This is my favourite recipe for grapefruit marmalade that is relatively quick to make and you can be a bit slap dash when making it.
This is all in one method of making marmalade from any citrus fruits, including seville oranges and it’s substitutes. No need to spend 3 hrs shredding your grapefruit peel, but the result is as good as the traditional way of making marmalade.
If you are already baking your own bread, then the next best thing is to have a homemade marmalade to go with it.
Why make this recipe?
- Easy recipe to make using the all in one method
- Much quicker than the traditional recipe
- Can be used with other citrus fruits
- Make smaller amount by halving the recipe ingredients.
KEEP THIS RECIPE – PIN IT FOR LATER
Ingredients
Grapefruits
In this grapefruit marmalade recipe, I’ve used white/yellow grapefruit, but you can use any citrus fruit here or a mixture of different types.
Pink, yellow or white grapefruit, Seville oranges (even sweet oranges are fine if you mix them with lemons or limes), tangerines, limes or lemons.
Lemon juice
Although grapefruit is fairly sharp flavoured fruit, a little bit of lemon juice compliments the flavours and rounds up this homemade grapefruit marmalade perfectly.
MARMALADE MAKING TIPS
Sugar
White granulated sugar is the best for this recipe, as the grapefruit flavour comes through best and it doesn’t discolour the marmalade.
Technically you can use other granulated sugars, such as light or brown sugars and even sugars with stronger flavour such as coconut sugar or other substitutes, but the final flavour and colour of your grapefruit marmalade will change because of that.
But, then if you are after a caramelised, deep rich flavoured citrus fruit marmalade then go for a darker sugars, by all means.
Gin or other alcohol (optional)
If you want to make your homemade marmalade extra special add 2-3 tablespoons of gin or other alcohol to your marmalade just before you are ready to pot it (pour it into your jam jars).
Most of the alcohol will evaporate as you pour it in, but the flavour will stay and compliment the flavour of your grapefruit marmalade perfectly.
JAM & MARMALADE RECIPES
How to make grapefruit marmalade at home
STEP 1 – Soften the grapefruit
Scrub the fruit, remove the buttons at the top and put them whole into a preserving pan with 2.5 litres water. Bring to the boil then simmer, covered for 2-2,5 hrs or until the grapefruit skins are tender and can be easily pierced with a fork.
If you are using softer fruits, like tangerines this takes a lot less time. You will know that they are getting softer because the fruit changes colour slightly and becomes more opaque.
STEP 2 – Measure out the grapefruit juice/liquid
When cool enough to handle, take the fruit out, or use a large spoon to take them out. Measure and keep the cooking water – you should have about 1.7 litres.
Make it up to this amount with more water if you have less or bring to the boil and reduce if you have more. The skin of grapefruits (or any citrus fruit for that matter) contains pectin, so you want to make sure you keep the water, they have boiled in.
STEP 3 – Cut the grapefruit into thin shreds
Now, cut the grapefruits in half and remove the pips with a fork. Strain any juice from the pips back into the cooking water. Discard the pips.
After that, cut up the grapefruit peel and flesh into thick, medium or thin shreds. Put the cut-up fruit into the strained cooking liquid.
STEP 4 – Dissolve the sugar
Add the lemon juice and sugar and initially on a very low heat let the sugar dissolve in the liquid.
Check with the back of a wooden spoon for any sugar crystals. Once the sugar is completely dissolved, bring to the boil, stirring gently if needed.
STEP 5 – Boil your grapefruit marmalade
Bring to a rolling boil (this means, that the liquid will increase in volume and bubble away) and boil rapidly until setting point is reached – about 10-15 minutes.
STEP 6 – Test your marmalade
Test the grapefruit marmalade by putting a tea spoon full of marmalade on to a cold plate (which has been in the fridge for few hours). Leave it for a minute and try to slide your finger across the marmalade to see whether it will wrinkle.
