Orange Marmalade (with Step-By-Step Photos)

Orange Marmalade made with beautiful Seville oranges for that bitter sweetness we all know & love. With my helpful step-by-step photos you will be able to enjoy it on toast before you know it! 

Orange marmalade is one of my favourite preserves ever. I absolutely adore its bitter sweet flavour so beautifully delivered by Seville oranges. Spread generously on buttered toast or crumpet, it’s breakfast perfection!

Of course you can make it with other types of oranges which are much sweeter but to me it’s that bitterness that only Seville oranges can provide what marmalade is all about! Are you with me?

I must say that in our 4 people household it is solely myself who enjoys this sunny preserve yet I was adamant I was going to make my own batch this year and there was no stopping me!

Jar of homemade orange marmalade will always make a lovely gift for family and friends plus I shall enjoy it in abundance for breakfast (love it on a thick slice of my Irish Soda Bread or with these delicious Yogurt Bread Rolls) and in variety of yummy bakes (watch this space).

I was a bit worried that I might have bitten off more than I could chew with this whole marmalade making process but surprisingly it turned out to be quite easy. In the end, I’ve ended up with 9 jars of delicious orange preserve. I couldn’t be more chuffed with the result!

My orange marmalade recipe is naturally vegan and gluten-free.

Equipment for marmalade making

Large pan or preserving pan – I must say I do not own a preserving pan* and have used my old trusty stock pot* for making my marmalade. Make sure the pot you use is nice and big (at least 5l).

Sieve* – A must to strain the juice into the pan and for keeping the pips.

Muslin cloth*/cheese cloth – When making our orange marmalade we are relying on pectin provided by all the pips & piths from the fruit which we will be discarding later. Putting them into a little parcel made out of a muslin square, will make disposal super easy later.

Citrus juicer – I’m using my old school citrus juicer* but if beside marmalade making you’re enjoying freshly squeezed orange juice it might be worth investing into something that will make your life easier like this electric juicer*.

Sharp knife – I like using my super sharp chef’s knife* but some people prefer smaller pairing knives* for slicing orange rind. Choose whatever suits you!

Jam Thermometer* – I don’t own one although in hindsight it would definitely make life that bit easier when making marmalade so feel free to use it here.

Small saucers/plates for “wrinkle test” (see below).

Measuring jug* – It will come handy when pouring hot marmalade into the jars.

Wooden Spoon – Perfect for stirring and fishing out the muslin bag.

Jam jars – You can use any clean old jam jars you’ve got to hand. I used a selection of old jam/honey jars I had at home which I washed and sterilised. For the quantity of marmalade from this recipe you will need approximately 9 340g jam jars

Setting Point for Marmalade

Marmalade setting point is 105C/221F so if you’ve got jam thermometer definitely use it to check whether your orange marmalade has reached it. I would still do the “wrinkle test” just to double check.

Wrinkle test is done using well chilled saucer/plate on which you spoon a dollop of marmalade after it’s been on rolling boil for 15 minutes. Once on the plate, you push marmalade with your finger and if it “wrinkles” it is ready. If it appears runny, continue boiling it for another 5-10 minutes and check again.

Storing Marmalade

Store your jars with marmalade in a dark & cool place, away from excessive light and heat. It should last up to 2 years if stored properly. Once opened, store in the fridge for up to 3 months.

Beginner’s tips for making orange marmalade

I definitely don’t consider myself seasoned marmalade maker by any means but tips I’m sharing here with you are based on my own learnings from this process and I hope you find them useful.

