Three Citrus & Vanilla Bean Marmalade Recipe (2024)

04. December 2018

Our friend and guest blogger Chez LaRae created thisvibrantThree Citrus & Vanilla Bean Marmalade recipe. This citrus marmalade would make a great holiday gift. Use our free printable tags and labels to decorate your jars for gift-giving.You can follow LaRae’s amazing food adventures onInstagram,Facebook, and herwebsite. LaRaeis a self-taught baker, cooking and baking instructor, recipe developer, and an editor at@thefeedfeed.See LaRae's otherrecipe guest blog posts.

Three Citrus & Vanilla Bean Marmalade Recipe (1)

Citrus hits its peak of flavor during the colder monthstherefore makingit ideal for a cold-weather canning project. This Three Citrus & Vanilla Bean Marmalade highlights oranges, grapefruits, and lemons while adding beauty and real flavor with whole vanilla beans.

What exactly is marmalade? Marmalade is a clear, sweetened jelly in which pieces of fruit and fruit rind are suspended. Oftentimesthe jelly will be slightly bitter due to the use of fruit peels. Marmaladehas been madenot only usingoranges, but also grapefruits, kumquats, lemons, limes, grapefruits,and bergamots. It is such a flexible treat.

Three Citrus & Vanilla Bean Marmalade Recipe (2)

When buying citrus for this recipe, look for the very best. Poor batches of citrus make for poor batches of marmalade. Look for fruit free of bruises. Buy organic if possible as it will be free of sprays, pesticides, and waxes. Please use vanilla beans for this recipe. The vanilla seeds are gorgeous in the marmalade and the flavor is unbelievable. If you do not want to use vanilla beans you will still get a lovely product. Omit vanilla entirely for a beautiful three-citrus marmalade.

Tips: After allowing your jars to cool overnight you may think that your marmalade has not properly set. If you have followed each step correctly, never fear. Sometimes it takes marmalade up to 48 hours (or a week) to set properly. This is because natural pectin can take a little longer to develop a firm set.

There are a few different ways to test if your jam is set. I prefer using a digitalinstant read thermometer. It gives an exact read which leads to a high success rate with regards to jams and marmalades. My favorite brand is Thermapen. The other methods (sheeting off of a spoon test and frozen plate test) are good if you donot own a thermometer, however results may vary and these tests take some jamming experience.

Three Citrus & Vanilla Bean Marmalade Recipe (3)

Three Citrus & Vanilla Bean Marmalade (Makes about five half-pint jars)

Recipe modified from "The All New Ball Book Of Canning And Preserving: Over 200 of the Best Canned, Jammed, Pickled, and Preserved Recipes".

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Ingredients:

  • 4 large oranges
  • 4 large ruby red grapefruit
  • 2 large lemons
  • 4 cups sugar
  • 3 1/2 cups water
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 vanilla beans, split lengthwise

Directions:

Place rack in the bottom ofa boiling water canner, then place empty jars on the rack. Add water to the jars and the canner until the jars are about two-thirds full. Cover the canner and bring the water to a simmer over medium heat. Place lids in a small saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Do not boil. Keep lids hot until ready to use.

Three Citrus & Vanilla Bean Marmalade Recipe (4)

Scrub fruit thoroughly of sprays and waxes, rinse well, and dry. Using micro plane zester or small holes on a box grater, grate zest from oranges, grapefruits, and lemons. Try to not get too much of the white, bitter pith in the mix.

Three Citrus & Vanilla Bean Marmalade Recipe (5)

Using a sharp, thin-bladed knife, cut a 1/4 inch thick slice from each end of oranges, grapefruit, and lemons. Working with one piece of fruit at a time, place flat-end down on cutting board, and remove peel in strips, cutting from top to bottom. Hold peeled fruit over a bowl and collect juices. Slice between membranes and gently remove whole segments. Reserve segments and juice. Discard membranes and seeds.

Three Citrus & Vanilla Bean Marmalade Recipe (6)

Three Citrus & Vanilla Bean Marmalade Recipe (7)

Stir together sugar, water, and kosher salt, citrus zests, reserved citrus segments, and reserved juice in a stainless steel pot. Split and scrape seeds from vanilla beans. Add seeds and beans to mixture.

Three Citrus & Vanilla Bean Marmalade Recipe (8)

Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until instant read thermometer registers 220 degrees Fahrenheit. Note, this will take about one hour; no need to rush this process. Remove mixture from heat. Remove and discard vanilla beans. Skim foam, if necessary.

Ladle hot marmalade into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Remove air bubbles and readjust headspace. Wipe jar rims with a damp cloth. Center lids onto jars. Apply bands and adjust to fingertip-tight. Place jars in boiling-water canner. Repeat until all jars are in canner.Cover the canner with a lid and bring water to a full rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling hard and continuously, begin counting the processing time of10 minutes.

Once10 minutes is complete, turn off heat and let jars sit in canner an additional five minutes. This standing time allows the pressure inside the jars to stabilize and reduces the likelihood of liquid loss that could otherwise occur when the jars are removed.

Remove jars and place on a kitchen towel-lined space. The towel will help reduce the chance of jar breakage. Do not dry the lids or jars at this point. You do not want to disturb the lids while the seals are being formed. Allow jars to cool for 24 hours before removing bands and wiping down jars. Date jars and store in a cool dry place for up to one year.

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Three Citrus & Vanilla Bean Marmalade Recipe (9)

Three Citrus & Vanilla Bean Marmalade Recipe (10)

Add some sunshine to your jars with ourFREE Printable citrus marmalade hang tags and canning labels. Your marmalade will be the perfect DIY holiday or winter housewarming gift.

Shop ourCitrus Canning Label Collectionto label all of your lemon, lime, and orange goodie jars.

