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Orange Marmalade is like sunshine in a glass jar! It’s got tons of naturally sweet and tart flavor that’s enhanced by sugar and a dash of vanilla bean paste. Serve it on a slice of toast, with a stack of pancakes, or even stirred into a savory sauce. You’ll love having this multipurpose homemade marmalade in your kitchen!
Orange Marmalade
I’ve always been a jam girl. As a little kid, when it came to making a PB&J sandwich, I’d always plead for more J and less PB. I’m the same way as an adult! While I’ll always have a nostalgic soft spot in my heart for store bought grape jelly, my tastes matured to greener pastures with recipes like this truly incredible homemade Orange Marmalade.
The most delicious thing (in my humble opinion) about this sweet Orange Marmalade is the touch of vanilla in there. There’s just enough to make you think of an orange creamsicle when you taste it, but not so much that it competes with the tangy orange flavor. It’s the perfect balance of sweetness to offset the bitter taste of the orange peel.
This easy Orange Marmalade recipe is so delightfully easy to make with no added commercial pectin. You’ll need some time to hang out a bit so you can stir occasionally, and it takes a bit of time to thicken up to a jam consistency, but your patience will be greatly rewarded by the most beautiful results.
It’s the perfect spread for your popovers or with a smear of cream cheese on toasted brioche bread.
Short and Sweet Ingredient List
- Fresh Oranges – Seville oranges are, by far, the best for marmalade but we love using Cara Cara oranges, Navel oranges, blood oranges, clementines, Valencia oranges and mandarin oranges. You can use other citrus fruits like grapefruit and lemon but Orange marmalade is as classic as it gets.
- Sugar – Granulated sugar adds the perfect balance of sweetness.
- Vanilla – Not traditional in marmalade, pure vanilla extract adds a sweet earthiness.
For full ingredients list and instructions, see the recipe card below.
How to Make Orange Marmalade
Prepare to feel like a real home chef when you brag that you can make your very own marmalade!
- Slice the oranges. Slice the oranges thinly with a sharp knife, approximately 1/8 inch thick, picking out the seeds as you go. A mandolin makes this process move quickly. You’re using the whole fruit for this recipe.
- Heat the ingredients. Place the orange slices in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the water, sugar and vanilla. (Be sure you use enough water to cover the sliced oranges.) Increase the temperature to high heat. Bring the mixture to a full rolling boil, then turn the heat to low.
- Simmer and stir. Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the orange mixture has darkened in color and thickened to a jammy consistency. The process will take approximately 35-40 minutes and the temperature will read 222°F-223°F on a candy thermometer. There will still be pieces of orange rind in your marmalade mixture and that’s ok.
- Store or serve, and enjoy! Carefully transfer the hot marmalade to canning jars and seal with the lid. Allow the marmalade to cool to room temperature and then transfer to the refrigerator. Marmalade can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 10 days in an airtight container.
How To Use Orange Marmalade
Grab a spoon and eat this jarred sunshine all by itself! (Kidding… Kind of!)
- Pair it with your favorite bready carb. Pancakes, Biscuits, Waffles, croissants, and toast are just a few of my favorite treats to pair with orange marmalade.
- Make it savory. Orange marmalade? Savory? YES! One of my favorite appetizer recipes of all time is my classic Slow Cooker Spicy Orange Marmalade Meatballs.
- Use it in a sandwich. Smear this homemade Orange Marmalade on a piece of bread and layer your sandwich with brie and turkey for a delicious lunch! You can really get creative with your sandwich building.
Tips for the Best Orange Marmalade
- Don’t let it burn! Make sure you stir the marmalade occasionally as it cooks to ensure it’s mixed well and not burning in the pan. Also, don’t forget to lower the temperature after it reaches a boil. If your mixture burns you will end up with a bitter marmalade.
- Check the temperature. Use a candy thermometer to check if the marmalade is done. It should reach about 223°F before you remove it from the heat. If you take it off the heat too early, the consistency will not be jammy and thick.
- Freezer test! If you’re unsure if your marmalade is ready, put a small plate in the freezer for 15 minutes. Remove the plate and place a small drop of marmalade on the frozen plate. If it thickens up, your marmalade is ready!
