Whether it's oranges, tangerines, lemons, or mandarins, we're savoring the best of peak citrus season with this Mandarin Marmalade Recipe. With a few pounds tangerines and mandarins from a recent CSA box the finished product is a delightfully bright and zesty marmalade that is perfect for morning toast or scones.
Scroll down to see how we make this and print or pin the recipe card to make this today. I also share tips for preserving the finished marmalade either through the freezer or through water bath canning.
What You'll Love About This Mandarin Marmalade Recipe
You'll absolutely love this for a chilly winter morning or spring afternoon tea. This is also customizable for a variety of citrus fruits. Using the ratios you can make this with navel oranges, cara cara oranges, or with gorgeous blood oranges which is one of my favorites. This recipe uses Gold Oak mandarin oranges from Riverdog Farm which are floral and flavorful. This recipe is freezer friendly, too. So if you are new to canning and don't have all the equipment to do water bath canning, freezing is an excellent option.
What's the Difference Between a Fruit Jam and a Marmalade?
When it comes to fruit preserves, there are some key distinctions between a jam and a marmalade. Jam is made by cooking crushed or pureed fruit with sugar until it thickens, creating a smooth, spreadable consistency. Marmalade, on the other hand, is specifically made from citrus fruits and includes the peel, giving it a slightly bitter flavor alongside the sweetness. While jam tends to be soft and uniform, marmalade often has visible shreds of citrus rind suspended in a gel-like base. Both are preserves, but marmalade’s distinct texture and tang set it apart.
Ingredients for the Mandarin or Tangerine Marmalade Recipe
We'll need the following ingredients to make this delicious Mandarin Marmalade Recipe:
- 2 cups diced zest/skin. We'll some of the peels from the mandarins for this citrus orange marmalade. If using tangerines, you'll opt for the 2 cups of the tangerine peel.
- 2.5 pounds mandarin segments. This recipe works on the weighted ratios of fruit to sugar. To make three 8-ounce jars, 2.5 pounds of mandarin segments will work for this recipe.
- 2 cups maple sugar. I've been experimenting with alternatives to granulated sugar in effort to strike a balance of fewer cups of sugar to sweeten and help preserve our marmalade. The maple sugar dissolves beautifully in this recipe and we even get a hint of caramel notes in the marmalade.
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice. We'll leverage the natural pectin from the lemon juice here to thicken our mandarin marmalade.
- 1 large sprig rosemary. This is such a wonderful addition to the number of marmalade recipes I've worked on.
How to Make This Mandarin or Tangerine Marmalade Recipe
If this is the first time you are making a marmalade take note that will take about 3 hours to complete from start to finish. We're using the whole fruit here so we'll prep the marmalade in three steps:
1: Prepare Citrus Peels
- Bring 2 cups of water to boil in a large saucepan. Trim the tops of mandarins and cut away the peels, removing the white pith from the citrus flesh.
- Next, prepare the citrus peels. Slice the peels into thin slices, then dice into smaller pieces, depending on how big you like the chunks of the citrus zest in your marmalade. I like the very small pieces, so I diced these into ¼ inch pieces. Once you've got 2 cups of citrus peel, discard the rest and set these diced pieces aside in a medium bowl.
- Once the water has been brought to a full rolling boil, pour the water over the diced peels. Add ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Give the peels a quick stir and set aside to cool slightly. This step helps to soften the bitterness of the mandarin peels. Next, prep the mandarin segments for the next step.
2: Prep Mandarin Segments
- Using a sharp knife, and working over a large bowl, slice the segments to separate the citrus flesh from membranes. Take care to work over a bowl to catch all the juice as you separate the mandarin segments from membranes. Allow segments to fall into the large bowl as you work. Once all the fruit is removed from membranes, give the membranes a good squeeze to wring out any remaining juice from the mandarin. We’ll use the juice and fruit segments to make our marmalade.
- Add the juice and mandarin segments to a large pot. A dutch oven or non-reactive pot works well. Pour the maple sugar over the fruit and stir to combine. Bring to a full boil and cook, stirring regularly, until the mixture starts to bubble and thicken, about 15 minutes.
- Strain the mandarin peels and add them to the pot. Add a sprig of rosemary and lemon juice. Stir everything to combine. Insert candy thermometer to track temperature for the gel test. Ideally, you want the marmalade to reach a temperature of 220 degrees Fahrenheit for the optimal gel set.
