If you love grapefruit like I do, you are going to love this grapefruit marmalade recipe!
If either nature or a friend has gifted you with an abundance of grapefruit, and you are not sure what to do with it, try this grapefruit marmalade recipe. It is bright and full of zesty grapefruit flavor. Use fully ripe grapefruit for the best flavor. You can also choose to add an orange to the mix for a hint of floral, or to tone down the boldness of the grapefruit.
This recipe is awesome because it is so easy and uses only 2 ingredients. You read that right – just 2!
Why make grapefruit marmalade? Well, yes, you can be all British and put this on your breakfast toast. We all learned that grapefruit is the perfect breakfast food anyway, right? But this goes so much farther than just breakfast. My new favorite way is with some brie cheese and homemade crackers!
Notes for this Grapefruit Marmalade Recipe
We have two grapefruit trees, in pots, flanking our barn doors. I just love the look of citrus in pots. Reminds me of being in Italy, or at Versailles. It is just a very Tuscan / Mediterranean look which works so well in our California climate.
When I planted these grapefruit trees, we already had a huge lemon tree, mandarins, and an orange. So I thought grapefruit would be something nice to have. After all, I love grapefruit juice, and often make grapefruit soda by mixing grapefruit juice in with sparkling soda. (don’t tell anyone, but I often drink this from a champagne flute)
One of the things about marmalade is that a lot of the zesty flavor in this very British jam comes from the skin. Almost all marmalade has some skin in it. It is a trademark which gives it that aromatic bitterness.
If you are used to orange marmalade, possibly the most popular type, you may need to watch your rind in this recipe. I added a lot, as you can see in this picture. I love the tang of grapefruit.
However you should adjust the amount of rind you add based upon your own preferences. Keep in mind that most of the pectin will be in the rind. So limiting the amount of rind could lengthen the cook time. Lengthening the cook time could darken the color somewhat.
Tips to preserve bright color
Always use a saucepan, not a pot. The saucepan provides more surface area when warming the marmalade. It also allows the sugar to thicken more quickly, before the fruit turns brown. Also, never double citrus jam batches, for the same reason. If you have a lot of fruit, it is better to make two fast batches rather than one long one and risk it turning brown before it can thicken.
Lastly, I would suggest cutting the rind during the first 5 minutes of the boil, and then adding the zest to the mixture after it has had a chance to cook off some of the liquid. This will keep the zest a little firmer, but more importantly will keep the color brighter longer.
Ingredients
- 4-5 Grapefruit
- 3 Cups Sugar
Instructions to Make Grapefruit Marmalade
- Scrub the skin of your grapefruit and peel each. Save the skin from 2 of the grapefruit.
- Slice each grapefruit in half – so that each wedge is bisected. This makes it easier to remove seeds. Remove seeds and place them in cheesecloth. Remove any remaining large pieces of pith and any large pieces of the membranes between each section; compost.
- Cut the cleaned grapefruit into 3/4 inch pieces and place juice and fruit all in a large saucepan over medium heat
- Add the sugar and stir everything together.
- Take the skin you reserved and slice it into long thin pieces. Add this to the saucepan.
- Continue to cook for approximately ten minutes.
- When the liquid is absorbed and the jam has thickened to desired consistency, add to canning jars with lids and bands. (For instructions on how to tell when jam is ready, you can either use the cold plate test or the spatula test. If unsure, a candy thermometer is the most reliable method)
- Process in a hot water bath canner for 10 minutes.
