Marmalade on a Rainy Day
This post is sponsored by the makers of Ball® home canning products. *
There’s something comforting about making marmalade on a rainy early spring day when the robins have just returned. The rhythm of slicing citrus, simmering peels, and watching the mixture turn glossy and golden feels like a messy meditation, one that ties me back to the long tradition of preserving.
Marmalade is a fruit preserve made by boiling citrus fruit (often including the peel) with water and sugar. The pectin content in the peels thickens the mixture, creating that distinctive, slightly firm texture. Unlike jam, which is made from whole or pureed fruit, marmalade features thin strips of citrus peel that add a bitter note to balance the sweetness. You can make marmalade with lemons, grapefruits, mandarins, limes, or a combination, but one of my favorites is Cara Cara oranges.
Origins of Marmalade
Marmalade has deep roots in European culinary history. The word marmelada comes from Portuguese, meaning “made of quince.” Early marmalades were more like a paste made from quince, a fruit known for its high pectin content, which naturally thickened the mixture. But the marmalade we know today, featuring citrus peels suspended in a sweet, glossy syrup, was refined in Scotland. Legend has it that Mary, Queen of Scots, enjoyed marmalade to ease her seasickness. By the 19th century, marmalade had become a staple of British breakfast tables, paired with toast and tea.
Why Preserve?
In times of chaos and uncertainty, our ancestors used a variety of ways to preserve what they grew and gathered for times of scarcity. Learning these preservation methods is an essential folk skill that connects us to past generations while preparing us for the future. Water bath canning, one of the easiest and safest methods for preserving high-acid foods like citrus, ensures that the fruits of our labor last long after the growing season has ended. Ball® Home Canning supports this timeless tradition through their resources and products.
Preserving isn’t just about food security, it’s also about slowing down and honoring the abundance around us. When I make marmalade, I’m preserving a moment in time, capturing the fleeting sweetness of citrus season and extending its bright flavor into the months ahead.
Cara Cara Oranges: A Sweet Surprise
Cara Cara oranges are a favorite in my kitchen. Growing up in California, I took for granted the glut of citrus in late winter and early spring. At the first house AJ and I shared in college, we had three massive orange trees. I didn’t know much about preserving then. I wish I had recognized the abundance around me. Now, living in the Midwest, I savor every opportunity to bring home paper bags of Cara Caras when they fill the market shelves.
From the outside, Cara Cara oranges look like your average navel orange, but inside, they reveal a stunning ruby-red flesh. Their flavor is sweeter and less acidic, with subtle hints of berries and rose. These vibrant oranges make a perfect base for marmalade, their sweetness balanced by the tartness of lemons in this recipe.
A Two-Day Process Worth the Wait
Making marmalade is a labor of love that unfolds over two days, allowing the flavors to develop and the pectin to do its work. Be sure to set aside enough time and review the recipe carefully before diving in. Making jams and preserves without pectin is a slow, patient ritual, one that honors the fruit’s natural capacity. It begins with slicing and simmering, coaxing out the juices over low heat as the fruit softens and releases its sweetness. The alchemy happens as the mixture thickens, relying on time and evaporation rather than additives. Stirring gently, you watch the bubbles shift from quick and loose to slow and glossy, signaling that the preserve is ready. This process captures the essence of the fruit, its ripest moment, bottled up to savor long after the season has passed. The new and updated 38th Edition Ball® Blue Book Guide to Preserving is filled with tested and approved recipes, tips, and techniques to guide you on your canning journey.
Orange Marmalade Recipe
Here’s my go-to marmalade recipe, featuring the perfect balance of sweet Cara Cara oranges and bright, tart lemons.
Ingredients:
2 cups thinly sliced orange peel (About 10 large Cara Cara orange, preferably organic)
1 quart chopped orange pulp (about 8 to 10 medium)
1 cup thinly sliced lemons (About 2 medium, preferably organic)
1 ½ quarts water
Sugar
Instructions:
Day 1: Prepare the Citrus
Wash the oranges and lemons thoroughly under cold running water to remove any residue or wax; Drain. Cut the fruit in half crosswise, removing seeds as you go. Remove pulp from each orange half, reserving the peel. Chop orange pulp; measure 1 quart chopped orange pulp. Remove the white pith from the orange peel. Thinly slice orange peel and measure out 2 cups of sliced peel. Thinly slice lemons crosswise; remove seeds and discard the ends. Measure 1 cup sliced lemons.
Place all ingredients, except sugar into a large pot. Boil gently for 5 minutes; remove from heat. Cover and let stand in the refrigerator for 12 to 18 hours or overnight.
Day 2: Cook and Can
Cook rapidly until the peel is tender. Measure the fruit and liquid mixture. Add 1 cup of sugar for each cup of fruit mixture, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Cook rapidly over medium heat almost to the gelling point (220 degrees F) stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off foam if necessary. To test for doneness, place a spoonful of marmalade on a chilled plate. If it wrinkles slightly when you push it with your finger, it’s ready.
Ladle the hot marmalade into a hot jar, leaving ¼ inch of headspace. Remove air bubbles. Clean the rims with a damp cloth, center the lids on jars and adjust band to fingertip tight. Place jar on the rack in boiling water canner with simmering water. Repeat until all the jars are filled. Water must cover jars by 1 inch. Adjust heat to medium high, cover canner, and bring water to a rolling boil. Process half pint jars for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Turn off heat and remove cover. Let jars cool for 5 minutes in the canner. Remove jars from canner and set on a wooden cutting board or cloth; do not retighten bands if loose. Cool for 12 hours. Check seals. Label and store jars.
Making your own sunshine.
Marmalade is more than a sweet spread, it's a way to capture the brightness of citrus season and savor it long after the last oranges have disappeared from the shelves. Each jar tells a story of patience, care, and reverence for nature’s gifts.
So, the next time the rain patters softly on your window and the robins announce the coming of spring, take a moment to slow down, gather some citrus, and fill your home with the scent of marmalade simmering on the stove.
*Disclosure: This is a sponsored post that is part of an ongoing partnership with the Fresh Preserving Division of Newell Brands. They have provided jars, equipment and monetary compensation. All thoughts and opinions expressed remain my own.
