Blood Orange Vanilla Marmalade
Marmalades and fruit jams of all kinds play a huge part in French gastronomy. Of course, they’re ubiquitous on the breakfast table, enjoyed with the staple bread and butter. But they’re also deeply anchored in a “no-waste” French philosophy.
Making jams, marmalades and preserves has always been a privileged tradition in France for home-cooks to ensure no seasonal fruits went to waste, and that they could be enjoyed all year round. So with Spring just around the corner, I wanted to bid a proper farewell to Winter by jarring (literally) one of its best seasonal offerings: citrus. More specifically, blood oranges.
Compared to classic oranges, blood oranges hide a blood-colored flesh and provides notes of raspberry along with the citrus. They pair beautifully with the vanilla, which brings a nice roundness and smooths out the bitter edge of the citrus.
With the blood orange and notes of berries and vanilla, this is a smooth citrus marmalade that’s more approachable than your average orange marmalade. It is great for breakfast on toast, a great companion to cheese and crackers, and also makes for a great gift.
Cooking notes:
- Because we are using both the peels and flesh, opt for organic blood oranges. Blood oranges are harder to slice and peel than classic oranges, so make sure you use a very sharp knife.
- Yes, you can use other kind of citrus: orange, tangerine or lemon, as long as you keep the proportions the same: 450g (1lb) of flesh and peel (pith removed).
- Using a Candy Thermometer will make this recipe easier. We need to reach 220F(106C) and you’ll know for certain that the marmalade is ready. But if you don’t have one, don’t worry: you can use the plate test (see in the recipe).
If you try this Blood Orange Vanilla Marmalade recipe let me know! Leave a comment or share a photo using #pardonyourfrench on Instagram.
Bon Appétit!
- Who: Vanilla · Method Make
- Figures: 1lb