Orange jam has a warm and sunny flavor, and the addition of winter spices makes it the perfect wintertime jam.
Orange marmalade gets all the attention, but what if you want all the flavor without the peel? The sliced orange peel in a marmalade adds a hint of bitterness to balance out the sweetness of the jam, but at the expense of texture in my opinion. I’m also skeptical about using the peels of a highly sprayed crop, and organic citrus can be hard to find up here in the Northeast.
Orange jam is basically an orange marmalade without the peel, and warm winter spices help to add just enough bitterness to contrast the sweetness of the orange itself. Since the fruits are quite sweet to start, you only need a tiny bit of sugar to make an out of this world orange jam.
Any type of oranges will work wonderfully in this jam, each providing their own unique texture. Tangerines, in particular, have a lovely flavor, and a lot of sweetness. Clementines are a wintertime favorite in these parts, and by far the easiest to find. Keep in mind a sweeter tangerine may require less sugar, and a more bitter orange may require slightly more. Adjust to your tastes.
Start by peeling the oranges, removing as much of the white pith as possible. If the oranges are tough to peel, it’s perfectly fine to peel them with a sharp knife. It takes about 1 1/2 pounds of oranges to make an 8-ounce jar of jam, so you’ll need quite a few for a full canner bath. I’ve written this as a small batch recipe for just two small jars, using 3 pounds of oranges but it can be doubled or quadrupled to make as many as 8 jars of orange jam at once. Larger batches get a bit tricky, and may not gel correctly, so don’t start with more than 12 pounds of oranges at once.
Once the oranges are peeled, they need to be pureed. I use an immersion blender and puree them right in the jam pot. A blender also works well if you work in batches. Try to get a smooth puree, blending up the dividing membranes so the orange jam doesn’t finish with chunks remaining.
Place the orange puree in a saucepan and add sugar. Three pounds of oranges makes about 5 cups of orange puree, and I’m adding one cup of sugar to that amount. To my palate, it’s wonderfully sweet without being over the top. Feel free to add a few tablespoons of lemon juice to boost the acidity and add a bit of tart.
Lemon juice is not necessaryfor safety, and oranges can be canned without any additional acidity.
For spices, I’ve added warm winter spices including cinnamon, cloves and star anise. Just one or two of each keeps it simple, and adds just a tiny bit of spice without overpowering the orange.
Be careful not to use more than 1 or 2 cloves since they have a very strong flavor. Ginger and allspice would also be good spice choices.
Regardless of what you choose, put them into the jam pot whole and fish them out before canning. Wrapping them up in a tiny bit of cheesecloth tied with cooking twine makes this really easy, or you can just carefully count them before you start and fish them out as the jam gets close to done.
Oranges have plenty of natural pectin and there’s no need to add pectin to orange jam. Some varieties of pectin actually use citrus fruits as their pectin source, so adding pectin seems a bit silly.
Starting with just pureed oranges and a bit of sugar, it takes about 20-30 minutes for the jam to thicken. As it begins to visibly thicken in the pot, test a bit on a plate kept in the freezer and turn off the heat when it gets to the right consistency.
Fill prepared canning jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes and once the jars seal they’re ready for storage in the pantry.
Alternately, store the orange jam in the fridge and it’ll keep for several weeks.
Orange Jam Variations
With orange jam, there’s a lot of room to experiment. Try different types or oranges, add in a bit of peel to make it orange marmalade or mix it with fresh summer herbs for a unique twist. Here are a few of the best orange jam variations I’ve found yet:
A simple orange jam captures the sunniness of citrus, and a bit of warm spice adds complexity.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs oranges, peeled, roughly 5 cups puree
- 1 cup sugar
- 1-2 each cinnamon sticks, star anise & cloves, (optional)
Instructions
- Peel the oranges, removing as much of the white pith as possible.
- Puree the oranges with an immersion blender or regular blender.
- Place orange puree in a saucepan and add sugar and spices.
- Simmer the orange puree over moderate heat until it thickens into a jam, about 20-30 minutes. Test for consistency on a plate that's been kept in the freezer.
- Pour the orange jam into prepared canning jars and either store in the refrigerator or process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes.
More Ways to Preserve Citrus
Looking for more ways to preserve citrus this season? Here are some of my favorite canning recipes:
- Salt Preserved Lemons
- Canning Lemons (3 Ways)
- Canning Lemon Curd
- Citrus Seed Pectin for Canning
- Kumquat Jam
Related
FAQs
The most important step in making orange jam is to boil orange peels to remove the bitter, bitter substance of this jam. In the steps of making jam, the orange peel step will greatly affect the quality of the final product.
