Authentic marmalade—the kind made from bitter, sour Seville oranges—is not for wimps. Its sweet, tart, astringent, and spicy notes battle fiercely for supremacy on the palate; it is the fruit preserve of choice among those who love a good fight. No surprise, then, that marmalade is most closely associated with Scotland.
I lived in Scotland for several years and, in my experience, the Scots are a smart, tough-minded, practical lot who have little patience for “whinging” and who readily embrace a challenge. This is a country in which mountains are referred to as “hills,” where the natives express their cultural pride by donning kilts and throwing telephone poles around, and where the ability to hold one’s own in a pub debate is the most admired of social traits. So marmalade is, in my opinion, an excellent culinary emblem for the Scots. A smear of Nutella on your morning toast might gently coax you into a difficult day, but a spoonful of Seville orange marmalade slaps you upside the head and admonishes you to get on with it.
Even the process of making the marmalade smacks of ruthlessly rugged Scotland, and my recipe reflects the non-essential, though culturally correct step of warming up sugar in the oven. It might seem unusual, but I’ve seen it in many traditional recipes, and I think I’ve figured out the reason behind it. Marmalade is usually made during the short Seville orange season (the fruit themselves are a rugged, persnickety lot; they’re available for about three weeks in January and can be frozen whole for several months before using), and I can tell you from experience that a Scottish kitchen can be a chilly place because many homes in rural areas are still not centrally heated. Adding cool sugar to a bubbling pot of marmalade would slow the process considerably. Out of deference to the Scots, I don’t skip this step, even though my kitchen is fairly warm.
Here’s my favorite way to eat real marmalade. I slice a thick piece of sourdough bread and spread it with unsalted butter; then I sprinkle that butter with flaky sea salt. I spoon a generous amount of marmalade over the butter and spread it to the edges. Each bite is sweet, salty, spicy, bitter, and chewy—“gorgeous,” as the Scots would say. You should try it, if you’re tough enough.
Step #1 SCRUB IT
Step #2 ▼
First weigh out around 2 pounds of Seville oranges. It’s okay if they’re a bit green or blemished, but I throw out any that have soft spots. Add two lemons for their flavor and pectin. Since all these peels are going into the marmalade, give the fruit a good scrub with a drop of liquid soap and rinse well.
Step #2 BOIL IT
Step #3 ▼
Place the scrubbed fruit in a Dutch oven and add 10 cups of water. Bring the fruit to a boil over high heat.
Step #3 COVER IT
Step #4 ▼
When the fruit has come to a boil, turn the heat down until the water is just simmering. Cover the Dutch oven with heavy-duty foil (or a double layer of regular foil) and place the lid on top.
Step #4 SIMMER IT
Step #5 ▼
Let it simmer away unattended for about 2½ to 3 hours, until the fruit is so soft it can be easily pierced with a skewer. Take the Dutch oven off the heat and let everything cool overnight.
Step #5 WARM IT
Step #6 ▼
The next day, place the sugar in a roasting pan and cover it with foil and place it in a 250-degree oven to warm through. Put freshly washed jars in the oven, too.
Step #6 SCRAPE IT
Step #7 ▼
Remove the fruit from the Dutch oven, and leave the water (which is thick with valuable pectin) in the pot. Sometimes the cooked fruit is so delicate the skin breaks, but that’s not a problem. Cut the fruit into quarters and scrape the pulp and seeds back into the Dutch oven reserving the peels.
Step #8 BOIL IT AGAIN
Step #9 ▼
There’s still more pectin-y goodness to be extracted from the pulp and seeds, so when all the guts are in the pot, I squish them up with my hand, just to make sure all the pectin is as exposed as possible. Bring it all to a boil over high heat again. After it comes to a boil, let it bubble away for 10 full minutes, which is just enough time to chop up the peel.
Step #9 CHOP IT
Step #10 ▼
I take those stacks of peels and slice them length-ways into 4 or 5 strips and then cut them crossways into shreds. A lot of people complain about the chopping part of marmalade production, but since the fruit is cooked until soft, it’s actually really easy. (Seriously. And not because I’m a trained cook with a fancy knife, either.) You could almost do this with a plastic spoon. Some might prefer to chop the peel in the food processor. I couldn’t possibly comment on that.
