I have a bad habit of overbuying produce. I just get so excited when my favorite fruits and vegetables become available! The next thing I know, I’m swimming in a sea of produce and the window of opportunity for enjoying them at optimal ripeness is closing. Luckily, I have some good options for dealing with an abundance of seasonal favorites.
When I find myself with an excess of juicy and delicious HoneyBell oranges (which is rare...!), I always make up a couple batches of this orange marmalade. While refrigerator marmalades don’t last nearly as long as marmalades that have undergone traditional canning practices, they are simpler to make. You don’t need any special canning equipment and there are only a couple ingredients required. The barrier to entry is low, which means that anyone can make it.
How to make orange marmalade
Some marmalade recipes will have you completely remove all the pith and membranes (those are the bitter tasting sections) from the citrus. That process can be labor intensive, so I prefer to take a more streamlined approach.
Using a vegetable peeler, I remove and save the outermost layer of the peel. Then, manually remove the second white pith layer and discard it. I don’t bother removing the thin membranes that surround each segment, but I do break down the segments into smaller pieces. It’s still a somewhat messy endeavor, but I do find that I waste less of the HoneyBell segments this way. And this citrus is way too precious to waste!
I typically have about five cups of “solids” that include one cup of chopped zest and four cups of broken down segments left after processing the six HoneyBells. The only other ingredients you need to finish making this marmalade recipe are granulated sugar and a little fresh ginger. So easy!
Ready to use this marmalade in the ultimate breakfast? Grab a freshly toasted Wolferman’s English Muffin with a pat of butter for the perfect start to your day!
- 6 Harry & David® HoneyBell Oranges
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger (peeled and minced )
Using a vegetable peeler, peel the brightly colored orange/yellow rind (i.e. the zest) off the oranges. Finely chop the rind and set it aside. You should have approximately 1 cup of the chopped rind.
Using your hands, peel off and discard the remaining white pith from the oranges.
Working over a medium bowl to catch the juices, pull apart the Honeybell segments. Break each individual segment down into smaller pieces, discarding any seeds you find as you do this. You should have approximately 4 cups of segments.
Add the segments and rind to a large non-stick skillet placed over medium-high heat. Stir in the sugar, fresh ginger and 1/4 cup of the reserved juices. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has been reduced, about 35-40 minutes. The mixture should be thick and glossy. Be careful not to cook it until it’s dry, or the resulting marmalade will be too thick and tacky. Remove the skillet from the heat and set it aside to cool.
- Transfer the cooled marmalade to clean re-sealable container(s) and store in your refrigerator. The marmalade will keep for 3-4 weeks with proper storage.