquid. That is fine as it keeps heating; it will loosen up and get liquidy and start to darken, as it comes to the temperature of 222°F-223° F. This should take 15-20 minutes. Once it comes to that temperature, get the plate from the freezer, and drop some on it. It will jell quickly, and if it is a soft jell, it is ready. Then skim off foam and fill your pint jars, leaving a ¼ inch of headspace. Load and cover your canner. Bring your canner to a boil and then process them for 10 minutes. After the processing time is done, turn the heat off the canner and remove the cover. Let the jars rest in the canner for five minutes. Then move the jars to a towel or cooling rack and leave them untouched for 12 hours. Enjoy!
