Grapefruit Marmalade

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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.

a spoon scooping into a jar of marmalade, sitting on a round board, with half a grapefruit in the background.

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:

The first four steps to make this recipe - slicing the grapefruit, placing in a bowl with water, softening the peel in a saucepan and adding the sugar to the saucepan.

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.

The final four steps to make this recipe - the fruit as it reaches setting point, putting some marmalade on a saucer to test, the wrinkle test and filling the jar with the marmalade.

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.

Do I need any special equipment?

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.

Can I use less sugar? Should I use jam sugar?

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.

Can I make the marmalade without soaking the fruit?

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.

Do I need to refrigerate the 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.

How do I select the best kind of fruit?

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.

two jars of marmalade on a round board, a spoon of marmalade on the board, and some bread and grapefruit surrounding the board.

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.

two jars of marmalade on a round board, one with a spoon in it, and some bread and grapefruit surrounding the board.

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:

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.