Clementine Marmalade with Molasses

Every season we rush to preserve the best produce it has to offer before they run out and we are left rushing to supermarkets for frozen options. And if there are none, well; anxiously waiting for the season to come around again. This time I decided not to let Christmas pass by without making clementine marmalade. But that was not the only reason why I decided to make this easy old-time breakfast favorite.

Clementine marmalade has been a bit of an addiction lately. A warm slice of bread, fresh off the toaster, listen to the crunch as you spread the marmalade then take in the scent as you bite and in my case chew away at the clementine bits. Have YOU ever made marmalade before? If not, why not? If yes, which one is your favorite? Tell me about it in the comments section below, I am curious.

Here’s why I think you should whip out your massive stainless steel pot, sugar, and a batch of the season’s best to make some clementine marmalade without pectin.

It is simple to make and only requires your time and a little attention toward the end. I think the only difficult part would be having to wait because the clementine needs to simmer for a little over 2 hours. I would say that’s quite a fair trade for something special that’s homemade with a long shelf life. Plus you could create a basket with bits, from homemade desserts, preserves, and even pasta sauces to gift for the holidays.

Is it a little weird that since being a mom, I find myself wanting to have traditions? I don’t know if it’s the ‘old school’ side of me, or just me wanting to find engaging activities to do with the kids. So yes, you can get the kids to take part by having them peel the clementines.

Clementine Marmalade Recipe Ingredients and Tools

I do not use a thermometer or pectin because I did not need to. The clementine peel had quite enough pectin. As for the thermometer, well, during the second simmer all you need to do is keep a watchful eye on the marmalade to make sure it is not past the setting point.

Prepare sterilized jars with tight lids and if you have one, a wide-mouthed funnel to portion the clementine marmalade once slightly cooled.

I also did not use a muslin cloth because I did not have one. So I simply used a fine sieve to squeeze out the juices.

So how will you know it is at the setting point? You would need to spoon out some of the liquid and put it on a cold plate. Let it sit for a minute then gently push against it using a spoon or your finger to see if it forms a skin at the top. Then you know it’s time to yank the pot from the stove!

Sugar: I used tate lyle preserving sugar. (This is not sponsored content)

A few things that could go wrong?

Well, we all learn through mistakes, here are some that could happen.

Using high heat while dissolving the sugar: It’s kind of like when making caramel, you need to use low heat and let the sugar break down and do its thing. Increasing the heat to quicken the process will only result in an unpalatably bitter clementine marmalade.

Simmering the marmalade past the setting point: will result in it solidifying too much which is definitely not what you want. The goal is to be able to spread that deliciousness on toast.

You waited too long: Once the clementine marmalade has set, you need to wait at least 15 minutes then portion them into the jars. If you wait too long it will set and might be a little more tedious to portion. Better to do so when it is in its ‘liquid’ state.

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Print Recipe

Clementine marmalade with molasses

(+5 rating, 1 votes)

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Spreads – International

By Angela – Serves: Makes 4 jars, each with 326g

Prep Time: 10 minutes – Cooking Time: 3 hours 45 minutes – Total Time: 3 hours 45 minutes

A very simple marmalade made with clementines, sugar, and an optional portion of molasses.

Ingredients

• 1 kg clementines
• 1 kg preserving sugar/ granulated sugar
• 108g hard sugar cane molasses (optional)

Instructions

1

Sterilize the jars you intend to use ahead of time and dry them.

2

Wash the clementines and arrange them in a large stainless steel pot. It's best if they are not on top of each other, but on a single layer.

3

Pour in the water and put a plate over the clementines to keep them submerged.

4

Let the clementines simmer over low heat for 2 and 1/2 hours. Flip them halfway through so that the top of the oranges get softened evenly.

5

Let them cool before transferring the clementines onto a massive bowl (preserve the leftover water). Peel the clementines and pile them on a chopping board. Put the clementine segments in a sieve or muslin cloth if you have one.

6

Thinly (or to your preference) slice the peel and put them in the leftover water. Squeeze the juices out of the clementines into the bowl, then sieve those juices into the stainless steel pot with the sliced peels.

7

Put the pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and add in the sugar and molasses (if using). Stir until the sugar dissolves then do so every 10 minutes.

8

After 50 minutes, start testing the marmalade but spooning a bit of the liquid onto a cold plate. Let it sit for a minute then gently push against it using a spoon or your finger to see if it forms a skin at the top. Do so every 7 minutes and if at any point the liquid forms a skin when pushed, then you know it is time to take it off the stove.

9

This recipe took 1 hour and 5 minutes, but it is best to keep a watchful eye on the marmalade in case it sets sooner than the suggested time.

10

Skim off the foam for a more clear marmalade

11

Let the marmalade cool for about 15 minutes then use a wide-mouthed funnel to portion into the sterilized jars