If you enjoy making your own condiments from seasonal produce, this soft set Grapefruit Marmalade is for you. Marmalade is a favoured preserve on many breakfast tables. It is easy to appreciate that this zesty, tangy preserve is a great way to start the day.
Why we love this recipe:
This recipe is a very special family recipe – handed down to me by my great great grandmother! So, it’s a few years old.. but oh so delicious!
There are few things more satisfying than taking fresh, locally grown produce and transforming it into something delicious which can be used in the months ahead. Making marmalade is one way to preserve some of winter’s bounty.
I regard homemade jams and spreads as luxury items. It’s not that they are expensive to make, especially when the fruit is a gift, but there is an investment of time.
However, having jars of marmalade that you have made yourself is tremendously satisfying. The flavours are bright and clear and remember, there are just four ingredients. Compare that with the labels of some commercial varieties which often have a large range of additives.
A little effort and time will produce a wonderful array of jars filled with this soft set Grapefruit Marmalade, some of which I will keep for myself and many of which I will give away to friends as a special homemade treat.
If you think that making marmalade is difficult, I want to assure you that it is easier than you may think. Although there is a great deal of science involved, it just requires that you follow a few simple steps and we will happily guide you through the process.
This is a classic method of making marmalade. It requires just four ingredients, and one of them is water. That is all that you need to make this fresh-flavoured condiment. It produces a soft set Marmalade; it will not be as firm as many commercial varieties which often contain additives.
Ingredients in this recipe:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
Grapefruit – I prefer to use homegrown or organic fruit which does not have a wax coating.
Lemon – again, my preference is homegrown or organic fruit without wax.
Sugar – use regular granulated white sugar. Do not be concerned by the amount of sugar – this is correct. This recipe uses a higher quantity of water. See the notes in the recipe card.
Water – I use filtered tap water.
Step by Step Instructions:
Making the Grapefruit Marmalade is a two-day process. To begin, I wash the fruit.
- Cut the grapefruit and lemon into quarters and finely slice them, removing any seeds that I may find.
- I place the fruit into a non-reactive bowl, add the water, cover the bowl and set aside overnight. Soaking the fruit serves two purposes. Firstly, it softens the peel and secondly, it helps release the pectin required for setting the jam.
- On day two, you add the fruit and water to a large saucepan and cook to soften the peel.
- Then, add the sugar.
- Start to test after about 10 minutes to ensure you don’t go past setting point. See the recipe card and instructions for more information.
- Spoon some marmalade onto a cold saucer.
- You can use the wrinkle test to check setting point, or, use a candy thermometer to ensure accuracy (see the recipe card for more details.)
- Once setting point is reached, take off the heat and allow to sit for 10 minutes. This will help the fruit to settle and evenly distribute when poured into the jars. Without settling, the fruit will rise to the top of the marmalade. And finally, ladle it into sterilized jars.
Tips for success and FAQs:
When making your own preserves, always ensure you are sterilising the jars you will store them in. This is very simple to do:
- Choose glass jars with an airtight, metal lid and ensure they have been washed by hand in hot soapy water then rinsed well.
- Check that the metal lids do not have rubber inserts.
- Preheat the oven to 130 Degrees C (270 F) and leave the jars for 15-20 minutes.
You will need to prepare the ingredients for the Grapefruit Marmalade a day ahead. We soak the peel overnight; this helps develop the pectin which assists with setting the marmalade. Also, the fruit will soften and this means it will take less time to cook; a shorter cooking will produce a brighter, fresher-flavoured marmalade.
You will not need any special equipment to make this recipe. However, a large saucepan is essential. When you add the sugar, it foams up enormously. Without a very large saucepan, there is the risk of it boiling over. I also like to use a long-handled wooden spoon to keep my hand away from the bubbling marmalade. Do not use a metal spoon, it will become very hot. Whilst a jam/candy thermometer is not essential, it can be valuable to precisely determine setting point.
This may seem an excessive amount of sugar, however, this is not the usual fruit to sugar ratio which is used in jam making. For the marmalade we use a large amount of water to soak the fruit. The water is included in the marmalade so this means a larger amount of sugar.
When making marmalade and jams, the sugar is not just a sweetener, it also assists with gelling and preservation. Therefore, I don’t recommend reducing the amount of sugar as it may interfere with the setting and preservation. The sugar is an important component in making the jam shelf-stable.
Citrus fruits are high in pectin so it is not necessary to use jam sugar. Regular granulated sugar is all that is required.
