Orange Marmalade: the recipe for making it at home

Orange marmalade is a citrus fruit preserve you can easily prepare at home with oranges, peels and sugar. It can be spread on bread or rusks, or for the preparation of pies and cakes. 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. Soak them for 12-15 hours and change the water from time to time.

If you want to make orange marmalade with peel, wash your oranges well, and use them with all the peel. Otherwise, use half with the peel and half without. If, on the other hand, you want to add strips of peel, cut them thinly, eliminating all the bitter white parts, and add them to the pot together with the cut oranges and sugar. If you use oranges with the peel, and you want to eliminate the bitterness, prick them with a fork and soak them for three days in a pot full of water, which you will change every day. In this way the oranges will lose the bitter part that many do not like.

How to make Orange Marmalade

To make the orange marmalade, start by sanitizing the jars.

Peel the oranges with the help of a knife, also removing all the white parts.

Cut the pulp of the oranges in half, remove all the seeds and make it  in pieces until you get 1 kg of pulp.

Arrange everything in a saucepan with the sugar and place on the stove over medium heat, until the sugar is completely dissolved and the orange pulp begins to disintegrate.

Lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally for about 40 minutes. Turn off the stove, take a teaspoon of hot jam and place it on a saucer. Wait a couple of minutes and tilt the plate. If the jam will slide slowly, then it is ready.

Transfer the hot jam into the sanitized jars and screw the lids firmly on. Turn the jars upside down and let them cool before putting them back upright.

Check that the jars are vacuum-sealed. Pressing the cap you will not hear the classic click-clack. Keep your orange marmalade in the pantry and wait a few days before enjoying it.

How to store Orange Marmalade

You can store the orange marmalade for 5 months. Always check that the jar is vacuum-sealed before consuming it. Once opened, keep the orange marmalade in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 weeks.