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I know, orange jam. Sounds a bit weird. What the heck do you use orange jam for?! Or is it just me? I found myself with a butt crack ton (that’s a lot) of oranges that I got on mega discount and we were pretty burnt out eating them, so I started canning. I thought, what the heck, orange jam has to be a thing?! Orange marmalade is so I went ham. Oranges and sugar, that’s all you need and this recipe calls for low sugar amounts as compared to others that you’ll come across. Your sugar source is up to you; unrefined, honey, white sugar, it’s all up to you! I really love this orange jam on homemade fresh milled english muffins. That’s my favorite way to use it. The second is to mix it into ice cream for a kinda orange creamsicle moment using my failed jam ice cream recipe.

In This Post You'll Find...

Preparing Oranges for Jam

For this recipe I used cara cara oranges because… that’s what I got on discount, but I’m quite certain literally any type of orange that tastes good when you eat it will make jam just fine. Or any CITRUS for that matter. I’m dreaming of a grapefruit and lime blend. Someday. And oh my gosh, blood orange?! The gorgeous color that would make though.

I digress. To prep the oranges for jam making you’re going to want as much as the pith (the white part) off as possible. I did this by peeling the oranges and then cutting the segments out. Do this by holding the orange in your non-dominant hand and find where the little fleshy pith divider is between the segments and run a sharp knife beside it on both sides. Turn the orange and repeat at the next spot. So on and so on til all the “segments” are loose. As you work, pull out the segments you’ve cut and you should be left with just the pulpy orange flesh with little to no pith. The only reason we really want to get rid of the pith here is because it tends to want to give the jam a really bitter taste and this is a lesson I learned the hard way and am passing onto you, the easy way. Be sure to weigh the oranges as you work as the weight given in the recipe below is for the orange segments AFTER peeling.

If my instructions made zero sense, I’m sure there’s a youtube video on how to segment an orange. Go searchin’. You can also use pectic enzyme mixed into a water solution and just break the orange into segments to soak in that overnight and the pith should be gone by morning. I ain’t waiting that long to make jam. Once I have a wild hair to make jam (which I very much hate doing) I have to do it immediately or the mood will pass. Thankfully, this recipe goes super quickly!

Citrus fruits make lovely jam! Let’s go!

Equipment You Might Want:

Stainless Steel Stock Pot
Immersion blender
Half-pint jars
Canning lids and screw bands
Jar funnel
Jar lifter
Water bath canning pot
Steam canner

Ingredients:

3 pounds of fresh oranges (peeled, pith removed, and broken into segments)
1 cup sugar or honey
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
splash of orange extract, optional

Step 1: Prep

Plan on around 5 jelly jars (8oz) of jam from this recipe.

Start by peeling the oranges, removing as much pith as possible and breaking into segments. For how I do it, see above toward the top of the blog post.

Weigh the segments as you go in the large pot you plan on using to make the jam, getting as close to 3 pounds as possible. Weight after the fruit has been peeled and processed, NOT before.

Using an immersion blender, blend the orange segments into a smooth liquid. There will be lots of pulp but you don’t want giant orange chunks; it should look like a very pulpy orange juice.

Step 2: Cook

To the stock pot with the orange pulp, add remaining ingredients.

Place the orange mixture over medium heat and bring mixture to a boil. Stir frequently until the sugar dissolves.

Bring to a full rolling boil on high heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Since oranges are high in natural pectin, it doesn’t take a long time to get it nice and thickened.

To test doneness of your jam, it is best to spoon some on a frozen small plate and let it sit for about 15 seconds to test consistency. Once it is thickened to your liking, remove from heat. You can also place a candy thermometer into your jam as it cooks and make sure it reaches 220 degrees F to consider the jam ready. (Please make sure your thermometer is calibrated and is actually correct; I get lots of messages saying this method doesn’t work for them and I’m pretty sure it’s cause your thermometer is on crack).

Step 3: Canning

Ladle the hot jam into a clean jar with a canning funnel on top to 1/4 inch headspace.

Wipe jar rims and add lids and secure with a band.