Easy Orange Marmalade Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound oranges, about 4 medium
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
Instructions
- Slice the oranges thinly, approximately 1/8 inch thick, picking out the seeds as you go. A mandolin makes this process move quickly.
- Place the orange sliced in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Stir in the water, sugar and vanilla.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn the heat to low.
- Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has darkened in color and thickened to a jammy consistency. The process will take approximately 35-40 minutes and the temperature will read 222-223 F on a candy thermometer.
- Carefully transfer the marmalade to canning jars and seal with the lid.
- Marmalade can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 10 days in an airtight container.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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My daughter and I tried this yesterday, and it never thickened nor did it turn darker. Not sure what went wrong. We did exactly as the recipe said.
I’m finding that some oranges may react differently and have to be cooked a bit longer. Sometimes up to an hour or hour and a half. I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you but I’ll need to go back and add my favorite orange varieties for this recipe.
When you freeze it in the plastic containers are you putting the marmalade directly in the container or the jars in the container? Thank you!
I freeze in plastic containers.
I tried this recipe exactly as written and basically I am out a pound of oranges. I cooked the mixture for over an hour and it never changed color nor did the rinds soften or the mix thicken as stated it would. I was excited to try this but am very disappointed.
Hi Chandra, I’m so sorry it didn’t work out for you and that you wasted your oranges. I’ll test the recipe again but other readers have made it with great results. Please let me know if there’s anything I can do to help you through the process should you decide to give it another try.
What a nice and easy recipe. I’ve been wanting some marmalade like I had years ago at a hotel in Washington DC. As I recall it was called “Pecan Praline Orange Marmalade”. The pecans had been toasted before adding them to the marmalade. I’m trying to work out in my head how best to do this… I’m thinking to toast the pecans in some butter and add it in just prior to canning … the vanilla in your recipe will punch up the “praline” side of things. ‘course, maybe just make a glazed pecan, chop and add.. What do you think? Any suggestions?
I would add the pecan right before canning, I think the oils in the nuts could make it difficult for the marmalade to set up so definitely hold off on adding them until the end.
So how much lemon juice do you think you should add? I really want to make this to put up for winter….
It usually comes out to about a tablespoon.
I made the recipe but found that I needed to add another cup of water and more sugar. I just added a cap of vanilla and that was enough. Then I had to cook it down because I don’t like a thin marmalade. But the vanilla seemed to do something to bring out more of the orange flavor. It occurs to me that with a little white vinegar this could be a good glaze for pork.
Try just canning it in small jars. may need to ass a little lemon juice to hit your ph level.
Up to 10 days!!? That’s a lot to take. What can I do to make that longer like 6 months or so?
You could freeze it, I transfer it to an airtight container (like the disposable Glad or Ziplock containers) and cover with plastic wrap before sealing with the lid.
I’ve been using this recipe for a VERY long time (from here) and I love how easy it is and how delicious it is! I have 2 mandarin orange trees and just sub those in for the oranges, using the 1 pound mark to make sure I get it right. I also add a bit of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and pumpkin pie spice for just a bit more complexity.
I also put the filled jars thru a boiling water bath so that they will last longer.
I love using it in a Chipotle Orange sauce for shrimp, pork chops, etc. And, a PB and marmalade is the BEST!!! Thank you SO much for this recipe!
Thank you! The Chipotle Orange sauce sounds amazing!
You can also just put the mixture into smaller jars and can them. So you just open a new jar as you use them. if you added some lemon juice you should be able to have a low enough PH level. also the orange oil in the oranges should suppress bacteria.
Thanks for the suggestions, Stan!
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Will do!
I put mine through the standard canning boiling water bath and they definitely hold for much longer.
Do u have an easy recipe rhubarb sauce I can’t wait try orange marmalade, will let u know does it cost to sign up on c to this website
Hi Cheryl! It’s free to sign up for my emails. And I’ll have a rhubarb jam in a few weeks that you will probably like. I haven’t tried a sauce yet but will definitely give it a go this rhubarb season!
This recipe sounds great and easy! Love marmalades and jams. I am considering doing enough to cold pack to seal them. Do you think it will work?
Yes! It is perfect for canning!