Wantto put up some sunshine? Try our Zesty Lime Curd recipe!

Want more citrus canning recipes? See our Citrus Canning Recipesblog post for jam, jelly, marmalade & more!

Follow our Citrus Canning Pinterest Board for even more recipes!

Three Citrus & Vanilla Bean Marmalade Recipe (14)

Three Citrus & Vanilla Bean Marmalade Recipe (15)

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Comments (4)

Molly on December 09, 2020

How many jars does this usually yield?

CanningCrafts on December 09, 2020

Molly, the recipe Makes about five half-pint jars.
Thanks!
Alison
CanningCrafts

Molly on December 12, 2020

Thank you so much!

Anne Zander on January 10, 2021

For those of you that are preserving foods such as this delicious product you do need to adjust for your elevation if you are above sea level. Those individuals that live at a high elevation just take the 10 minute boiling water bath time of 10 minutes and add 1 minute for every 1000 feet above sea level. ENJOY

Three Citrus & Vanilla Bean Marmalade Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the ratio of oranges to sugar in marmalade? ›

Weigh the oranges and make a note of the weight, as this will tell you how much of the other ingredients you'll need, to ensure the marmalade sets well. My basic ratio is: both the sugar and the strained liquid from the sliced and simmered oranges should roughly equal twice the weight of the uncooked whole oranges.

Why do you soak oranges for marmalade? ›

Leave to soak overnight. This helps to extract the maximum amount of pectin from the fruit pulp, which will give a better set. It also helps to soften the peel, which will reduce the amount of cooking needed.

What fruit is best in marmalade making? ›

Citrus is the most typical choice of fruit for marmalade, though historically the term has often been used for non-citrus preserves. One popular citrus fruit used in marmalade production is the bitter orange, Citrus aurantium var.

Why put butter in marmalade? ›

To prevent scum forming on the top of your jam, add a knob of butter to your fruit at the same time as you add the sugar, we recommend 20 grams per 1 kilogram of fruit. Note: Scum is nothing sinister, it is only air bubbles that are created during the cooking process, they will not ruin your jam/marmalade if they form.

What happens if you boil marmalade too long? ›

Don't overcook your marmalade

Lady Claire Macdonald, food writer: While you're testing your marmalade to see if it's set, take it off the boil. Otherwise you risk boiling away the water content, and ending up with a dark, over-thick marmalade that's dry and rubbery.

Why is my marmalade peel hard? ›

The volume of water listed in the recipe should be sufficient to soften the peel. As a guide for every 675g citrus, I add 1.75 litres water. Insufficient water and too short a cooking time will fail to soften the peel and extract the pectin necessary for a good set.

Can I use brown sugar when making marmalade? ›

Slice the oranges and cut them in pieces. Weigh the pulp, in order to determine how much sugar you'll have to add while cooking. We suggest 500 gr of brown sugar per kilo of pulp. Of course, you can add more or less sugar, depending on the sweetness degree you prefer for your marmalade.

What has more sugar jam or marmalade? ›

When it comes to their nutritional properties level, there are no huge differences, even if jam is slightly less caloric than marmalade in equal parts. A more interesting wedge concerns its sugars quantity, which obviously turn out to be bigger for marmalade.

How long should marmalade boil for? ›

Slowly bring the pan to the boil. After 10 mins boiling, spoon a small blob of marmalade onto the cold saucer. Leave for a few secs, then push the marmalade with your finger. If it wrinkles, it's ready.

Do you leave the pith in marmalade? ›

Many marmalade recipes will have you remove the peel, boil it once, twice, or three times, and then separate the tasty and colorful zest from the bitter white pith. However, you can also remove the pith at the start. Use a sharp peeler or paring knife to carefully cut off the zest from each piece of fruit.

How to tell when marmalade is done? ›

You simply spoon a little of the peel and cooking liquid onto a frozen plate, then return it to the freezer for 2 minutes. Take the plate out and push your finger through the liquid part. If it “wrinkles” and looks like, well, set jelly, you know the marmalade is ready.

What is the best sugar for marmalade? ›

Caster sugar is the one to avoid. The crystals are too fine, which is great for baking but they will dissolve too quickly when making marmalade. Granulated sugar is a good choice. The large crystals will dissolve quickly and cleanly, resulting in a clear, amber liquid that best shows off your perfectly floating peel.

What thickens marmalade? ›

Making Marmalade and Jams with Pectin

Pectin is a gelling agent and provides texture, helping the setting process when jams and marmalade cools. Fast set high methoxyl pectin is mostly used for chunky jams and marmalades. Pectin is especially used to thicken recipes that include low-pectin-producing fruits.

Why add lemon juice to marmalade? ›

Adding acid in the form of fresh lemon or lime juice is important for two reasons: First, it makes for a more well-balanced jam, returning some of the acidity lost with the addition of sugar. Second, pectin needs acid to properly activate, or firm up.

How do you reduce the bitterness in marmalade? ›

Use Valencia oranges if you can find them – if not, regular navel oranges are fine too. The main secret in producing a sweet (instead of bitter) marmalade is to reduce the amount of white pith, seeds, and membranes.

Does lemon juice help marmalade to set? ›

A Marmalade to Make

When it comes time to cook the oranges with sugar and water, it can be helpful to add the juice of a whole lemon, which contains pectin, to help the jelly set. Once the nappe point is reached (when the syrup coats the back of a spoon nicely), the hot marmalade is ready to be jarred.

What helps marmalade set? ›

Pectin occurs naturally in fruit and it is this pectin that helps marmalade to set.

Why add baking soda to marmalade? ›

Baking soda is slightly alkaline and helps to break down the peels, shortening the time it takes to cook and soften them. You do not have to use it to make good marmalade, but it helps shorten the cooking process.

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