To achieve the best result, you will need to prepare the ingredients for the Grapefruit Marmalade a day ahead. We soak the peel overnight; this helps develop the pectin which assists with setting the marmalade. Also, the fruit will soften and this means it will take less time to cook; a shorter cooking will produce a brighter, fresher-flavoured marmalade.
No, it is not necessary to refrigerate it, just store it in a cool, dark place. When cooked to setting point and poured into sterilised jars the marmalade will keep for at least 12 months. I do, however, store a jar in the refrigerator after it has been opened.
As we are using the whole fruit, it is best to use organic or home-grown fruit. However, if you are only able to access commercially grown fruit, they need to be thoroughly cleaned.
Always use fruit which is in good condition and ideally some which are slightly under-ripe as they will contain more pectin. Bruised or damaged fruit may spoil the jam, causing it to deteriorate quickly.
How do I know if my Marmalade has reached setting point?
These are two ways you to check if your Marmalade has reached setting point.
- You can use the “wrinkle test”, as outlined in the recipe;
- If you don’t feel confident, or are not an experienced Marmalade maker, I recommend the fail safe method of using a jam/candy thermometer to indicate setting point.
Your marmalade will be very liquid when you add it to the jars so please don’t be concerned. It will continue to thicken as it cools.
Leave it for 24 hours and then check again. If it is still runny, you can re-boil the marmalade. Empty the contents of the jars back into the saucepan and bring to a boil. To increase the pectin and help the marmalade to set, you can add the juice of half a lemon. Boil for a few minutes and test again.
However, if the marmalade was initially boiled too long, it can still result in it not setting as the pectin may have been damaged, and therefore, reboiling the marmalade will not help.
When setting point is reached, as outlined in the recipe instructions, it is important to remove the saucepan from the heat and set it aside for 10 minutes. This will help the fruit to settle and evenly distribute when poured into the jars. Without settling, the fruit will rise to the top of the marmalade.
When it comes to serving:
Marmalade is a popular condiment, perhaps best known as a spread for toast at breakfast time. However, don’t be limited by the thought that marmalade is only eaten at breakfast. There are many more ways to use it.
- A sticky glaze for chicken drumsticks;
- Make a sauce for pork tenderloin;
- Glaze a Christmas ham;
- Use it in a marinade for chicken;
- Make crostini with goat cheese and prosciutto;
- Bake a lemon cake and make a glaze with the marmalade;
- Add it to the top of a baked brie.
More delicious condiments and edible gift ideas:
- Preserved Chillies in Oil
- Dill Pickled Cucumbers
- Apricot Jam
- Plum Jam
- Japanese Pickled Ginger (Gari)
- Fresh Peach Chutney
- Sweet Chilli Sauce
- Balsamic Glaze
- Pickled Daikon
- Beetroot Pickled Turnips
- Spicy Pickled Cucumbers
- Lemon Marmalade
- Classic Lemon Curd
- Blood Orange Curd
When you try this lovely Grapefruit Marmalade you will realise that there is no comparison between homemade marmalade and the commercially produced varieties.
Do let me know in the comments below when you have tried this delicious recipe.
Alex xx
This post was originally published in August 2020. It has been updated with new photos, a video and more information. The recipe has been slightly altered to make a smaller batch.
Grapefruit Marmalade
Recipe Measurements:
For accuracy, when weights are provided, we recommend weighing your ingredients. This will produce the best results.
Ingredients
- 500 g (1 lb) grapefruit – prepared weight See Notes 1 and 2
- 1 large lemon
- 6 cups (1.5 Litre) water
- 8 cups (1.8 kg) sugar See Note 3
Instructions
To Sterilise the Jars:
- Sterilise the jars you'll be using to store the marmalade.Choose glass jars with an airtight, metal lid and ensure they have been washed in the dishwasher or by hand in hot soapy water then rinsed well.Check that the metal lids do not have rubber inserts. (See Note 9)Preheat the oven to 130 Degrees C (270 F) and place the jars in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
For the Marmalade:
- Place 2 saucers or small plates in the freezer, ready to check for the setting point of your marmalade.Thoroughly wash the grapefruit and lemon. Remove each end of the grapefruit to get rid of excess pith. Remove each end of the lemon. Cut the grapefruit and lemon into quarters length ways. Holding two of the quarters together, slice as thinly as possible and remove any seeds.
- Place the citrus slices in a non-reactive bowl. See Note 4. Add the 6 cups of water, cover the bowl and leave the fruit to stand overnight, up to 24 hours. If your bowl is not large enough to accommodate all the water, add what you can and add the remainder the following day. It’s best to make a note of what you have added.The following day, place the fruit and water into a very large, non-reactive saucepan. – See Note 5.
