Name: Homemade Blood Orange Marmalade
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 65 min
Ingredients: 3 pounds blood oranges (8 small to medium-sized); ½ cup bottled lemon juice; ⅛ teaspoon baking soda; 2 ½ cups water; 1 1.75 oz. box powdered pectin; 6 cups sugar; 1 teaspoon ground ginger; ½ teaspoon butter or margarine (to reduce foaming)

This blood orange marmalade has the perfect balance of sweet, bitter, and tart flavors and shows off the beautiful red color of blood oranges. This waterbath canning recipe is straightforward and great to do in the winter when blood oranges are on sale (and you won’t get hot and sweaty canning like you do in summer).

Prep Time:15

Cook Time:20

Process Time:30

Total Time:1 5

Equipment

Waterbath canner
4-quart medium saucepan
8-quart pot
Half pint jars + lids and rings
Jar lifter
Canning funnel
Ladle

Ingredients

3 pounds blood oranges 8 small to medium-sized
½ cup bottled lemon juice
⅛ teaspoon baking soda
2 ½ cups water
1 1.75 oz. box powdered pectin
6 cups sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger

Optional

½ teaspoon butter or margarine to reduce foaming

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Instructions

Prep jars and lids. Wash the jars with hot, soapy water. Place the jars in the waterbath canner with enough water to fully submerge them. Set the burner to medium and allow the jars to simmer in hot water. Wash the lids and rings, then transfer them to a small pot filled with water. Place over low and allow the lids and rings to simmer.
Prep oranges. Cut the top and bottom off of the blood oranges. Remove the peels in small sections using a very sharp knife or a vegetable peeler.
Slice peels. Cut the peels into thin slices and set aside. You only need 2 cups of sliced peels.
Simmer. Add water, baking soda, and orange peels in a medium-sized saucepan or pot. Place the pot over medium heat and simmer covered for 20 minutes.
Chop. Remove the membrane (the white part) from the blood oranges. Roughly chop the blood oranges into pieces. You should have about 4 ½ cups of fruit and juice.
Simmer. Place the cut fruit and the lemon juice into a large 8-quart pot. Drain and transfer the peels to the pot. Cover and simmer the whole mixture on low for 10 minutes.
Add pectin. Add the pectin and stir until well combined. If you’re using butter, add it now. This will reduce foaming that happens during the boiling process but is not necessary.
Boil. Bring the mixture to a full rolling boil for 2 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring constantly throughout.
Add ginger and sugar. Stir in the ground ginger. Add the sugar all at once and stir to combine. Bring the mixture back up to a full rolling boil and boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, and skim any foam off the top using a slotted spoon.
Fill jars and add lids. Transfer the jars from the waterbath canner to a heat-safe area. Top with a canning funnel. Ladle the hot mixture into the hot jars. Fill the jars with a ¼ inch of headspace. Wipe the jar rims with a moistened paper towel. Place the jar lid on top, followed by a ring. Tighten the rings so they are fingertip-tight.
Process jars. Transfer jars to the waterbath canner. Add a splash of white vinegar to the canner to prevent the jars from becoming cloudy (mineral build-up). Cover and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, process for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude.
Cool. Turn off the heat, remove the lid from the waterbath canner, and allow the jars to sit in the canner for 5 minutes before removing them. Transfer jars to a heat-safe space and cool for 12-24 hours.
Check seals and store. Check the lids for a proper seal by pressing on the center. The center shouldn’t pop up. Store in a cool place for up to 18 months.

Notes

You can skip the pectin in a pinch and boil the mixture until it hits a soft-ball stage (where the temperature is between 235 and 245℉).
Place a candy thermometer on the side of your pot. When the mixture hits a rapid boil, continue to stir until the mixture hits 235℉. This can take between 10-20 minutes, depending on the burner.
Do a test by placing a plate or saucer in the freezer for 10 minutes, removing it from the freezer, and dropping a small amount of marmalade on the plate. Drag your finger over the marmalade. If it stays split without running, it has cooked long enough to thicken without adding pectin.
Remember that the mixture can burn easily at this point, so you will want to stir it continuously.

Note: the nutrition facts are for 1 half-pint jar.

Nutrition

Servings: half-pint jars

Calories: 684kcal

Author: Katie

Unlike jam, marmalade includes peels, which makes it slightly bitter to balance the sweetness. If you’ve never had blood oranges before, they are quite good. They’re less acidic than regular oranges and have a sweet, almost berry-like flavor.

jar of marmalade with blood orange beside it.

You want to take your time with each step to make sure you get the perfect consistency and balanced flavor.

Kitchen Wisdom

Before powdered pectin was available, our grandmothers had saved the peels and piths of fruit. They contain natural pectin. By adding just a little bit of baking soda to them, we can soften them up and cut down on the bitterness.

And before there were candy thermometers, the old freezer plate test was the way to go. A cold plate and a finger drag told you everything you needed to know about whether your preserve would set properly.

Tips for Success

Check peel texture – When simmering the peels, they should become fork-tender. If they’re still tough after 20 minutes, give them a few more minutes.

Full rolling boil matters – Make sure bubbles break across the entire surface even while stirring. This high heat is necessary for proper setting.

Watch for thickening – The mixture will become glossier and thicker when it’s ready. If using the cold plate test, look for the mixture to wrinkle slightly when pushed.

Adjust for altitude – If you’re above 1,000 feet, add 1 minute of processing time per 1,000 feet. Check out this article for specific elevations and timing.

Check for proper seals – A properly sealed jar will have a lid that doesn’t flex when pressed in the center. No popping means a good seal.

Ingredients and Equipment

Blood oranges: Available from December through April. Choose firm fruits with good color. If you can only find regular oranges, try making my orange marmalade recipe.

Powdered pectin: Even though we have natural pectin from the peels, their amount can vary. This gives us a reliable set.

Bottled lemon juice: Use bottled for consistent acidity levels, which matters for safe preservation.

marmalade ingredients measured out in bowls on counter.

Waterbath canner: Needed for proper processing. A large stockpot with a rack works if you don’t have one.

Jar lifter: Makes removing hot jars much safer and easier.

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Make It Your Own

You can’t change too much with a canning recipe, but here are a few things.

Try a mix of citrus – combine with grapefruit or Meyer lemons for different flavors.
Switch spices by using cinnamon or cardamom instead of ginger.
Make a quick chicken glaze by warming 1/4 cup marmalade with a tablespoon of Dijon mustard.

Storage & Serving

This marmalade is great on toasted cranberry orange sourdough bread or spread over orange French toast. If you want to get fancy, you can also serve it on a charcuterie board with cheese – the slight bitterness pairs well with aged cheeses.

Properly sealed jars will keep in a cool, dark place for up to 18 months, though the color may fade slightly.
Once opened, refrigerate and use within 3 weeks.

Making this is worth the effort. The bright color and flavor will brighten your dull, gray winter mornings, and having homemade preserves on hand makes breakfast feel special.

Homemade Blood Orange Marmalade