Of course, you can use this delicious homemade Lemon Marmalade Recipe on your morning bagel! It's also a perfect glaze for chicken, pork
Check this out for step by step instructions to make the BEST Homemade Jam!

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Why you'll love this recipe
The reasons you'll love this jam is simple!
✔️ tastes 100 times better than store bought!
✔️ it's a great way to use up fresh lemons.
✔️ making homemade jam isn't as hard as you think, perfect for even first time marmalade makers!
Ingredients
- fresh whole lemons - Meyer lemons are preferred, traditional lemons can be used if Meyer lemons aren't available.
- mandarin oranges
- sugar
- butter
- vanilla

Instructions
Start by making the puree
- 1-½ cups thinly sliced mandarins with a sharp knife, remove ends. Pick out the seeds.
- ½ cup thinly sliced Meyer lemons with a sharp knife, remove ends. Pick out the seeds. No need to remove the citrus peel on either of the fruits.
- 4 cups water
- Measure out 1 ½ cups of mandarins, ½ cup sliced lemons. Add to a medium sauce pan with four cups water.
- Cook for 20 minutes or until tender. Allow to cool completely.
- Pour into blender. Pulse and puree until small pieces are still visible, not too long as you want to see some of the pieces.
- Measure exactly 4 cups puree, freeze remaining for another use.
Instructions to make Lemon Marmalade Recipe
- Juice the fruit.
- Combine the puree, juice, sugar and vanilla and cook for 20 minutes at low/medium boil until mixture reaches 221 degrees on
candy thermometer. - Stir often with a wooden spoon to keep the citrus fruits from sticking, especially at the end of the cooking.
- Ladle into sterile, hot jars. Makes five 8 oz. jars. Process in a hot water bath to seal jars.
- Cool completely to room temperature.
FAQ's
When life gives you lemons, of course you should make Strawberry Lemonade! If you have a lot of homegrown lemons, here are more sweet and savory recipes to use the lemons. Lemon Bars, Lemon Curd and of course Lemon Orzo Chicken Soup!
Yes it does, as do the seeds. In fact because of the naturally occurring pectin in the peels of the lemon and mandarin oranges, this recipe does not need any added pectin.
Lemon juice lowers the pH in the jam mixture. Neutralizing it allows the pectin to more easily help set the jam.
The total cooking time for this Lemon Marmalade Recipe is 40-45 minutes. This includes time to cook the lemon/orange puree and also cook the preserves until they reach the correct temperature.
You can use regular lemons, but Meyer lemons are so much more flavorful! Get those if you can.
Storage
Refrigerate - refrigerate jars that did not seal, or jars after they have been opened.
Storage - sealed jars can be kept in a cool dark place like the pantry or cupboard and will last up to 6 months.
Related recipes
- There are so many amazing easy jam recipes on the blog! If you love tropical flavors, be sure and try Papaya Mango Jam next! It's like a Mai Tai in jam form!
- Mandarin Orange Jelly is another spectacular jam. It's truly sunshine in a jar!
- Sweet and Spicy Pepper Jam is terrific on a bagel with cream cheese and makes an amazing glaze on chicken or pork.
- Pomegranate Jam is a little spicy and a little sweet - a real treat, it's just so good!
- Old Fashioned Strawberry Rhubarb Jam is a classic recipes you'll really love.
Serving suggestions
- Of course this is amazing on a toasted English muffin or sliced bagel smeared with cream cheese!
- It makes a flavorful glaze on grilled chicken, pork or shrimp.
- Another use for this jam? Mix it with some soy sauce, grated ginger
and minced garlic to make an Asian fusion sauce, it's delicious! You'll love this homemade lemon marmalade recipe!
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Main Squeeze Lemon Marmalade
Ingredients
- For the mandarin/lemon puree*
- 5-7 mandarins
- 2 lemons
- 4 cups water
- For the marmalade
- 4 cups cooked mandarin/lemon puree*
- 1 cups freshly squeezed mandarin juice 8-10 mandarins
- 1 cup freshly squeezed meyer lemon juice 6-8 lemons
- 4-½ cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
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Instructions
- For the mandarin/lemon puree*
- Start by making the puree. Thinly slice mandarins and lemons.
- Measure out 1 ½ cups of mandarins, ½ cup sliced lemons. Add to a medium sauce pan with four cups water.
- Cook for 20 minutes or until tender. Allow to cool completely.
- Pour into blender. Pulse and puree until small pieces are still visible, not too long as you want to see some of the pieces.
- Measure exactly 4 cups puree, freeze remaining for another use.
- For the marmalade
- Juice lemons and mandarins - measure exactly one cup of each.
- Combine all ingredients and cook for 20 minutes at low/medium boil until mixture reaches 221 degrees on candy thermometer.
- Stir often to keep from sticking, especially at the end of the cooking.
- Ladle into sterile jars. Makes five 8 oz. jars.
Nutrition
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Don't worry, we'll never share your email.Recipe backstory
Fall is officially here, but that doesn't mean there isn't a jam or two to be made! Something is always in season and what we'll be seeing at the market soon are plump, sweet mandarins and lemons.
We pick them by the bucketful and can't give them away. Everyone has so many everywhere you look there are sacks filled with fruit just looking for a new home!
Luckily Dan brings them home and we put them to good use!
This is a recipe my friend Michelle shared with me many years ago. It's with great honor I'm sharing it with you!
Lois
This is such a joy to have around you can have it on your toast or you could use it to glaze your ham. It is so good.
Bowl Me Over
I completely agree, marmalade is so versatile I even use it when making salad dressing!!