Process in a hot water bath canner or steam canner for 10 minutes, adjusting time for elevation if needed.

Once processing time is complete, shut off heat and remove jars to a heat proof surface lined with a towel to cool undisturbed for 18-24 hours. You may notice the jam is liquid-y after processing, but allow it to cool for up to several days before deciding if your finished product jam set or not. Sometimes it just needs a doggone minute!

Step 4: Storage

After cooling, remove bands, test seals, wash jars, label and store in a dark and cool place. Room temperature is fine as long as jars are not exposed to extreme temperatures and it’s a dark place. Sun exposure isn’t good for shelf life.

Shelf life is ’til you eat it. Aim to rotate out canned goods every 2 years for maximum nutrition and best taste but they last much longer than that if need be. I just popped a jar of homemade jam from 2017 and it was lovely! Homemade strawberry jam, in fact that I made with no added sugar and no added pectin. Crazy ain’t it.

Any jars that did not seal should be refrigerated to use soon. Jams aren’t great to reprocess.

Notes:

Adjust the amount of sugar content to your liking. You can add up to equal parts, by weight, of sugar to this. I have no personal experience with sugar substitutes so I’m sorry, I can’t really give a recommendation there.

Use any type of oranges you enjoy eating. Navel oranges are pretty easy to come by around here.

Save all the orange peel/orange rind and add them to a jar and cover with 70+ proof vodka and let that sit for 6 months to a year like vanilla extract. Strain and use as orange extract like I used in this recipe to up the orange flavor in everything!

Preserving Fresh Oranges: Homemade Honey Orange Jam

Name: Preserving Fresh Oranges: Homemade Honey Orange Jam
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 3 pounds of fresh oranges (peeled, pith removed, and broken into segments); 1 cup sugar or honey; 1 tsp cinnamon; 1/2 tsp cloves; splash of orange extract (optional)

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 25

Cook Time: 20

Canning Time: 10

Total Time: 55

Servings: half pint jelly jars

Author: Ruby – Red Feather Farm

Equipment

stainless steel stock pot
immersion blender
Half pint jars
Canning lids and screw bands
jar funnel
jar lifter
Water bath canning pot
steam canner

Ingredients

3 pounds of fresh oranges peeled, pith removed, and broken into segments
1 cup sugar or honey
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
splash of orange extract optional

Instructions

Start by peeling the oranges, removing as much pith as possible and breaking into segments. Weigh the segments as you go in the large pot you plan on using to make the jam, getting as close to 3 pounds as possible. Weight after the fruit has been peeled and processed, NOT before.
Using an immersion blender, blend the orange segments into a smooth liquid. There will be lots of pulp but you don't want giant orange chunks; it should look like a very pulpy orange juice.
To the stock pot with the orange pulp, add remaining ingredients.
Place the orange mixture over medium heat and bring mixture to a boil. Stir frequently until the sugar dissolves.
Bring to a full rolling boil on high heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Since oranges are high in natural pectin, it doesn't take a long time to get it nice and thickened.
To test doneness of your jam, it is best to spoon some on a frozen small plate and let it sit for about 15 seconds to test consistency. Once it is thickened to your liking, remove from heat. You can also place a candy thermometer into your jam as it cooks and make sure it reaches 220 degrees F to consider the jam ready. (Please make sure your thermometer is calibrated and is actually correct.
Ladle the hot jam into a clean jar with a canning funnel on top to 1/4 inch headspace.
Wipe jar rims and add lids and secure with a band.
Process in a hot water bath canner or steam canner for 10 minutes, adjusting time for elevation if needed.
Once processing time is complete, shut off heat and remove jars to a heat proof surface lined with a towel to cool undisturbed for 18-24 hours.
After cooling, remove bands, test seals, wash jars, label and store in a dark and cool place. Room temperature is fine as long as jars are not exposed to extreme temperatures and it's a dark place. Sun exposure isn't good for shelf life.
Shelf life is 'til you eat it. Aim to rotate out canned goods every 2 years for maximum nutrition and best taste but they last much longer than that if need be.