Step #10 STRAIN IT
Step #11 ▼
When the guts have been boiling for 10 minutes, strain the liquid into a bowl and stir and press the solids lightly, just to get all the good stuff out.
Step #11 BOIL IT YET AGAIN
Step #12 ▼
Then, finally, the guts are discarded and the liquid goes back into the pot. Add the chopped peel and bring it to a boil again. This is starting to seem a bit repetitive, I know, but we’re entering the home stretch.
Step #12 SWEETEN IT
Step #13 ▼
Add the warm sugar to the pot, and stir until sugar is fully melted. Turn the heat up and bring the mixture to a boil. I let it boil for about 30 minutes before I start testing it to see if it has reached the setting point.
Step #13 TEST IT
Step #14 ▼
After 30 minutes, put a teaspoonful of hot marmalade on a cold plate and place it in the freezer to chill for a couple of minutes. Take the plate out of the freezer, and push at the jam with your finger. If it wrinkles, it’s done. If it doesn’t wrinkle, let the marmalade cook for another 10 minutes and test it again, and repeat the process until it’s done. Then remove the pot from the heat and let it cool and thicken for about 20 minutes.
Step #14 JAR IT
I want the marmalade to be fairly thick (but still hot) when I transfer it to the jar. This ensures that the peel will be evenly distributed throughout the jars, rather than just floating to the top. When the marmalade is sufficiently thickened, I ladle it into the warm jars and put the lids on and seal.
About the Author: Andrea Geary
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Why heat the sugar in the oven
Hi, Justin – Funny that you posted today as my one and only batch of 2012 marmalade is cooling on my counter right now!
As I explained above, warming the sugar is a traditional step in the process, probably added because Seville orange marmalade is made in January, and Scottish kitchens can be very cold at that time of year (many of the places I lived in Scotland did not have central heating).
It is very important that all of the sugar melts before the marmalade is brought to its final boil, and starting with warm sugar speeds the process. You can certainly skip this step if your kitchen is warm; just make sure your sugar is fully dissolved before boiling the marmalade or the texture may be grainy.
Hi Justin,
We used demerara sugar, to avoid the more refined white stuff and to get a darker colour overall.
We were however using a miced menagerie of big and small jars. Most of them very difficult to pour the marmalade in to and also difficult to get at that last bit in the bottom, when eating it.
I note that your jars are wide at the top. Are they scrap jars or how could we get them?
@tonydublin – These canning jars are from Weck, and you can get them from weckjars.com. I ordered them for this shoot because they show off the marmalade nicely, but they are very pricey. For my home canning, I use the small Ball jars, and I use a canning funnel to direct the flow of marmalade neatly into the narrow mouth of the jars.
I like the idea of the demerara – you must get caramel-y notes without running the risk of over-cooking.
You’re very jkind to reply.
I guessI ‘ll n be using ‘difficult to get into’ jars for the foreseeable future. Much impressed with your results.
Cheers,
Tony Dublin
Is it possible to make this with less sugar? I’ve read that sugar and pectin go hand in hand to gel the jam… and I find most recipes entirely too sugary for my tastes. For other fruit that don’t have their own pectin, I’ve used a no-sugar-needed pectin which allowed me to use less added sugar.
Do you think with the pectin from the seeds of the citrus, there would be enough gelling action that I could add the sugar to-taste, rather than the quantities in this recipe?
@zibu00 – I have not tried this recipe with less sugar. Because Seville oranges are much more bitter and sour than navel oranges, the flavor of this marmalade is very nicely balanced, much more so than store bought marmalade. I have not tested using less sugar because I think the flavor would veer out of “assertive” territory and careen into “aggressive.”
But perhaps you are interested in reducing the sugar for dietary reasons? Personally, I would cut the sugar in half by using half as much! It really is powerful stuff.
I know that the prospect of using 4 pounds of sugar in one go is daunting, but remember that this recipe yields a whole year’s worth of marmalade, unless you’re a serious fanatic.
You’re correct when you say that gelling of a preserve is dependent upon the proper balance of acid, sugar, and pectin, so if you’re going to experiment I would advise starting out with small batches.
and I’d love to hear how it works out for you.
Andrea
Thanks for the fast response Andrea!