- Over medium-high heat, bring the fruit and water to the boil. Rapidly boil for approximately 15 minutes or until the peel is tender, stirring occasionally with a long-handled wooden spoon – See Note 6.
- Add the sugar and stir well to dissolve it. After dissolving the sugar, return the fruit to the boil, stirring occasionally. Continue to stir until the marmalade reaches setting point – I start to check at about 10 minutes. When the very aggressive bubbles subside to a slower, gentler boil, that's an indication that your marmalade may have reached setting point – See Note 7.Remove from the heat to conduct the wrinkle test. If not set, continue to boil for another 1 minute and then test again.
- To test for setting point, I use the “wrinkle” test. Take one of your saucers from the freezer and pour a small amount of marmalade onto it. Let it cool for a minute then push against the marmalade with the tip of your finger. If the surface wrinkles slightly, it means setting point has been reached.Alternatively, if you are not confident checking this way or are not experienced at making marmalade, you can use the fail-safe method of using a jam/candy thermometer which you clip to the side of your saucepan. When attaching your thermometer, make sure that the base is not touching the bottom of the saucepan. Your marmalade has reached setting point when the temperature reaches 104.5 degree C or 220 degrees F. (Taking it much higher than this will result in the marmalade being overboiled, the pectin being destroyed, and therefore, your marmalade will not set.)At this time, your marmalade will look very liquidy – it can take 24-48 hours to completely cool and set.Please note, this recipe will produce marmalade which has a soft set; it will not be as firm as many commercial varieties which often contain additives.
- Take the mixture off the heat. If there is any scum on the marmalade, add a teaspoon of butter and stir; that should settle the scum.
- Let the marmalade stand for about 10 minutes to allow the fruit to settle. If you bottle it immediately, the fruit will not be evenly distributed but will settle at the top of the jar.
- Remove your jars from the oven and carefully ladle the marmalade into the heated, sterilised jars. The jars should be filled as full as possible to minimise the amount of air between the marmalade and the lid. The marmalade should not touch the lid. Seal tight once filled with marmalade. See Note 8You need to be very careful. Splashing yourself with hot marmalade will result in a very serious burn. I suggest you have clothing with long sleeves and ensure that you do not have children nearby.
Video
Notes
- I used 2 medium-large grapefruit to achieve the weight after the ends and seeds have been removed.
- As the peel is such an important part of the marmalade, I like to use organic or home-grown citrus. Commercially produced grapefruit and lemons generally have a wax coating and may have been sprayed with something toxic. If this is all that you can obtain, you can clean the grapefruit and lemons by placing them in a colander and pouring over freshly boiled water. Then, scrub them gently with a nail brush while holding them under cold running water.
- This may seem an excessive amount of sugar, however, this is not the usual fruit to sugar ratio. We use a large amount of water to soak the fruit. The water is included in the marmalade.so this means a larger amount of sugar.
- Non-reactive bowls and saucepans are stainless steel, glass, ceramic or enamelled cookware. Aluminium, copper and iron bowls or pans are reactive. Acidic foods, such as citrus, may discolour and take on a metallic taste if these are used.
- A large saucepan is essential. When you add the sugar, it foams up enormously. Without a very large saucepan, there is the risk of it boiling over.
- To stir, use a long-handled wooden spoon. Do not use metal, it will become dangerously hot.
- The boiling time may vary slightly depending on several factors, the thickness of your fruit slices, the width of your saucepan and the heat at which the fruit is boiled.
- Your marmalade will be very liquid when you add it to the jars so please don’t be concerned. It will continue to thicken as it cools. Leave it for 24-48 hours and then check again. If it is still runny, you can re-boil the marmalade. Empty the contents of the jars back into the saucepan and bring to a boil. To increase the pectin and help the marmalade to set, you can add the juice of half a lemon. Boil for a few minutes and test again.
However, if the marmalade was initially boiled too long, it can still result in it not setting as the pectin may have been damaged. - Properly sterilising your jars is an essential process to remove bacteria which could cause your preserves to spoil. I prefer to sterilise jars in the oven. To do this, preheat your oven to 130 Degrees C (270F).
- Please note, the nutritional information is based on one 250ml jar. The nutritional information is an estimate only.
Nutrition Estimate:
Nutritional Disclaimer:
The nutritional information is an estimate only, and is derived from online calculators. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
Francis
I wish I could give this recipe 10 stars!!! I can’t believe how much grapefruit flavor this has, it’s so good! The only thing I changed was using a mandoline to slice my grapefruit and lemon as it made it much easier on my hands. And as an added benefit, my whole house smell like a citrus orchard which was lovely. One question, can I use this recipe to make lemon marmalade? It’s another one of my favorites. 🙂
Alexandra
Thank you so much, Francis – your lovely comment has made my day!
