Making jams, marmalades and preserves has always been a privileged tradition in France for home-cooks to ensure no seasonal fruits went to waste, and that they could be enjoyed all year round.

So with Spring just around the corner, I wanted to bid a proper farewell to Winter by jarring (literally) one of its best seasonal offerings: citrus.  More specifically, blood oranges. Compared to classic oranges, blood oranges hide a blood-colored flesh and provides notes of raspberry along with the citrus. They pair beautifully with the vanilla, which brings a nice roundness and smooths out the bitter edge of the citrus.

With the blood orange and notes of berries and vanilla, this is a smooth citrus marmalade that’s more approachable than your average orange marmalade. It is great for breakfast on toast, a great companion to cheese and crackers, and also makes for a great gift.

Cooking notes:

• Because we are using both the peels and flesh, opt for organic blood oranges. Blood oranges are harder to slice and peel than classic oranges, so make sure you use a very sharp knife.
• Yes, you can use other kind of citrus: orange, tangerine or lemon, as long as you keep the proportions the same: 450g (1lb) of flesh and peel (pith removed).
• Using a Candy Thermometer will make this recipe easier. We need to reach 220F(106C) and you’ll know for certain that the marmalade is ready. But if you don’t have one, don’t worry: you can use the plate test (see in the recipe).

Blood Orange Vanilla Marmalade

Print Recipe

Serves: 2 x 8oz jars Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 1 hour 30 minutes 1 hour 30 minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.5/5

( 14 voted )

Ingredients

5 medium size blood oranges (ideally, organic)
¾ cup (150g) sugar
¾ cup (150g) cane sugar
Or 1 ½ cup (300g) white sugar
450ml water
½ Vanilla bean, halved and scraped
½ lemon, juiced

Instructions

Make sure you read the cooking notes above before you start.

Scrub and wash the blood oranges clean. Cut off both ends of the oranges (discard of ends) so oranges can sit flat on a cutting board. With a small sharp knife, cut off the peel and pith (the white membrane) working your way from top to bottom, to expose the flesh of the oranges (keep the peels).

Clean any remaining pith or membrane from the orange flesh if needed. Cut the oranges into quarters, remove any seeds, cut off the inside white membrane and slice the quarters crosswise into small triangles. Trim off excess pith from the peels (as much as you can), and slice them finely into very thin strips. Combined (orange flesh and peels) should weigh about 450g (1lb). 

Place a small plate in your freezer (we will use it later to test the marmalade consistency).

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the orange flesh and peels, sugar, water, the scraping from ½ vanilla bean (and vanilla bean shell) and the juice from ½ lemon.

Stir and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to low, and simmer for 1 hour and 30 minutes, until a candy thermometer reads 220F (106C).

If you do not have a candy thermometer: take the plate out of the freezer and drop a little spoonful of marmalade on it. Wait 1 minute and check the consistency: it should have thickened significantly. If it still looks too liquidy, keep the mixture at a simmer and try again later. 

Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature before pouring into jars or airtight containers. The marmalade can keep for up to 14 days in the fridge in non-sterilized containers or jars and up to 3 months in sterilized jars.

If you try this Blood Orange Vanilla Marmalade recipe let me know!  Leave a comment or share a photo using #pardonyourfrench on Instagram. Bon Appétit!

If you like citrus, you may also like: 

• Coconut Lemon Bars 
• King’s Brioche from Provence
• Honey and Citrus Spiced Bread
• Tangerine Honey Walnut Cake
• Classic-French Lemon Tart 

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