What's the difference between marmalade and orange jam? ›
Marmalades contain the peel of the fruit as opposed to the whole fruit which jam is made from. Is marmalade just orange jam? No, orange jams use the entire fruit by crushing, pureeing and cooking, whereas marmalades consist of the citrus peel, (not the whole fruit).
What to pair with orange jam? ›
Orange jam and fresh cheeses
A very traditional pairing is the one between orange jam, with its sour taste, and fresh cheeses with a soft texture and a sweet flavour: ricotta, Camembert and mascarpone.
Why do you put warm sugar in marmalade? ›
Some recipes ask you to heat the sugar in a low oven before adding it to the pan. This stops the temperature in the pan from decreasing when the sugar is added and, consequently, reduces cooking time, which is preferable; shorter cooking time = brighter fruit flavour.
What flavors counteract bitterness? ›
Sweetness: From sugar, honey, fruits or otherwise, sweetness will counteract bitter and sour flavours. It can also be used to cut down the heat of a particularly spicy meal. Saltiness: Salt plays two very important roles in flavouring a dish. Firstly, it balances against bitterness.
How do you get the bitter taste out of orange marmalade? ›
Re: Bitter Orange Marmalade
Yes, removing pith reduces bitterness. Another method, much easier than carefully peeling all your fruit, is to just slice it up as normal, then soak in cold water overnight - then discard the water the next day and proceed with the recipe.
Why do you soak oranges for marmalade? ›
Tie the muslin square into a little bag and add it to the bowl. Make sure everything is immersed in the water. Leave to soak overnight or for several hours if possible. This helps to extract pectin from the fruit and soften the peel, which will reduce the amount of cooking.
Can I use orange instead of lemon in jam? ›
Orange juice is a good one-to-one substitute for lemon juice in most recipes. It's less acidic, sweeter, and less tart than lemon juice. Plus, it has a different flavor profile. In recipes in which a large amount of lemon juice is needed, substituting for it with orange juice may significantly impact the flavor ( 4 ).
Why is there no orange jam? ›
Well there is a perfectly good explanation for this (it's not that we just want our marmalade to sound fancy); jam is made using the pulp and juices of a fruit, whereas marmalade is made from citrus fruit and uses the juice and peel or rind – giving it the delicious chunky bits in it that make marmalade so tasty!
Why is my orange jam bitter? ›
What makes it special is its slightly bitter aftertaste. The advice is to use only fresh and untreated oranges in order to obtain a flavorful jam. If the aftertaste is too bitter and you can't remove the bitterness from the jam, prick the oranges and boil them for about 40 minutes, drain and cover with cold water.
5 Ways to Thicken Homemade Jam
- Just wait. You've followed the recipe and even tested the jam for thickness by smearing a bit of the cooked jam on a cold spoon straight from the freezer, but it still looks runny in the canning jars after processing. ...
- Add chia seeds. ...
- Cook it again. ...
- Add pectin. ...
- Cook it in a low oven.
WordReference English Thesaurus © 2024. Synonyms: preserves, conserve, jam , jelly , confiture, compote.
What is the secret to a good marmalade? ›
What the experts say:
- Get in the mood. Sarah Randell, food director Sainsbury's Magazine: Always make marmalade when you're in the mood. ...
- Keep it Simple. ...
- Soften your peel properly. ...
- Listen to your marmalade. ...
- Don't overcook your marmalade. ...
- Cool before potting - but not too much. ...
- Freeze your Sevilles, but not too ripe.
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? ›
Once the sugar is dissolved, a boil to a set takes an average of 5-7 minutes. Prolonged boiling times, up to 30 minutes, a common recommendation in food magazines often results in syrupy, caramelised marmalade, a ruined pan and evidence of an unreliable recipe.
Why is my jam bitter? ›
Why does jam taste bitter? Your jam may taste bitter because it's over-cooked. Sometimes overcooked jam can be a good thing, as it has a nice caramel flavor that will work well used in desserts. However, if it's really overcooked the sugar will give it a bitter burnt taste.
How do you make jam less tart? ›
If it's too tart, add more sugar (or honey, or maple syrup). You can add flavorings (spices, vanilla bean, booze, tea, herbs) if you want to zip things up. Or leave it plain, though I often add a pinch of salt to bring out the flavors. Then let it cool, and store in the fridge (or freezer).
Why are my candied orange slices bitter? ›
A: You may not have boiled your orange slices long enough in plain water to pull out the bitterness from the peel. To make it less bitter next time, boil a few minutes longer and maybe a couple additional cycles (boil-rinse).
