Homemade Orange Marmalade Recipe
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!
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Get the Recipe: 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.
113 Comments on “Homemade Orange Marmalade Recipe”
I made these from the orange tree in my yard. They have thick rinds. I cut about a 3rd of the rind off, discarded them and simmered the rest for an hour,. I did the set test in the freezer on a very cold plate and it set in 5 minutes. I also canned them in 4 oz jars. The recipe made 5 jars. I boiled them for 10 minutes in the jars. The cooking time in the pot is going to vary due to the thickness of the rind. The canning method boiling time is going to vary depending on your altitude. If you have not ever canned before, you can go to the National Center For Home Food Preservation website for more information.
I’m sorry, my miscount, 7 jars! 🙂
🙂
Thank you so much for your canning tips! I know a lot of readers will appreciate it as much as I do.
I tried this recipe… It took much longer than stated but it did turn out perfectly! And it taste great! Thanks for sharing!
Sometimes it does take a bit longer to make depending on the type of oranges used for the recipe. So glad you loved it!
can I water bath can this recipe ?
I’ve never done it but it should work out just fine!
Canning for jam is ten minutes in a boiling water bath -simple
Thank you!
I’m getting ready to try this recipe now. Wish me luck.
Please let me know how it turned out!
Absolutely adore this! Thank you so much – so easy to make, and it worked! I always thought having some home made marmalade would be difficult, so I appreciate your sharing x
Thank you for your comment! It’s a favorite of mine.
Thank you! This is my second time making the marmalade. I was so happy with the first results! Thanks for the helpful recipe. I don’t think I’ll buy another jar of marmalade again!
I’m so glad you liked it! A lot of people are commenting it’s watery but I think they didn’t wait long enough for it to chill before making that assumption. thank you for your comment!
Marmalade is currently on- don’t think I,ve cut the oranges small enough! Can I strain them after & leave them out so it becomes more like a jelly jam ? Welsh lady in wales uk 1st time attempting marmalade/ jam! Help!
Hi Jo! If you feel the peels don’t melt down enough, you can strain them. The jam may be a little runnier but to be sure it’s the right consistency, put a drop or two on a plate and stick it in the freezer for about 10-15 minutes to make sure it sets to the consistency you want. Good luck!
I added the seeds from the orange and some lime zest. The seeds help with setting. I put them in a little mesh bag I happened to have. Use lemon seeds too if you have them. I added Jamaica leaves (I’m in Mexico) what a pretty colour and the taste is amazing. Also added a little local vanilla…..it’s setting now, but the cold plate test worked fine. During cooking, added orange juice that’s I’d juiced from the oranges. I don’t like tons of peel so hopefully it will be like runny jelly with a small amount of very thinly sliced peel.
I added the orange juice as the liquid evaporated….so it’s not too thick and sticky
Thank you!
Thank you so much for commenting with your tips! It’s one of my favorite recipes.
Can I double up on thr recipe?
You sure can!
Notice the ratio in the recipe: ONE pound oranges, ONE cup sugar, ONE cup water, ONE tsp vanilla. I just follow that ratio and make much larger batches as I’ve got 2 trees loaded with mandarin oranges. I’ll often use my large (16 qt) stockpot and have made with 8-10 pounds of fruit in a single batch. Then, I process in boiling water bath so it will keep much longer and give for gifts and have some to enjoy myself for a very long time!
Can this recipe be canned so that I can send it to family and friends?
I haven’t tried canning it so I’m not sure.
I cooked this for an extra hour all the while adding more water (approx 2 cups) and it turned into more of a puree than a jam – very disappointing and a huge waste of fruit.
I’m so sorry it didn’t work out for you but I’m curious as to why would you add an extra 2 cups of water? It will definitely turn into more of a puree if you’re adding additional water, you need to give the fruit time to cook down and concentrate. The marmalade does thicken to a jammy consistency when it cools. As when you put jam in the microwave and heat it….it will be runny. So, hot marmalade while you’re cooking it will not set until it’s cooled. Hope that helps.
Left me with hot oranges and no marmalade. #disappointed Will not be recommending to my friends. 🙁
Hi Hope, I’m so sorry this didn’t work out for you. Did you try the freezer test to make sure it set? If the oranges were still hot, did you give them a chance to chill in the fridge overnight? The jam will still be pretty fluid when it’s hot like if you heated jelly in a saucepan, it will become thin.
till After 2 hours I just have hot sweet oranges. I’ve made lots of jam before so I’m not inexperienced so ……… I’ll just put this down to an unfortunate pinterest fail.
The marmalade thickens as it cools….if it’s still hot it’s going to be more liquid……like if you put jam in the microwave for a few seconds.
I have never eaten (or prepared) orange marmalade before, but I have a recipe for glazed carrots that called for it that I wanted to try. THIS IS SO GOOD. I had mandarin oranges on hand, so that’s what I used. I threw them in the food processor with the slicing blade and cooked it all up, per the instructions. It’s delicious.
I’m so so sooooo glad you loved it! AND I can’t wait to use it on my carrots, that sounds so amazing. Thank you!
Can I use coconut sugar instead of white sugar!
You can try! I haven’t tested the recipe with it so I can’t guarantee results.
Tried two batches, even weighed my oranges. The sugar and water evaporate leaving me with just semi soft oranges. First time making a marmalade so I tried twice. Same issue. Even used a candy thermometer but this just didn’t turn out like a spreadable “jam” like it sounds like it’s supposed to.
Never got to the “jammy” consistency you mentioned even after an hour.
Anyone else who’s had problems, have you figured out a solution?
I was so excited to have this for breakfast.
Oh no! I’m so sorry you had issues with the jam not setting up. I’m wondering now if the oranges may be the culprit. I recreated the recipe yesterday using cara cara oranges and it’s IMPERATIVE that the oranges are thinly sliced. I’ll try again with a navel orange. What type of oranges were you using? I have a marmalade expert I can ask for troubleshooting tips, too.