I neglected to mention that I just received a huge box of Meyer lemons from my aunt’s backyard, so I wanted to turn them into marmalade. So my sugar concern was two-fold – the Meyers are not that tart/bitter to begin with, and also I didn’t want to add the sugar for dietary reasons. (I totally get that it’s 4lbs of sugar going into a year’s worth of marmalade!)
So my real concern was in the gelling of the marmalade… I’ve used Pomona’s Universal Pectin with low-sugar jams in the past and had success. But since your recipe is using the naturally occurring pectin from the fruit, I was not sure if I’d need to supplement it, if using less sugar.
I’ve been reading online but most of the recipes with less sugar call for removing and discarding all the seeds and membranes, and adding pectin… which seems a little bit backwards!
Ah, I see! You’re so lucky to have a box of Meyer lemons!
Meyer lemons differ from Seville oranges so much (sweeter, juicier, more delicate peel) that I think you’d be better off using a very different method and proportion of ingredients. I found this one on line for you:
http://growitcookitcanit.com/2011/02/09/meyer-lemon-marmalade/
but I have not made it. It does fit your requirements as far as sugar and pectin are concerned, so it might be a good starting point for you.
Also, I’ve recently read that citrus seeds don’t contribute as much pectin as previously thought. Most of it comes from the membranes and the skin, so no picking them out before cooking makes sense.
Good luck!
Thank you for the recipe link! I don’t know how that did not come up in my searches! This does answer my questions about the pectin and sugar. Interesting that the author soaks the lemons first, to begin the pectin extraction process, before beginning to cook the mixture!
I wonder if I could still use your method of cooking the fruit whole and then scraping and chopping… seems like less work at the end. But maybe with small lemons it might be more work to scrape their mushy cooked bits out!
There is only one way to find out… Guess what I’m doing this weekend!
Just wanted to report back – my first experiment seems to have been a success! I might have made more work for myself than necessary, but I really didn’t want all the membranes in the marmalade, so I started by zesting the lemons first, then supremed them to remove the pith, and separate out all the segments. Discarded the pith, but saved the membranes and seeds for their pectin (they went into a pouch). Then I put everything into a pot and covered with 2c. water (I had about 2 lbs lemons in there). Covered, and let it sit about 12h overnight.
The next day I uncovered the pot, brought everything up to a boil, added 1.5c sugar (gradually, I wanted to make sure it was truly to taste, these lemons took that amount before it was the right balance of sweet-tart-bitter). I let it come up to around 220F (I kept seeing that in recipes so figured there might be some truth in it), and kept it boiling at that temp for about 5min. It did take some further simmering before the jam passed the wrinkle test.
Final volume… around 2.5 cups I think? We did a bit of excessive tasting, so it’s hard to say exactly! It has a beautiful almost-clear jelly part, with lots of rind in it. None of the white pulpy stuff I was seeing in the recipes that left the membranes in. most people would probably say it’s not sweet enough, but it’s perfect for my household.
Onward to round 2! (barely made a dent in the lemons yet!)
@zibu00 – that sounds fantastic! I’m a bit of a perfectionist myself, so I definitely understand segmenting all those lemons. I’m sure the clear jelly studded with rind was a fitting reward.
It was beautiful! I wish I could show you a picture of it. All I want is to keep eating it! The pectin formation was pretty amazing… I love when something so complexly flavoured and delicious can be made with just TWO ingredients!
Funny! I just made marmalade this weekend with Seville oranges using almost the same technique. I didn’t warm the sugar or let anything sit overnight, I just feel like those are unnecessary steps. I got marvelous,thick, bitter-sweet marmalade!
Ok, I probably can’t see for looking but how much sugar to you add and could some of it or all of it be substituted for fructose sugar (which is natural and healthier and you can use a lot less in recipies) or would this not make it set?
Thanks
Ashleigh
I have made this recipe with agave nectar and it was great! I add the agave until it tasted sweet enough. I had a friend who replaced the sugar with Splenda. It came out good but I preferred the agave replacement.
I have two dutch ovens but they are old-fashioned cast iron pots not the ones with the ceramic coating. Can I use these cast-iron cookware to cook the bitter oranges or the lemons to make the marmalade? Or, do I need to use stainless steel or ceramic-coated dutch ovens because of the acidity of the fruit? Maria
Hi, Maria – unless the cast iron Dutch ovens are really well seasoned, I would be reluctant to make marmalade in them, and I would avoid aluminum for the same reason. If you have a large capacity stainless steel pan, that would be great. If it’s not quite as heavy as a Dutch oven, just keep a closer eye on the marmalade so it doesn’t scorch.
