Take advantage and preserve seasonal oranges to make this Cara Cara Orange Marmalade loaded with fruit and peel. Great on toast.
Hurry, Cara Cara oranges are currently available at the grocery stores! Grab a bag or two to make this Cara Cara Orange Marmalade so that you can continue to enjoy this delicious citrus fruit into the year. If you miss this window of opportunity, you will have to wait one full year to make this beautiful and delicious marmalade. Don’t wait, act now.
Why Make Cara Cara Orange Marmalade At Home?
Cara Cara oranges are super juicy and sweet. They are seasonal and typically only available at the grocery stores starting in late December through April. We have to take advantage of these delicious fruit due to their limited quantities and short season. If you see Blood oranges, get a bag if you can, and I will tell and show you why a little bit further down. Preserving them in the form of a marmalade is a way to continue to enjoy these short season citrus fruits into the year.
Their reddish-pink flesh lend a beautiful hue to the marmalade which makes it even more delicious and inviting. I am a big fan of marmalades and prefer it to any other kind of fruit jams. They are absolutely delicious on toasts and croissants.
Homemade Is Well Worth The Effort
While it does take some effort to prepare the fruit before canning, it is well worth the effort. I like to cut the rind off the fruit with as little pith as possible so that the end result is an even colored marmalade with just all fruit and peel. If the pith is not removed, you will get lots of white bits in the marmalade. It will also make the marmalade taste a little bitter, which is fine by me, but that is not everyone’s cup of tea.
Using Blood Oranges Instead Of Cara Cara Orange Marmalade
I mentioned Blood oranges earlier and I wanted to show you why you should also make Blood Orange Marmalade, if you like. The color of the marmalade will be even more striking as Blood oranges have a deep red color. The recipe is the exactly the same, whether you use Cara Cara oranges or Blood oranges.
In this picture below, the two jars on the left are sugar free (i.e. made with Splenda zero calorie sweetener) while the two jars on the right are made with regular sugar. The one on the far right is Blood Orange Marmalade. The color deepens and intensifies when sugar is added to the fruit mixture. Aren’t these jars of marmalade beautiful?
Taste wise, I have to say the Blood Orange Marmalade is more intense and flavorful and that really surprised me. It also has a hint of bitterness, even without the pith, which I like. I have to be honest and tell you that the Cara Cara Orange Marmalade tasted very, very good but the Blood Orange Marmalade tasted really, really good. 😉
Update: 3/13/2024
I managed to buy another of Blood oranges and made more Blood Orange Marmalade. Love the color and taste. Just the right balance of sweetness and bitterness.
Recipe Adaptation
I went through many recipes on the internet but did not find one that I really liked. In the end, I referred to the two books and combined what I like from each recipe. They are Seville Orange Marmalade from Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving and The Book of Preserves (Australian Women’s Weekly) (affiliate links)
The Use of Pectin
I did not use pectin in my first try as per the two recipes I referred to. That said, both recipes used Seville oranges which most likely have more pectin in them naturally. They also used more sugar in the marmalade which helps with gelling. My marmalade turned out more sauce-like than jam-like without the pectin. It still tasted very good but unfortunately it is not of the right consistency. I used this to make the dressing for my Yusheng/Yee Sang recently for Lunar New Year and it was wonderful.
In my second try I used 3 tablespoons of Ball Realfruit Low or No-Sugar Needed Pectin and ¾ cup/157g instead of 1 cup/210g sugar per 1 cup of fruit mix. The marmalade turned out beautifully and I am happy with the result.
Similar Tools Used in This Cara Cara Orange Marmalade
This post contains affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy here.
20 Quart Stainless Steel Canning Pot Set
8 Piece Enamelware Water Bath Canning Set
Ball Mason 8oz Quilted Jelly Jars with Lids and Bands, Set of 12
Ball Realfruit Low or No-Sugar Needed Pectin
Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving
The Complete Book of Home Canning
Cara Cara Orange Marmalade
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Cara Cara / Blood oranges (about 6 to 8 small oranges) (900g)
- 2 lemons
- 8 cups water (1.9 liters)
- 3 tbsp Ball Realfruit Low or No-Sugar Needed Pectin
- 3¾ cups sugar (785g)
Instructions
Prepare the Oranges and Lemons
- Using a sharp knife, trim the tops and bottoms from the oranges and place them in a container. Carefully cut off the rind with as little of the pith as possible from the oranges. Cut the rind into thin strips and place them in a large bowl. Now, cut the pith from the oranges and add them to the container.
