Description
Capture the bright orange of summertime in a jar with this slightly bitter, slightly sweet jam.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 Mandarin oranges
- 1 1/3 c. sugar
- 1 c. water
Instructions
- Wash each mandarin orange in warm water. Remove the just the zest (leave the bitter white pith behind) from 2 of the oranges using either a zest that makes long, thin strips or a vegetable peeler (then slice or dice the zest).
- Place zest in a heavy-bottomed pot with sugar and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Allow to cook for 20 minutes or until liquid is beginning to look a bit syrupy and peel is well-glazed.
- Meanwhile, peel the oranges and separate the segments. If yours is particularly juicy and falling apart, set in a colander over a bowl to catch any juices.
- After the 20 minutes is up, add all but a small handful of the orange segments to the pot and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer again and allow to cook for 30-40 minutes, or until thick and “jammy”; stir often to keep from sticking.
- Test on a plate if you wish by dropping a small spoonful of the jam onto it and seeing if it sits in a blob without running. Toss in the reserved orange segments during the last five minutes of cooking time.
- Transfer to sterilized jars and process for canning (will keep 10-12 months this way) or keep in the fridge.
Notes
Alternately, just add in all of the orange segments. I do think adding some towards the end makes it a bit runny. It is a nice texture variation, though.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour