In the field of marmalade cookbooks, this book remains at the top of the heap. It’s an excellent primer on the basics as well as an opportunity to go deeper.
Last fall, when I was still trying to pick myself up from the blow of being laid off from my job, I got a email from my editor at Running Press. She was working on a marmalade project and wanted to know if I’d be interested in making a sampling of recipes from book for the photo shoot. My need for work, coupled with the fact that I was very much excited to see a world of new-to-me marmalades, meant that I said yes within moments of receiving her note.
In early January, I spent about two weeks digging deep into the world of marmalades. I simmered, sliced, grated, and jarred up 12 recipes from the book. I went crazy trying to find yuzu, passionfruit, and Seville oranges in Philadelphia. Without question, I got far more than my daily recommended dose of vitamin C during that period.
Now, many months later, Marmalade
is here and it is gorgeous. Written by food writer and marmalade obsessive Elizabeth Field and photographed by award winning food blogger and photographer Helene Dujardin, this book is a pleasure to hold and use. It contains a variety of marmalades (sweet, savory, citrus, and beyond), as well meals that can incorporate these spreads and baked goods that can serve as vehicle for them.
Of course, I get particular pleasure flipping through this book, because nearly every preserve and spread pictured is something I made in my own kitchen. It’s ridiculously satisfying to look at the photos and recall the flavors and aromas of each recipe.
I’m also happy to have this volume in my hands, because while I made a dozen of the recipes it contains, I didn’t actually get to keep any of them. I’m very much looking forward to revisit the Tangerine and Vanilla Marmalade, as well as the “In the Pink” variety made from ruby red grapefruit.
Recently, I queried my Twitter followers, asking what they were looking for in a preserving book. An internet acquaintance of mine said that she was looking for something that would allow her to push her preserving skills and move beyond the basic “Canning 101” recipes that are so readily found. Happily (at least, if she likes marmalade), this is a book that might serve her well. While it’s plenty accessible for new canners, there’s also plenty here that will satisfy those looking to broaden their canning.
I’m afraid that I’m responsible for this variation on the Passionfruit Marmalade recipe in this book. When I tested these recipes, I marched up and down the length and breadth of Philadelphia, trying to find passionfruit. I came to the conclusion that it was impossible to source in January.
Instead of admitting defeat, I created a version that used dragon fruit, in the hopes that it might trick the camera. It didn’t, but instead of tossing that batch, the powers that be decided to add a variation to the book, in order to make the photo work. I was greatly relieved that my efforts weren’t wasted. It’s also fun to see the small impact I had on this delightful book.
Oh my! This looks like a marvelous book! I have made a few different marmelades, the favorite by far is my blood orange. It is somewhat tedious, but the results are heavenly. I reduce the bitterness by only using the zest of the orange and not so much of the pith – it’s great hit! Thank you for the opportunity!
I adore marmalade, but have always had a hard time sourcing the more exotic citruses in Northeast PA. I have seen many methods of “how to” on marmalade, not sure which is the best one yet. Mine tend to have a bitterness that I am not too fond of, still on the search!
Ah, marmalade! One of life’s ittle pleasures. Have not yet made any but keep threatening to do so.
The best marmalade ever was a simple orange marmalade (the hostess swears that they were ordinary store bought oranges) in Scotland. She made croissants one morning and that marmalade on the fresh, hot croissants. Yummmmmy! I did not want to leave the breakfast table!
After a few disappointing first attempts at marmalade making, I hit the jackpot last year with a couple of amazing recipes for satsuma marmalade and meyer lemon vanilla bean marmalade. At first taste of these I was smitten! I would love to improve my marmalade making skills and recipe base. This book looks like just the thing!
I’ve always had a love affair with marmalade; especially as I grow a variety of citrus trees.
The book looks divine and has metric measurments as well………very excited about that aspect, no more converting from cups and pounds.
I fell in love with blood oranges when my wife and I celebrated our anniversary in Italy in 2007. Ever since then I’ve searched for the critters bugging produce manager after produce manager for when they would arrive so I could start making blood orange marmalade (my variation is more of a spread — http://dfcooking.blogspot.com/2012/04/blood-orange-marmalade.html). Since the season only lasts a few months, I usually have to squeeze in a canning session or 2 to have enough to last the spring, summer, & fall plus have some for holiday gifting.
I havnt always been a fan of orange marmalade but I would love to try some of these recipes in hopes of expanding my palate
My first memory of marmalade was some bitter stuff when I was 10 and visiting my grandparents in England. I spit it out and refused to touch it for years after. I’ve since had it rarely but have yet to be impressed. This year though I will make a batch. I know that home made has to be an improvement over the boring store bought versions I’ve occasionally tried over the years.
I’ve only made jam so far (Marisa’s vanilla pear jam is awesome), but would love to make marmalade as well! The recipes you described sound fantastic and I’d be thrilled to try them!
My husband is British and loves marmalade. I am not a huge fan but love to use it in cooking.