3: Make the Marmalade
- Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 hours or until your your thermometer reads 220 degrees Fahrenheit. Using a plate, spoon a small amount of the marmalade onto the plate. If it doesn't slide down quickly and begins to look thick and hold its place at room temperature, it's ready.
- When the marmalade has finished cooking, remove from heat. Funnel the hot marmalade into the prepared half-pint jars. Wipe the rims. Apply the lids and rings to the half pint jars. Here, you have the option to either freeze or process in a boiling water bath.
- Once ready to store, make sure to label and date your Mandarin Marmalade. This easy recipe freezes well for up to 6 months.
Tips for Easy Canning
If opting to process your jam jars in a water bath to preserve them, here is the handy step-by-step guide I use:
Fill a large pot with water and insert the half-pint jam jars to place at the bottom. Wash lids and rings with hot, soapy water and set on clean kitchen towel to air dry.
Bring water to a boil to sterilize the jars prior to filling them with your fruit preserve. After a couple of minutes, remove the jars and place on a clean kitchen towel to dry. Prepare your marmalade.
Once recipe is ready and jam jars are filled, leaving ½ headspace, wipe the rims of the jar with a clean, damp unbleached paper towel or kitchen towel. Screw on lids until just the point where you meet resistance.
Carefully lower the filled half pint jars into the pot you used to sterilize jars. Once pot is back to a rolling boil, set your timer for 10 minutes to process.
Once time sounds, quickly remove the jars from the water bath. Place them on the kitchen towel to cool. The jar lids should begin to ping signaling the seal formation is beginning. There should be no flex when center is pressed. Cool jars and leave them undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours.
Remove the bands and attempt to lift lids off with your fingertips. Properly sealed lids will remain attached. If a lid fails to seal within 24 hours, immediately refrigerate your marmalade and use within a few weeks.
More Easy Fruit Preserves to Try
Mandarin Marmalade
Equipment
- 3 half-pint jam jars
- 1 large saucepan
Ingredients
- 2 cups diced zest/skin
- 2.5 pounds mandarin segments
- 2 cups maple sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 large sprig rosemary
Instructions
- Bring 2 cups of water to boil in a large saucepan. Trim the tops of mandarins and cut away the peels, removing the white pith from the citrus flesh.
- Next, prepare the citrus peels. Slice the peels into thin slices, then dice into smaller pieces, depending on how big you like the chunks of the citrus zest in your marmalade. I like the very small pieces, so I diced these into ¼ inch pieces. Once you've got 2 cups of citrus peel, discard the rest and set these diced pieces aside in a medium bowl.
- Once the water has been brought to a full rolling boil, pour the water over the diced peels. Add ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Give the peels a quick stir and set aside to cool slightly. This step helps to soften the bitterness of the mandarin peels. Next, prep the mandarin segments for the next step.
- Using a sharp knife, and working over a large bowl, slice the segments to separate the citrus flesh from membranes. Take care to work over a bowl to catch all the juice as you separate the mandarin segments from membranes. Allow segments to fall into the large bowl as you work. Once all the fruit is removed from membranes, give the membranes a good squeeze to wring out any remaining juice from the mandarin. We’ll use the juice and fruit segments to make our marmalade.
- Add the juice and mandarin segments to a large pot. A dutch oven or non-reactive pot works well. Pour the maple sugar over the fruit and stir to combine. Bring to a full boil and cook, stirring regularly, until the mixture starts to bubble and thicken, about 15 minutes.
- Strain the mandarin peels and add them to the pot. Add a sprig of rosemary and lemon juice. Stir everything to combine. Insert candy thermometer to track temperature for the gel test. Ideally, you want the marmalade to reach a temperature of 220 degrees Fahrenheit for the optimal gel set.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 hours or until your thermometer reads 220 degrees Fahrenheit. Using a plate, spoon a small amount of the marmalade onto the plate. If it doesn't slide down quickly and begins to look thick and hold its place at room temperature, it's ready.
- When the marmalade has finished cooking, remove from heat. Funnel the hot marmalade into the prepared half-pint jars. Wipe the rims. Apply the lids and rings to the half pint jars. Here, you have the option to either freeze or process in a boiling water bath.
- Once ready to store, make sure to label and date your Mandarin Marmalade. This easy recipe freezes well for up to 6 months.
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