Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Fruit
- 1000 g seville oranges, whole, scrubbed clean
- 1 lemon, whole
Base
- 2500 ml water
- 2000 g granulated sugar
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 1175 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbohydrates
- 302 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 298 g
- Sodium
- 18 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Potassium
- 280 mg
- Calcium
- 26 mg
- Iron
- 0.3 mg
- Magnesium
- 18 mg
- Phosphorus
- 25 mg
- Zinc
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 13 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 47 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin K
- 0 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.06 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.09 mg
- Niacin
- 0.3 mg
- Folate
- 35 mcg
- Water
- 489 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Juice the Seville oranges and the lemon. Pour the juice into the large pan or bowl used for soaking.
Reserve the pips (seeds) and any pith caught in the juicer. Place these inside a square of muslin cloth. Tie the cloth securely with string to form a bag. This bag contains high levels of pectin essential for the set.
Slice the orange peel into shreds. Thickness is a matter of preference: fine (1mm), medium (3mm), or thick (5mm). Add the sliced peel to the juice.
Add the water and the muslin bag of pips to the juice and peel. Cover and leave to soak at room temperature overnight (or for at least 8 hours). This softens the peel and begins pectin extraction.
Transfer the mixture to a maslin pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about 2 hours, or until the peel is very tender and the contents have reduced by about one-third. The peel must be soft before sugar is added, as sugar hardens the peel.
Remove the muslin bag. Place it in a bowl and allow to cool slightly, then squeeze it firmly (wearing rubber gloves if hot) over the pan to extract every drop of the jelly-like pectin slime. Discard the contents of the bag.
Add the sugar to the pan. Stir over low heat until every grain of sugar has dissolved. Do not boil until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Increase heat to high and bring to a rolling boil. Boil rapidly for 15-20 minutes until the setting point is reached (104.5°C / 220°F).
Test for set: Place a teaspoon of marmalade on a chilled saucer. Let it cool for a minute, then push it with your finger. If it wrinkles, it is ready. If not, boil for another 5 minutes and re-test.
Remove from heat. Skim off any scum from the surface with a spoon. Let the marmalade stand for 15 minutes. This cooling period thickens the liquid slightly so the peel remains suspended rather than floating to the top of the jar.
Ladle into warm, sterilized jars. Cover with wax discs (wax side down) and seal immediately with lids.
Chef's Notes
- The 15-minute rest after boiling is crucial. If you jar it immediately, the peel will float to the top; resting allows the viscosity to increase enough to suspend the peel evenly.
- Squeezing the muslin bag of pips is messy but vital. The viscous 'slime' that comes out is pure pectin, which gives Seville marmalade its superior set.
- Do not reduce the sugar quantity. Sugar acts as the preservative; reducing it will prevent the set and cause the marmalade to spoil.
- Seville oranges are only in season for a short window (usually January-February). You can freeze the whole fruit to make marmalade later in the year.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 month — Once opened.
Troubleshooting
Marmalade is runny/didn't set
Cause: Did not reach setting temperature or insufficient natural pectin
Fix: Return to pan, add juice of 1 extra lemon or a splash of liquid pectin, and re-boil to setting point
Prevention: Ensure rolling boil reaches 105°C/220°F and perform the wrinkle test accurately
Peel is tough
Cause: Sugar was added before the peel was fully softened during the simmer phase
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Test peel softness thoroughly before adding sugar; once sugar is in, the peel will not soften further
Cloudy marmalade
Cause: Scum was not skimmed off or impurities in sugar
Fix: Purely cosmetic; safe to eat
Prevention: Skim diligently at the end and use refined white sugar
Cultural Context
Seville orange marmalade is a cornerstone of the British breakfast table, dating back to the 17th century. While legend attributes its invention to a Scottish grocer's wife in Dundee using a cargo of bitter Spanish oranges to save them from waste, it has evolved into a seasonal ritual for home cooks across the UK.