1. Reserve some time. Marmalade making is more of a marathon rather than a sprint so choose the day when you know you don’t have to rush or be finished by certain time as timing here can be bit unpredictable.
2. Enjoy the process. Making your own marmalade may seem a bit daunting but it really is quite easy. Allow some time (see 1) and enjoy!
3. Use organic fruit if possible. As we are using the entire fruit here I would highly recommend paying that bit extra for organic fruit that hasn’t been sprayed with pesticides. However, if non-organic is all you’ve got make sure you give it a little scrub.
4. Orange peel. Cut it as thinly or as thickly as you like. Mine is cut sort of in between the two but that’s how I like it.
5. Muslin bag with pips & pith is full of pectin that releases as you boil the peel for 2 hours. However, when you take the bag out of the pan, make sure you squeeze as much of the pectin goodness as possible. Be careful as the bag will be super hot so use gloves is possible. You can also wait until it cools down and give it a good squeeze then.
6. Sterilise your jars. If you want to preserve your marmalade for some time without it going mouldy, your jars need to be sterilised. To sterilise your jars simply wash them (together with lids) in hot soapy water and dry stood up on a clean baking tray in the oven preheated to 150°C/300F for 10-15 min. The jars should be straight from the oven when you pour in your hot orange marmalade. Alternatively, pop them on a hot dishwasher cycle but time it right so that they’re ready when marmalade is.

Easy Marmalade Variations

Once you get to grips with making basic marmalade you can explore different flavour variations. If adding your favourite tipple like whiskey, brandy or some fresh grated ginger for a bit of spice sounds appealing by no means experiment.

How To Make Marmalade – Step-By-Step Instructions

Step 1: Put 3-4 small saucers/plates in the freezer for later. You will need them to check whether your marmalade has reached the setting point later.

Step 2: Prepare the jars and make sure you’ve got the lids for all of them to avoid lots of faff later.

Step 3: Cut oranges in half and squeeze out all the juice pouring it into the pan through the sieve. Remember to keep the pips!

Step 4: Cut the orange peels into quarters and using a teaspoon (find one with relatively sharp edge) scrape out as much of the white pith from the skins as possible. Put it aside with your saved orange pips.

Step 5: Take a muslin square/cotton cloth/cheese cloth and put all the pips and pith on it, gathering into a parcel and tying it up with a string or a strong thread. Do not skip this step as this pip/pith bag contains a lot of pectin you will need for your marmalade to set. Put the bag into the pot and tie it onto the handle for easier removal later.

Step 6: Cut orange peel into strips. I like to cut my quarters into halves and slice them really thinly using a sharp knife. Feel free to cut your peel as thin or as thick as you like, it really is personal preference. Once you’ve sliced all the peel pop it into the pan.

Step 7: Halve and juice one lemon adding the juice to the pan.

Step 8: Pour 2.5 l water into the pan and place it over medium heat and bring to boil. Lower the heat and simmer for approximately 2 hours until orange peel is nice and soft. You can check it by giving it a gentle squeeze between your fingers.

Step 9: Remove pan from the heat. Take muslin bag out of the pan trying to squeeze out as much of the pectin goodness as possible by pressing it against the side of your pan with the spoon or simply squeezing it with your hands (wear gloves as it’ll be super hot). Add sugar to the pan and put it on low heat until it dissolves stirring from time to time. Make sure you let the sugar dissolve completely before you crank up the heat and bring marmalade to boil.

Step 10: Once sugar has dissolved, increase the heat and bring the mixture to boil (it may take some time). Once you get to the point of nice rolling boil with lots of foamy scum on top, let it boil for 15 minutes.

Step 11: Take your saucer out of the freezer and spoon a little bit of marmalade onto it to check whether it’s set. Simply push the liquid with your finger and if it wrinkles your marmalade is done. If it hasn’t reached setting point simply continue boiling it for another 5-10 minutes and do the wrinkle test again. You might have to repeat it few times so don’t get discouraged.

Step 12: Once your marmalade has reached setting point, turn off the heat and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. Skim the excess scum with a spoon.

Step 13: Transfer orange marmalade to sterilised jars, cover with lids and leave to cool. Marmalade will continue to set as it cools down.  Once your jars are completely cold you can put labels on store in dark and relatively cool place or enjoy immediately!

More recipes you might enjoy:

How To Make Lemon Curd

Easy Plum & Chocolate Spread

Cranberry Compote (Sauce)

Wild Garlic & Walnut Pesto

 

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