I want to learn how to make better marmalades and what to do with ones that haven’t quite turned out right! Last year I tried to make a batch of Meyer lemon marmalade and it turned out much too bitter. I canned the jars anyway, hoping that I’d figure out a use for them eventually. So far I have no ideas, but maybe this book will help me.
I still have to try making marmalade. I have only started makings jams and I just love it. This book will carry me through another phase of canning. My father when he was alive enjoyed orange marmalade every morning with toast and coffee. I hope it’s as easy as making jam.
Marmalade…I can’t say that I’ve had it myself. I love making preserves and would love to utilize all the citrus growing in my backyard though!! Maybe make some nice scones and have fancy pants tea time one afternoon…that sounds quite nice, actually.
I have not made marmalade (yet) as I was too busy with jams and preserves this summer! I still have a bunch of fruit in my freezer though just waiting for a preservation project.
This was just my first year for canning so I haven’t tried marmalade yet. I’d like to, though. It looks so good!
I have never liked marmelade, but I’ve recently developed a new taste for citrus peel. I think I might need to give it another chance.
I’m thinking of making grapefruit marmalade in January when the winter citrus shows up. I’ve found that I like marmalade better than any other preserve with peanut butter on toast.
So glad you found fun work to do while laid off!
I made up a bunch of orange marmalade for my sister and then she was diagnosed with diabetes! I like to cook with marmalades and occasionally put it on toast.
Living in Arizona with an orchard full of different types of citrus, a cookbook on marmalade would be a great help!
love love love marmalade! I especially appreciate a straight-up citrus marmalade in the dead of winter when it’s dark too long outside. I made strawberry-lemon marmalade this summer. It was my 1st try at a marmalade that wasn’t fully citrus. Soooo yummy!
I don’t really like marmalade, but my best friend loves it. I would love this book to make him all the marmalade he wants! 🙂
The first jam-type thing I ever attempted was grapefruit marmalade for my dad’s birthday. He had this grapefruit lotion and somehow my sister and I got it in our heads that he loved grapefruit more than anything so we had to give him something grapefruit-related. We may have exaggerated to ourselves, but he did love the marmalade, and since then I’ve grown to love marmalade too and I’m looking forward to canning some for the first time this winter!
I love using marmalade in jam drop biscuits – it really works to have a bitter/sour jam with the sweet biscuit
I’m the only one in my family who likes marmalade (too bitter for them). The tangerine/vanilla sounds heavenly, and I’m a sucker for anything grapefruit. Thanks for the cookbook suggestion!
My three year old son has been asking to make marmalade after we read Paddington Bear. I’ve never made it but I bet this book could tell me all I need to know!
Oh yes, Seville orange marmalade. The only kind my husband and I will eat. Maybe it’s time to try another flavor out of this book.
I would love to have this book! I have made marmalade for many years, but just the same old recipes that have been around for years. I would love to try some new flavors!
I don’t think that I have ever had marmalade but I would love to turn this book into a written in, underlined stained rendition of what I’ve done to Food in Jars this summer. I’d like to give it a try!
Marmalade reminds me of my summer spent living and working in Norfolk, England. I brought back a huge jar from the Spar around the corner for my mother! I’d love to be able to make my own to give her this year.
Cinnamon Blood Orange marmalade was the firs “jam” I ever made. It was dark and delicious.
Kumquat marmalade was what inspired me to start canning.
The kumquat tree in our back yard is the one thing that seems to produce infinite harvest (I’m understand that, in theory, it must be possible to pick all the kumquats off the tree, but we’ve never succeeded in doing it). There’s only so many kumquats you can eat out-of-hand. I candied some one year, but I have no business eating candied kumquats on a regular basis. So that was out as a way to consume the bulk of the bounty. Finally, I decided I was tired of them going to waste so I would make marmalade. Now I can’t imagine my pantry without jars of kumquat marmalade. And it was a gateway preserve leading to other jams and pickles.
Some days I think I should plant a seville orange tree to see if I can replicate my kumquat problem.
Have grown into a marmalade fan as I’ve gotten older. Very much intrigued by pink grapefruit, as I love all things pink grapefruit.
I made the meyer lemon marmalade from the Food in Jars cookbook. It’s so good (but is kind of time intensive to make) that I call it liquid gold. 🙂
I don’t eat marmelades very often, but they are oh so pretty and I think I should really try them more 🙂
Biting into a hot buttered english muffin with the citrusy sweetness of orange marmalade pooled in all its crusty nooks and crannies reminds me of special breakfasts with my Italian grandmother in her cozy kitchen. I’m new to canning – your blog has given me courage to try things I would never have considered, like making my own Marmalade! Hope to catch one of your canning classes sometime Marisa!
I never really thought much about marmalade until I visited Catania while I studied abroad in Italy. My friends and I stayed at a bed and breakfast run by an elderly couple, and it had this incredible rooftop garden. Every morning, our host would make us breakfast with eggs and the best espresso, and she served us fresh bread with homemade blood orange marmalade. On our last day, I begged her to share her recipe with me. She obliged and wrote it for me in the notebook I kept, and it turned out to be one of my favorite mementos from the trip. Those were definitely the best breakfasts (and the best marmalade) I’ve ever had.
mine never comes out right maybe if i win this i can get it right
I love marmalade not so much on toast, but love it as a glaze for poultry. My son makes an amazing turkey with orange marmalade and cranberry glaze. We are lucky that a neighbor has a Seville orange tree that produces what must be thousands of oranges – so many that everyone helps themselves to all they want – I can’t wait to start making marmalade with those!
