Skip to Content

Mixed Citrus Marmalade

Mixed Citrus Marmalade

Sharing is caring!

One of my favourite marmalades is the one with mixed citrus.  You can make the marmalade using any combination of citrus fruit and if you like you can change the ratio of each fruit depending on dominating flavour you would like to taste. 

Mixed Citrus Marmalade with pita chips and Greek Coffee image

You can follow the same method to make each fruit separately.

It’s citrus season again and since we have a lot of mandarins, lemons, bergamot, oranges as well as Seville oranges in our garden in Assini, I love making this mixed citrus marmalade every year.

Citrus Fruit image

I have made the same jam with different combinations of citrus fruit as well as with different flavours, other times using fragrant geraniums or cinnamon or ginger for a more spicy and exotic taste.  

I’ve even made it with chocolate!

citrus marmalade with chocolate image

What I did was that at the last stage of the marmalade setting, I mixed in some dark chocolate, which melted in the citrus marmalade. If you are a chocolate lover, this combination is amazing!

Four citrus marmalade image

Last year when I was in Cyprus I made it using mandarins, bergamot, kumquat, pomelo and grape fruit.

Mixed Citrus with ginger image

How to make the Mixed Citrus Marmalade

There are different paths one can take to achieve a satisfying result: Some times I boil the whole fruit until it’s tender, then slicing it before simmering it again with sugar and its juice.

Other times, if the fruit is seedless or with a few seeds, I separate the fruit from the peel. I remove the membrane from the fruit and any seeds. I then boil the peels several times, changing the water until they become soft. I cut the peels into thin stripes, then add the fruit and sugar and cook until the marmalade reaches 105oC or using the method without a thermometre, which is described below, for a very thick, nearly opaque marmalade.

Ingredients needed:

Four citrus fruit image
  • Any combination of oranges (any variety), mandarins, bergamot, lemons, Seville oranges (bitter oranges), kumquat, pomelo, grape fruit, etc.
  • Sugar
  • Fragrance: This is optional but you can add additional flavour by adding either fragrant geraniums, which is the one I prefer, but you can also add a vanilla bean, a cinnamon stick or grated ginger or cardamom etc.
  • Lemon juice: Lemon juice is a must, as it prevents the marmalade from crystalizing. If you are already using lemons in the marmalade, you can omit the lemon juice.

Removing the bitterness from the fruit:

Wash the fruit. Put them whole in a large saucepan and cover them with water.  As they will float, put a heat resistant plate on top, to keep them submerged.

Boiling citrus fruit with a plate on top image

Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer on low heat for about half an hour. As I am cooking the marmalade on a ceramic stove, it will continue cooking for about 15 more minutes. If you are cooking on a gas stove, simmer for 45 minutes. Turn off the heat and let them cool. 

Drain and add fresh water.  Bring to a boil again, lower heat and simmer for another half an hour.  Let them cool before proceeding to the next step. At this stage the fruit becomes soft and some may break but don’t worry about this.

Put them in a colander to drain.

Making the Marmalade:

Cut the boiled fruit in the middle and using a juice extractor collect as much juice as possible. As the fruit may break in pieces, have a colander with a deep dish below it. Using a spoon remove the entire interior in the colander. If the peels have strings on them, usually Seville oranges do, remove all the strings.

Put the peels separately in another container.

When you are done with this procedure, press the fruit which is in the colander, to extract any leftover juice from the fruit.

Then weigh the peels. You will need about the same amount of sugar if the fruit you are using are on the sour side, i.e. lemons, bergamots or Seville oranges. Oranges, mandarins, grape fruit, pomelo and kumquats are usually sweet so you can reduce the amount of sugar.

Ratio of fruit to sugar: For 1 kilo peels of sour fruit, 1 kilo sugar and 2 cups juice (or combination of juice and water). For oranges and mandarins, use about 800 grams of sugar.

Cutting the citrus fruit in stripes image

Cut the peels into very thin stripes (about 1/2 cm thick) and cut the stripes into smaller pieces, not bigger than 3 – 4 cm.  Repeat the same with all fruit.   

Cutting the citrus fruit image

Depending on the fruit you are using some citrus have more juice than others, so at the end you may need to add more juice or substitute with water.

Put the cut peels in a pot and add the sugar as well as the juice.

citrus juice image

Add the flavouring of your preference.

Marmalade with fragrant geraniums image

Making the citrus marmalade without a thermometre:

Stir until the sugar dissolves and then put it on the heat.

