Orange Jam
A smooth, bright orange jam made from peeled, pureed oranges and simmered with a bundle of warm winter spices. Just oranges, lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, clove, and star anise, with a soft, spreadable set and no added pectin. The perfect seasonal jam for toast, baking, or a winter cheese board.
Servings: 64 servings, makes 3 to 4 half pint jars
Equipment
- Canning Jars, Lids, and Rings
Ingredients
- 5 cups orange puree see notes
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 1 whole cinnamon stick optional, tied into a spice bag
- 3 to 4 whole cloves optional, tied into a spice bag
- 1 to 2 whole star anise pods optional, tied into a spice bag
Instructions
- Peel the oranges, removing the zest and as much of the white pith as possible. Go back over each one with a paring knife to remove every last bit of pith, since leftover pith makes the jam bitter. Save the peels for candied orange peel if you like.
- Puree the peeled oranges until smooth, using an immersion blender right in the pot or a countertop blender in batches.
- Measure the puree. You are aiming for 4 cups. If you have more or less, adjust the sugar to keep a ratio of 3 parts sugar to 4 parts puree by volume.
- Tie the cinnamon stick, cloves, and star anise into a spice bag. Combine the puree, lemon juice, and sugar in a wide, heavy-bottomed pot and add the spice bag. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently so the puree does not scorch.
- Cook until the jam reaches gel stage at 220 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Because puree holds more water than trimmed segments, this can take a little longer, so trust the thermometer over the clock. Remove and discard the spice bag.
- Ladle the hot jam into clean, hot half-pint jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe the rims, apply lids and bands, and tighten to fingertip tight.
- For immediate use, store in the refrigerator for a few weeks or the freezer for up to 6 months. To can, process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Let the jars rest 5 minutes in the canner, then cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours and check the seals before storing.
Notes
Fruit amount: About 2 1/2 pounds of whole oranges, weighed before peeling, purees down to roughly 4 cups. Measure the puree and hold the 3 to 4 sugar-to-fruit ratio, adjusting the sugar if your yield is higher or lower.
Soft set: This jam has a soft, spreadable set with a smooth texture. A softer set is normal for jams made without added pectin, and it firms up further in the jar overnight.
The spice bag: Cinnamon, clove, and star anise give this jam its cozy winter character. Keep them in a spice bag so they flavor the jam as it cooks, then lift the whole bundle out before jarring. Go easy on the cloves, since they are strong.
Plain version: For a pure, unspiced orange jam that lets the citrus stand on its own, simply leave the spice bag out.
Do not skip the lemon juice: It balances the sweetness and helps the jam set properly. Without it, the jam is cloyingly sweet.
Do not reduce the sugar: The 3 parts sugar to 4 parts fruit ratio is what allows this jam to set without added pectin. For a genuinely lower-sugar jam, use Pomona's Pectin and follow their directions separately.
Orange varieties: Navel oranges are the simplest to work with and reliably sweet. Cara Cara oranges are milder and sweeter, and blood oranges give a deeper color and a more complex flavor, though they hold more juice and take longer to cook down. Choose a seedless variety or remove the seeds before pureeing.
Testing for set: Gel point is 220 degrees F at sea level, dropping about 1 degree per 500 feet of elevation, so at 1,000 feet it is about 218 degrees F.
No thermometer? Use the cold plate test: drop a teaspoon of hot jam onto a frozen plate, and if it wrinkles when pushed, it is set.
Yield and storage: Makes about 3 to 4 half-pint jars, depending on the juiciness of the oranges. Sealed jars keep 12 to 18 months in a cool, dark place. Once opened, refrigerate and use within 3 to 4 weeks.
Altitude adjustment: Process for 10 minutes at elevations up to 6,000 feet, or 15 minutes above 6,000 feet.
Nutrition
Serving: 1Tbsp | Calories: 43kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 0.1g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.005g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.004g | Sodium: 0.2mg | Potassium: 28mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 32IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 0.03mg