If it has a bit of a skin on the top and looks firm, then you are ready to go. If the marmalade is stil runny, add more heat and boil for another 5 minutes. Then do the test again.
STEP 7 – Add any additional flavours
If you wish to add any alcohol (about 2-4 tablespoons of whisky work well with this recipe) or other flavouring, add them now. Be careful the alcohol will make a lot of steam.
STEP 8 – Pour
Leave to cool for 10-12 minutes and then stir gently to disperse any scum, which often forms on the top, pour into warm, sterilised jars and seal immediately.
Recipe quantity
Just a word of warning, this recipe makes a huge quantity of marmalade, so if you don’t need too much or you don’t have a sufficiently big pot, just half the quantity of ingredients.
RECIPES WITH MARMALADE
How to store your grapefruit marmalade & shelflife
Once the marmalade jars are cold, make sure that the lids look slightly indented or inverted in and firm. This means that as the marmalade was cooling down, the air evaporated and it seeled the jam jar lid properly.
Store your marmalade jars in cold, dry place, like the back of a colder kitchen cupboard, cellar or a cold pantry. Check once in a while to make sure that you have no mould or bacteria growing inside the jam jar.
Once opened, marmalade should be stored in the fridge and ideally eaten within 2-3 weeks. It will last longer, but you might start getting mould or bacteria growing inside once you open it.
Make sure that you always use clean knife or spoon to take out your marmalade as any other ingredients especially dairy (like butter) might speed up or start the bacteria growth.
This grapefruit marmalade, if stored correctly, will last for 2 years, but in our household it never does! We usually eat it within a year and then make some more.
MORE PRESERVES & JAMS
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Magdalena
This recipe was originally written on 27 January 2015 and last tested and updated on 17 November 2021
Simple Grapefruit Marmalade Recipe
Equipment
- Makes about 5-6 x 450 g jars
Ingredients
- 1 kg of grapefruits
- 75 ml lemon juice
- 2 kg granulated sugar
Instructions
- Scrub the fruit, remove the buttons at the top and put them whole into a preserving pan with 2.5 litres water. Bring to the boil then simmer, covered for 2-2,5 hrs or until the grapefruit skins are tender and can be easily pierced with a fork.
- If you are using softer fruits, like tangerines this takes a lot less time. You will know that they are getting softer, because the fruit changes colour slightly and becomes more opaque.
- When cool enough to handle, take the fruit out, or use a large spoon to take them out. Measure and keep the cooking water – you should have about 1.7 litres.
- Make it up to this amount with more water if you have less or bring to the boil and reduce if you have more. The skin of grapefruits (or any citrus fruit for that matter) contains pectin, so you want to make sure you keep the water, they have boiled in.
- Now, cut the grapefruits in half and remove the pips with a fork. Strain any juice from the pips back into the cooking water. Discard the pips.
- After that, cut up the grapefruit peel and flesh into thick, medium or thin shreds. Put the cut-up fruit into the strained cooking liquid. Add the lemon juice and sugar and innitially on a very low heat let the sugar disolve in the liquid.
- Check with the back of a wooden spoon for any sugar crystals. Once the sugar is completely dissolved, bring to the boil, stirring gently if needed.
- Bring to a rolling boil (this means, that the liquid will increase in volume and bubble away) and boil rapidly until setting point is reached – about 10-15 minutes.
- Test the grapefruit marmalade by putting a tea spoon full of marmalade on to a cold plate (which has been in the fridge for few hours). Leave it for a minute and try to slide your finger accross the marmalade to see whether it will wrinkle.
- If it has a bit of a skin on the top and looks firm, then you are ready to go. If the marmalade is stil runny, add more heat and boil for another 5 minutes. Then do the test again.
- If you wish to add any alcohol (about 2-4 table spoons of whisky work well with this recipe) or other flavouring, add them now. Be careful the alcohol will make a lot of steam.
- Leave to cool for 10-12 minutes and then stir gently to disperse any scum, which often forms on the top, pour into warm, sterilised jars and seal immediately.
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