A pot full of citrus marmalade with a wooden spoon image

Bring to a boil, lower heat to a soft simmer and cook for half an hour, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and let it cool. As I am cooking the marmalade on a ceramic stove, it will continue cooking for about 15 more minutes. If you are cooking on a gas stove, simmer for 45 minutes.

When it cools, put it back on the heat and repeat as above. The liquid of the marmalade will reduce considerably, so you must stir constantly to prevent scorching and sticking. When it cools completely it should set. If not, repeat the same procedure cooking it for 10 more minutes, then letting it cool again.

When it sets, bring to a final boil, add the lemon juice, stir and turn off the heat.

Making the citrus marmalade with a thermometre:

Stir until the sugar dissolves and then put it on the heat. Bring to a boil, lower heat to a soft simmer and cook until the temperature reaches 105o C. Add the lemon juice and store in sterilized jars.

Turn the jars upside down and let them cool. Store in a cool, dark place – no excessive light or heat. 

Jars of marmalade upside down image

Stored properly, the marmalade will last up to one year or even more. Once you open a jar, store it in the refrigerator, where it will keep for up to 3 months.

Collage making citrus marmalade image

We love eating it with our Greek breakfast, which is usually “Koulouri Thessalonikis” or toasted bread with some butter, halloumi or graviera and smoked turkey.  

This combination of the sweet jam and the salty cheese and charcuterie is out of the world.  Of course, a Greek coffee is a must!

A similar recipe is included in volume 2 of «Mint, Cinnamon & Blossom Water, Flavours of Cyprus, Kopiaste!»

You can find my Greek recipes in my cookbooks «More Than A Greek Salad», and «Mint, Cinnamon & Blossom Water, Flavours of Cyprus, Kopiaste!» both available on all Amazon stores. Read more here.

Koulouri and citrus jam image

Mixed Citrus Marmalade

Yield: 6 kilos
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 1 hour
Additional Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 3 hours

One of my favourite marmalades is the one with mixed citrus. You can make the marmalade using any combination of citrus fruit and if you like you can change the ratio of each fruit depending on dominating flavour you would like to taste.

Ingredients

  • 2,500 grams citrus peels
  • 2,500 grams sugar
  • 6 cups citrus juice
  • 6 fragrant geranium leaves

Instructions

  1. Wash the fruit thoroughly. Put them whole in a large saucepan and cover them with water  Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for about half an hour. (They will float, so put a heat resistant plate on top, to keep them submerged).
  2. Drain and add fresh water, taking care not to break the fruit  Bring to a boil again, lower heat and simmer for another half an hour 
  3. Put them in a colander until they cool or until you can handle them.
  4. Cut the boiled fruit in the middle and using a juice extractor collect the juice inside. Cut each fruit again in the middle and using a sharp knife remove the entire interior, which set aside. Then cut the peels into very thin stripes and cut the stripes into smaller pieces, not bigger than 3 - 4 cm* (about 1 ½ inch)  Repeat the same with all fruit 
  5. Put the peels, sugar, juice and fragrant geraniums in a pot. Stir and bring to boil until the sugar dissolves 
  6. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer until the temperature reaches 105° C.
  7. Add the lemon juice.
  8. If you do not have a thermometre, simmer the fruit for about 30 minutes until soft, mixing every now and then with a wooden spoon.
  9. Let it cool and repeat one more time. Let it cool overnight.
  10. If it has set, bring to a boil, add the lemon juice and stir.
  11. Discard the fragrant geraniums , if you like (I like to leave them in the jars as they add more flavour).
  12. Fill the sterilized jars while the marmalade is still hot. Turn the jars upside down until the marmalade cools.
  13. Store in a cool, dark place.
  14. After opening a jar, store it in the refrigerator.

Notes

*Instead of finely cutting all the fruit, half of it can be pulsed in a food processor.

For this marmalade I used bergamots, oranges and Seville oranges.



Nutrition Information
Yield 6 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 1740Total Fat 0gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 149mgCarbohydrates 448gFiber 0gSugar 445gProtein 0g

"These values are automatically calculated and offered for guidance only. Their accuracy is not guaranteed."

Did you make this recipe?

Tried this recipe? Tag me @ivyliac and use the hashtag #kopiaste!

Jams and Marmalades

Some more homemade jams and marmalades

Collage Mixed citrus marmalade image

Kopiaste and Kali Orexi,

Sharing is caring!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Angie

Tuesday 20th of January 2015

From your garden to the breakfast table...how cool!

Rosa

Tuesday 20th of January 2015

So fragrant and divine!

Cheers,

Rosa

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Privacy Policy · Copyright
Skip to Recipe