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Citrus Season in Arizona
This week I am going to be sharing another citrus recipe with you, how to make grapefruit marmalade for you and your family to enjoy all year long! If you live in Arizona and have citrus trees, it is likely that you have an overwhelming amount of citrus. Every citrus season I see people giving away citrus, leaving citrus out for free in front of their homes, and letting some of it go bad on the tree. The truth is that one full grown citrus tree produces more than most families can eat fresh!
My parents have two lemon trees, two grapefruit trees, and one orange tree, so I know from first hand experience how much citrus these trees can produce and it is A LOT! There is no way that we could consume all of that fresh, but we feel very strongly that none of it should go to waste. Therefore, we decided to process the majority of my parents’ citrus into shelf stable products like juice and marmalade. Let’s jump into what you will need to make grapefruit marmalade!
Supplies
There are a handful of supplies you will need to make grapefruit marmalade. Most, if not all, of them you probably already have in your kitchen.
To Make Grapefruit Marmalade You Will Need:
- Large Bowl
- Vegetable Peeler
- Knife
- Cutting Board
- A 6 quart stainless steel pot or enameled Dutch oven – Beware that citrus is reactive and some types of metals cannot be used when dealing with citrus. To learn more about reactivity, check out my post about making Spiced Honey Orange Slices
- 8 Half Pint Canning Jars
- 8 New Canning Lids
- 8 Canning Rings – Do not use rusted rings
Canning Tools
If you choose to can your grapefruit marmalade in order to store it in your pantry and enjoy it all summer long, there are a few more tools you will need. If you are familiar with waterbath canning, none of these tools will be a surprise.
To Waterbath Can You Will Need:
- A waterbath canner – This can be any pot that is large enough to cover your jars by 1-2 inches of water without boiling over
- A canning rack – A rack will keep your jars off the bottom of your pot, and help prevent jars from breaking in the canner. If you do not have a canning rack, you can simply put a layer of old canning rings in the bottom of your pot. If you want, you can either tie them together or lay a small towel over them to make it more stable. Although this is non-ideal, I have done this many times and it works well.
- Jar lifters – You will never regret purchasing a jar lifter if you can food. Seriously, they are definitely worth the money, and are quite affordable. You can try using tongs in a pinch (I have done this), just be prepared to burn yourself and possibly drop your jars.
- Canning Funnel – This will make putting the marmalade in your jars much less messy!
- Bubble Remover – They make a tool for this specifically, but there are quite a few things you can use instead. If you do not have one try using a small silicone spatula or even a plastic butter knife.
Ways to Use Grapefruit Marmalade
I am so excited to use this grapefruit marmalade. The most obvious way to use it is on a piece of toast, which is so good. Another way we have been using it is by mixing it in with our plain yogurt and topping our granola with our flavored yogurt. In addition, it can be used on French toast, pancakes, crepes, Dutch baby pancakes, etc. The breakfast possibilities are endless!
Grapefruit marmalade can be used in other ways than just for breakfast as well. Try mixing it in with your chicken marinade for a sweet and sour chicken. You can also add marmalade to brie cheese, salad dressings, cocktails and mocktails, or a charcuterie board. On top of that, grapefruit marmalade can be used in countless desserts: cake, cookies, whipped cream, popsicles, ice cream, and more! Don’t be afraid to get creative and have some fun in the kitchen! Let me know how you use grapefruit marmalade in the comment section.
Grapefruit Marmalade
Equipment
- Large Bowl
- Vegetable Peeler
- Knife
- Cutting Board
- 6 Quart Stainless Steel Pot or Enameled Dutch Oven
- 8 half pint canning jars
- 8 New Canning Lids
- 8 Canning Rings – Do not use rusted rings
- 1 Small Plate
- Waterbath Canner – See above for more details
- Canning Rack – See above for substitute
- Jar Lifter
- Canning Funnel
- Bubble Remove – Check out above for substitutes for this tool
Ingredients
- 7 Large Grapefruit
- 2 Lemons
- 5 ¼ cups water
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¾ cup pectin
- 7 ½ cups sugar
Instructions
Making Grapefruit Marmalade
- Before you start, put your small plate in your freezer. This will be used later to test if your marmalade has set.
- Wash your citrus thoroughly, then pat them dry. This recipe includes the peels, so be sure to remove all dirt from the outside of the grapefruits and lemons.
- Using a vegetable peeler, peel the rind off of your lemons and grapefruits. Be careful to avoid the pith (bitter white part of the peel) of the citrus.
- Next, coarsely chop the rinds. Add the chopped rinds, baking soda, and water to your pot. Bring the pot up to a boil, then reduce it to simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- While that is simmering, it is time to section your citrus. Cut both ends off the citrus until you can begin to see the fruit inside. Then place the citrus flat end down on the cutting board. Cutting from top to bottom, following the curvature of the citrus, remove the peel.
- Hold your citrus over a bowl to catch any juice and remove the segments from the membrane gently. Be sure to also remove the seeds as you go. We have found this easiest to do by hand.
- Once the rinds are done simmering, add the citrus segments and juices to the pot. Bring the mixture up to a simmer and simmer for 10 minutes. Bring the mixture up to a rolling boil. Be sure to stir it often to avoid burning.
- Add in the pectin. Bring back up to a rolling boil.
- Next, add the sugar and stir to dissolve. I know it is a lot of sugar, but it is needed to cut the bitterness and acidity of the grapefruit peel and segments. Bring it back up to a rolling boil, stirring often.
- Once at a rolling boil, set a timer for one minute. After one minute, you can test your marmalade to see if it has gelled. Do this by placing a small amount of marmalade on your frozen plate. Return the plate to the freezer and wait 1- 2 minutes. Then, check the consistency of your marmalade. It should resemble the texture of jam or jelly. If it is not set, either continue boiling it for a couple more minutes or add more pectin.
- Turn off heat. Skim off any foam that has formed on top of your marmalade.
Canning
- Ladle the hot marmalade into your jars, leaving a quarter inch of headspace.
- Remove any bubbles from the jars, then add more marmalade if necessary to maintain a quarter inch of headspace.
- Wipe the rim of the jars with vinegar, then add the lids and rings. Tighten until fingertip tight.
- Add jars to the waterbath canner. Double check that your jars are covered by 1 – 2 inches of water. Bring the canner up to a boil and process for 10 minutes. Your processing time begins once the canner is boiling. Be sure to adjust your canning time for your altitude!
- Once your processing is complete, turn off the heat and remove the lid from the canner. Let the jars sit in the canner for 5 – 10 minutes before removing. This helps prevent any liquid from siphoning out of your jars.
- Let the jars cool for 12-24 hours, then check the seals. If it did not seal, put it in the fridge and eat it immediately. Don't forget to label your jars with the date and what is in them!
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