Great tip on using a mandoline!
We have a recipe for Lemon Marmalade on the blog, which I have linked for you – I hope you’ll give that a try!
Martha
I finally got to try this this morning after making it late last night. It’s so delicious and full of grapefruit flavor. My son had this with his pancakes this morning and said it was so yummy. Tonight he asked for pancakes for dinner because he wanted to have more of this marmalade lol. Instead I made him drumsticks and used this as a glaze like you suggested. So good~!
Alexandra
Thank you, Martha!
This is great to hear. I am so happy your son enjoyed the marmalade so much also!
Many thanks, Alex
Catherine
I’ve tried many marmalade recipes in the past and I keep coming back to this one. It’s the easiest and most balanced in terms of flavor I’ve come across. Definitely follow the recipe. I’ve been making jams and marmalades for years and this recipe is spot on with all the details, including the wrinkle test. It’s a great way to check the consistency if you don’t have a thermometer. I always get consistent results with this one. Great recipe! Thumbs up!
Alexandra
Thank you so much for sharing, Catherine!
I am so pleased you have been enjoying this recipe. Many thanks, Alex
Phebe
I just finished making the grapefruit marmalade. It came out beyond my expectations. We live at high altitude so water boils at a lower temperature. The timing was at least twice as long to get it up to 220’F. But we’ll worth the wait. Thank you for making it so easy. Other recipes made it sound daunting. It’s my Dads favorite preserve and it’s his birthday in a few weeks. I’m excited to give it too him. Again thank you.
Alexandra
Hi Phebe,
Thank you so much for leaving a comment.
I am so pleased to hear you found the recipe easy! This was a favourite of my Dad’s too! 🙂 I wish your Dad a very Happy Birthday!
Beth
Oh my goodness! This is amazing and so delicious! My family absolutely loves this recipe! I’m so excited to make another batch to give some away as gifts, too!
Alexandra
Thank you for the kind words, Beth!
Jere Cassidy
I am so excited about the marmalade. I have a tree full of grapefruit and I can only eat so many and then I have to figure out what else to do with them. I’m giving this a try.
Alexandra
Thank you, Jere!
heather
absolutely delicious. love the tips – didn’t realize y ou didn’t need to use pectin! and i’m definitely trying the wrinkle test next time!!! I used the thermometer this time to be sure, but I feel more confident now. Thank you so much!
Alexandra
Thank you, Heather!
Bev
Hi Alex,
Thank you for sharing this special family recipe. It tastes just like I remember my grandma making also. Unfortunately, I never had her recipe, so I am so pleased I came across yours.
I look forward to trying your apricot jam next!
Regards, Bev
Alexandra
Hello Bev,
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment. I am so glad you found this recipe also, and that it brings back such lovely memories for you.
I have had a couple of people mention nostalgic memories with this recipe, so I am so pleased I shared it!
Many thanks, Alex
Gina Sanacore
i was reading through the comments and saw that some had trouble with it setting. Should pectin be in the recipe? I am new to all this and looking things up on google. Although I must say google isn’t always right. I love your lemon marmalade and I am about to try this
Alexandra
Hi Gina,
This recipe has been in our family for generations (my great great grandmothers!), and we have never found the need to use pectin – as grapefruit and lemon are both very high in pectin, additional is not necessary.
Marmalade doesn’t set in general for two reasons – it either hasn’t been boiled enough, or it has been overboiled. The latter destroys the pectin, so it is always best to be cautious. I suspect this was the issue for those who found it did not set. As you can see from the other comments, many people have enjoyed this recipe.
If you are new to marmalade making, I refer you to Step 5 of the recipe, where we discuss how to test when your marmalade has reached setting point using a candy thermometer. This is an easy way to achieve the perfect result.
I am so pleased you like the Lemon Marmalade – this recipe uses the same technique and basic recipe, so I hope you’ll enjoy it as much.
Please feel free to reach out if you have any further questions. Kind regards, Alex
Gina Sanacore
Thank you so much. I am learning so much from you.
Alexandra
Thank you, Gina! Enjoy your weekend!
Gina Sanacore
I made you lemon marmalade recipe and loved it. I also tried it with adding ginger to the recipe. OMG it is so good with ginger. I am about to try this recipe but I have a question. How do I know if it is shelf safe? I keep the lemon recipe in the refrigerator because I do not know if it is canned or not. another recipe (not yours) said to put the jars with the jam in them in water in a stock pot and bring to boil. I do not see this step in your recipe? I read that you need pectin in Jelly and jam. I this true?
