Description

This Ultimate Seville Orange Marmalade recipe captures the vibrant, tangy essence of Seville oranges to create a perfect, traditional marmalade. The process involves slow simmering whole oranges with lemon juice, extracting both juice and peel, and carefully boiling with sugar to achieve a set, sweet, and slightly bitter spread, ideal for breakfast or teatime.

Ingredients

Scale

Fruit and Juice

1.3 kg Seville oranges (whole)
Juice of 2 lemons

Sugar

2.6 kg preserving or granulated sugar

Optional for Variation

100 g fresh root ginger (peeled, thinly sliced and tied in muslin bags) for ginger marmalade

Instructions

Prepare Fruit and Simmer: Place whole Seville oranges and lemon juice in a large preserving pan and cover with 2 litres (4 pints) of water. If water does not cover the fruit, use a smaller pan. Weight the oranges with a heatproof plate if needed to keep submerged. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer gently for around 2 hours until the peel is tender enough to pierce with a fork.
Dissolve Sugar: Warm half the sugar in a very low oven. Carefully pour off the cooking water from the oranges into a jug, then tip the oranges into a bowl. Return the cooking liquid to the pan.
Prepare Pips and Pith: Once the oranges are cool enough to handle, cut them in half and scoop out all the pips and pith, adding these to the reserved orange liquid in the pan. Bring this mixture to the boil for 6 minutes, then strain through a sieve into a bowl, pressing the pulp with a wooden spoon to extract pectin.
Mix Peel and Prepare for Boiling: Pour half of the strained liquid into a preserving pan. With a sharp knife, finely shred half of the boiled orange peel and add it to the liquid with the warmed sugar. Stir gently over low heat until all sugar is fully dissolved, around 10 minutes.
Boil to Setting Point: Bring the mixture to a rapid boil and bubble vigorously for 15 to 25 minutes until marmalade sets (perform a setting test if desired).
Final Skim and Potting: Remove pan from heat and skim off any scum on the surface. To dissolve excess scum, add a small knob of butter and stir gently. Allow the marmalade to stand in the pan for 20 minutes for the peel to settle, then pot it into sterilised jars, seal, and label.
Repeat for Second Batch: Repeat steps 2 to 6 for the second half of the sugar and remaining peel and liquid to make a second batch.

Notes

Ensure to use Seville oranges specifically for their bitter peel and rich flavour essential in marmalade.
Warming sugar helps it dissolve more easily and prevents graininess in the final product.
The pips and pith contain natural pectin which helps achieve the perfect set.
Be careful not to burn the marmalade while boiling rapidly—stir gently as needed.
Skim off scum to improve clarity and shelf life of marmalade; butter helps dissolve excess scum.
Use sterilised jars to prevent spoilage and ensure long shelf life.
The ginger variation adds a spicy kick—add ginger bags after sugar dissolution during step 3, then remove the bags before potting.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
Category: Preserves
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: British

Keywords: Seville orange marmalade, homemade marmalade, preserve recipe, traditional marmalade, citrus marmalade