Andrea: I just finished my second batch of Seville Marmalade. The taste is wonderful, but I had to tweek it to get the consistency I like. I found the ratio of syrup/jell to fruit too high by far. I like a lot of fruit surrounded by just enough jell to hold the fruit together. So after the batch was cooked (it didn’t take long…thanks for the heat-the-sugar-up-first tip and maybe because I used my Le Creuset pot) I poured it through a strainer, put the fruit back in the pot and added the amount of syrup that made the jam to my liking. I was left with over 2 cups of lovely syrup for which I have no use… Is there anyway I can make a change in the recipe to end up with a thicker consistency? I was afraid to reduce the sugar or the amount of poaching water. Norma
Hi, Norma – pectin jells are dependent upon the interaction of sugar, acid, pectin, and heat, so if you change any one of those variables, the outcome is uncertain.
If you simply decrease the amount of water, the jell will probably set up a little earlier, but I suspect you will end up with the same ratio of jell to rind. If you increase the amount of fruit without increasing the other ingredients proportionately, you risk a jell that doesn’t set up at all.
I think you’re better off doing one of the following: A) finding an alternate use for the excess syrup – sorbet, cocktails, etc. or B) finding a marmalade buddy who likes his/her marmalade with NO rind. It would be a partnership made in preserving heaven
A quick question from someone who has never canned. When you say this makes a year’s marmalade, what do you do to seal the jars that will be stored for a bit? I haven’t had a marmalade in quite some time, and this has peeked my interest!
Hi, Gracie – just enter “Canning 101″ in the search box, and you’ll have all the information you need.
Wow, that’s a long time to boil for a set. Have you tried this recipe?
ww.vivienlloydpreserves.com/marmalade/1316/how-to-make-marmalade-now/
Andrea- I would love to make some of this marmalade, but where in the world can I find Seville oranges? – Jim
Hi, Jim – Sometimes Whole Foods has them in the winter. You could also try “gourmet” type markets; I’ve found them here in Boston at Formaggio, which is primarily a cheese shop, but has lots of interesting foods. If you want to commit, you can probably order a case on-line from a specialty citrus purveyor.
This year I’ve been experimenting with using domestic “sour” oranges, and I’ve had great results. You can check Latin markets for those.
Hi, Viv – I haven’t tried your recipe. Mine reminds me of the eight years I lived in the Scottish Highlands, so I have a particular affection for it. Also, this method perfumes my house so incredibly that – if anything – I would prefer to prolong the process than to shorten it!
When I develop a recipe for the Cook’s Illustrated, I always keep ease and efficiency in mind. But our DIY recipes are about love, not speed. I enjoy the process of making marmalade almost as much as I enjoy the product.
Hi Andrea – I’m about to launch my 3rd batch of Seville marmalade. Why? The other day I was at WholeFoods and couldn’t walk by the bin (small) of Sevilles without taking some home. I have found that my friends are very happy to get a jar of this ambrosiacal concoction, but this time around I am hiding the jars at the back of my jelly cabinet for me me me!
Good idea, njjohnson! I was pretty generous with last year’s supply, and I started to panic around Halloween that I would not have enough to get me through to Seville season and the next batch. Good to know they have them at WF. I thought I was done making marmalade for this year, but if I happen to find myself in the produce aisle at Whole Foods…
As a marmalade novice, I followed this recipe exactly. Our house smells wonderful, and the jars lining the kitchen counter look beautiful. My only question is how long does it usually take for the marmalade to set? I’ve heard it can take up to a couple weeks, and I’m hoping I can stave off the family for as long as possible.
Hi, Megan – Congratulations on your first batch. I feel I should warn you: that smell is addictive! As long as your marmalade passed the “wrinkle” test, it should set up as soon as it cools. I usually find myself making it at night, and it has always been fully set in the morning.
Would you use light brown sugar instead of demara?
The recipe actually calls for granulated white sugar, and I like the clear, bright orange color and clean flavor that it imparts. You could probably sub either light brown or demerara, but I haven’t tested it. If you look up near the top of the comments, it looks like a commenter named Tonydublin has tried demerara with good results.