Alexandra
Hi Gina,
Thank you – I am so pleased to hear that. Lemon and ginger is a delicious combination!
Our recipes are not canned, but they are shelf stable. They will keep in the pantry for 12 months when prepared correctly. Ensure your jars are sterilised and hot when you put the jam/marmalade into them. Put the lid on the jars straight away.
As the jars cool, they will seal. Store in a cool, dark place.
We only keep the jars in the fridge, once they have been opened. No need to boil the jars, as you have just boiled the fruit.
In respect to pectin –
We do not add pectin to jam/jelly, as we use lemon juice instead which is high in pectin. Further, pectin is found naturally occurring in nearly all fruits and vegetables. This is why we do recommend using freshly picked fruit, however, as pectin does lessen the older the fruit is – but for preserving etc, you would, of course, want to use fresh produce.
I hope that clarifies it, but please feel free to reach out! Kind regards, Alex
Gina Sanacore
Thank you for sharing your time and your knowledge
Terri
Is the lemon necessary? Isn’t the grapefruit by itself sufficiently acidic?
I’m just curious. I made some great Meyer lemon marmalade the other day and have been reading a few grapefruit marmalade recipes (looking for one to use) and was surprised to see that most include lemon juice. Thank you, Terri
Alexandra
Hi Terri,
This recipe was my great great grandmother’s, so I follow it as she always made it 🙂
She added lemon as it speeds up reaching the setting point and keeps the flavour vibrant. The longer you cook it, the less fresh tasting the marmalade is.
Thanks! Alex
Elizabeth Bishenden
Lovely marmalade.
I made two small adjustments.
To make it into a one-day recipe, I put the citrus and water in my crock pot on the “keep warm” setting for about four hours. That saved the overnight soaking.
My knife skills are not great, so I ran the citrus and water mix through my food processor for a couple of pulses. Not enough to turn it to pulp, but enough to break up some pieces of peel that were a bit too chunky.
The marmalade turned out perfectly. I love the sweet and bitter combination. Thank you for your lovely recipe.
Alexandra
Hi Elizabeth!
Thank you so much. I am so pleased you enjoyed the marmalade.
They are some great tips too – I think that many people would find the food processor tip useful!
Kind regards, Alex
K. Grote
HI, i haven’t made the marmalade but I left a high rating because it seemed weird to leave a zero when asking a question, and your post is really well put together, so cheers! Just wondering why the grapefruit marmalade is “soft set” and the orange isn’t. I’m particularly interested in attempting a lime marmalade. Should I mimic the orange or grapefruit when I try that, and should I include a lemon in the mix? Thanks in advance, Red
Alexandra
Hello!
Thank you so much for stopping by. Both of the Marmalades are fairly soft set in comparison to a marmalade you may buy from the store – these can sometimes contain various fillers and additives that give the marmalade a more firm texture.
We do mention it a little more in this post, however, as it does have a slightly softer set than the lemon. (Which is just how my family has always liked it.)
We are hoping to get our recipe up for lime marmalade soon – but in the meantime, yes, we would still use lemon in the mix –
You can use the same recipe, but you may need to adjust the cooking time. The key point to remember is to make sure the peel is tender before adding the sugar.
Let me know if you have any queries, and I would love to know if you give the marmalade a try!
Kind regards, Alex
Jaclyn
About how much does this recipe make? I am interested In making it but wondering how many jars I should prep. Most of my jam recipes make about 6 half-pint jars—is this in that ballpark?
Alexandra
Hi Jaclyn!
This recipe will make slightly more – we usually find about 9 jars.
Let me know if you give it a try 🙂
Jaclyn
One more question: in the list of ingredients, you say 6 cups of water, but I’m the directions, you say “add the 8 cups of water.” Which is correct?
Alexandra
Hello Jaclyn!
Thank you so much – I was just updating the post with a little extra information and appreciate you picking that up!
It is 6 cups or 1.5 litres of water as per the ingredients listed. Kind regards, Alex
Christina
This recipe is just the best! It worked perfectly, Can’t wait to share with my friends and family.
Alexandra
Hi Christina,
Thank you so much. I am so glad you enjoyed it!
Julianne
This grapefruit marmalade is one of the best marmalades I’ve ever tried. The taste & the consistency is just perfect! I also love that this recipe is from your great great grandmother! How special! Thank you Alex for such a lovely recipe!
Alexandra
Hello Julianne,
Thank you so much for your comment. I am so happy it is one of the best marmalades you have ever tried.
Thank you for letting me know you enjoyed it!