- Quarter the orange flesh and cut of the membrane from the center of the each quarter. Add the pith to the container. Cut each quarter of the orange flesh crosswise into thin slices and add them to the large bowl.
- Trim the tops and bottoms from the lemons and place them in the container. Carefully cut off the rind with as little of the pith as possible from the lemons. Cut the rind into thin strips and place them in the large bowl.
- Cut the lemons into halves. Remove the seeds and add them to the container. Juice the lemon halves and pour the lemon juice into the large bowl.
- Add 6 cups (1.44 liters) water to the large bowl and 2 cups (480ml) water to the container. Cover with plastic wrap and let them stand overnight to soften.
Preparing the Jars
- Wash jars in warm, soapy water. Place a rack at the bottom of a boiling-water canner and washed jars on the rack. Fill the jars and canner to the top of the jars with water. Cover the canner and bring water to a simmer (with small bubbles).
- Wash lids and bands with warm soapy water. Drop them into the canner together with the jars. When ready to use, take them out from the canner with a pair of tongs. Dry them with a clean towel.
Cooking the Marmalade
- Transfer the contents of the container with pith and seeds to a large stainless steel pot. Bring to a boil over medium low heat and boil for 5 minutes. Turn off stove.
- Carefully pour the contents of the pot over a metal strainer over a bowl. Discard the solids and return the juice to the stainless steel pot.
- Now, add the contents of the large bowl (soaked oranges, rind, and juice) to the stainless steel pot.
- Place the stainless steel pot on the stove over medium heat and bring fruit mixture to a boil. Cover and simmer for 40 to 45 minutes. This should reduce the fruit mixture by almost half. Turn off stove.
- When fruit mixture is cool enough to handle, pour into measuring cup. You should get about 5 cups of fruit mixture. If not, add some water to yield the required quantity. Allow about ¾ cup (157g) sugar for each cup of fruit mixture, depending on how sweet you like your marmalade.
- Return the fruit mixture to the stainless steel pot. Add pectin and stir until dissolved.
- Turn on the stove over medium heat. Cover and bring to a boil. Add sugar and continue boiling for 5 minutes. Turn off stove and skim off foam.
Canning the Marmalade
- Carefully remove jars from canner with jar lifter, pouring hot water from each jar back into canner and place them on a towel. You can also remove and fill them one at a time.
- Place a funnel in the jar. Ladle prepared hot marmalade into the hot jar leaving ¼ inch (.5 cm) headspace.
- Slide a non-metallic utensil between the hot marmalade and inside the jar to release any air bubbles. Adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding more hot jam. Wipe the rim clean with a paper towel. Center a warm lid on jar and screw on the band until fingertip tight. Repeat with the remaining jars.
Processing
- Carefully lower jars with jar lifter back into the canner. Make sure jars are completely covered with about an inch of water above the lids. Bring water to a rolling boil and process jars for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. The water must remain at a rolling boil for the duration of the processing time.
- At the end of the processing time, turn off heat, and remove the canner lid. Allow the canner to cool for 5 minutes.
- Carefully remove the jars with jar lifter without tilting them. Place jars upright on a clean towel. Do not worry about the water on the lids. It will evaporate during the cooling period.
Storing
- Check lids after 24 hours. Remove the bands. Lids should not flex up and down when pressed. You can also grasp the edges of the lid and lift the jar while supporting the jar with your other hand. A sealed lid will stay firmly attached to the jar. Jars that have not sealed properly must be refrigerated and content consumed within a few days.
- Label and store sealed jars in a cool, dark place, and consume within 12 months.
Notes
| Feet | Meters | Increase in Processing Time |
| 1,001-3,000 | 306-915 | 5 minutes |
| 3,001-6,000 | 916-1,830 | 10 minutes |
| 6,001-8,000 | 1,831-2,440 | 15 minutes |
| 8,001-10,000 | 2,441-3,050 | 20 minutes |
Nutrition
I will most likely be making this every year because the family loves marmalade. If sugar is an issue for you, please check out my Sugar Free Orange Marmalade recipe using zero calorie sweetener. I hope you will give it a try.
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