I am a major fan of orange marmalade. I have not made any marmalades, but this book looks incredibly inspiring.
I once asked my eighty-something neighbor, a retired British Naval Officer, what was his favorite brand of orange marmalade. He shrugged and told me the store name for the fancy orange marmalade and then confessed he preferred the Safeway brand himself.
I currently have been buying Bionature Organic Sicilian Orange Fruit Spread at the local co-op when it is on sale to meet my orange on toast fix, but it really is a thick opaque spread and not a real marmalade in color or texture. The mouth feel is lovely chunky, but not a marmalade.
I made a tangerine marmalade last winter that was the first marmalade I liked by itself. It was wonderful
I want to make malmalade, but cannot find Seville oranges!
I brought back some ginger grapefruit marmalade for my Grandmother from a trip to Harrods in London. She loved it so much she made it last by just having a spoonful each day until it was gone. I felt very triumphant at having gotten her a gift she loved so much.
Marmalade was the first jam I ever tried making- a batch with meyer lemons. I was hooked- any and all types of marmalade, though simple meyer lemon remains my favorite.
Grapefruit marmelade sounds AMAZING!!!
I grew up with marmalade but have not tried making any myself. I love that this book gives you all types and some recipes on how to use them. I would love to try making some myself!
I love marmalade, but have not tried to make any yet. This is my very first year, so I stuck with grape jelly so I would not mess it up.
While I am not a fan of marmalade, my partner Steve is. I’ve been canning and jamming for a few years, but hadn’t really been able to get him interested in it (other than eating everything I make!) When I suggested that we make marmalade together he got *very* excited. Using Marisa’s Three Citrus Marmalade we made a delicious Seville-Meyer Lemon-Grapefruit marmalade and had a heap of fun. He even cans on his own now and it’s all thanks to marmalade!
I love marmalade….I think it’s because of all those chunky bits.I am making cranberry marmalade for the holidays.
I don’t care for the commercial marmalades I’ve tried… but I’ve made basic versions a couple of times and really liked those. I’d love to explore more- both for my family and for gifts!
i havent tried marmalade- yet! There is a jar of orange marm in my cupboard that was gifted to me by a friend. I think ill throw some bread in the machine and give it a try! I sure do love this blog!
I don’t really have much of relationship with marmalade, but I’d love to try to make it sometime. My marmalade sampling experience only extends to the little Smuckers jar that they sometimes have sitting out at restaurants. I need to expand my horizons.
Count me in the “constantly on the search for Seville oranges” category. 😉 This book looks gorgeous, and I’m so happy to know that you had a hand in it! 🙂
So far my favorite marmalade to make is an orange hot pepper one, but I’d love to expand my repetoire!
While visiting my beau’s family in So Cal a few summers ago, I picked beautiful oranges from their backyard with the intent of making my first marmalade. Being a novice canner, the idea of making marmalade scared me. I ended up with eight jars of a cement-like orange glue, but the taste wasn’t half bad. Most of that went to my chef-mom who turned in into delicious orange glaze for wild caught salmon fillets and I haven’t made marmalade again. I think this book will inspire me to try again!
My mother absolutely loves Orange Marmalade. I started making it for her a few years ago and have progressed into Grapefruit Marmalade as well. I have made Spicy Orange Marmalade, which can be used as a dipping sauce for Coconut Fried Shrimp and I have made Lemon Dill Marmalade for seafood and chicken dishes.
As I have shared my marmalades, it turns out that my niece (age 7) loves them too! Now I have even more Marmalade Love to spread….
I adore grapefruit marmalade! I’m always hounding my daughter to scout out organic citrus so that I can stock up a bit more 🙂
How weird is this. I just sat down to read the google reader posts after making 8 pints of raspberry/blackberry jam, 8 pints of raspberry/blueberry jam and 8 pints of marmalade. My back is killing me!!! I’m the only one in our family that likes marmalade so I would usually just buy a jar. But I thought, why not just make a years supply,so now I have!
I love orange marmalade spread on buttered English muffins. Living in sunny Arizona, I am lucky to have tangelo, grapefruit and lemon trees in my yard and I can’t wait to try making my own marmalade this year when the fruit is ripe.
I don’t have a marmalade story. I have in fact never had marmalade, my mother would always say, “Yuck, I don’t like marmalade” so it was never a staple in my house growing up. I would do anything to prove my mother wrong and those recipes look so yummy that I’m going to have to try some.
I have never made nor tasted marmalade and I just realized why…my mother hated marmalade so we never had it in the house. I don’t think anyone in my family eats marmalade. With that said, I am going to have to make a batch to see what I think of it.
My Mom liked orange marmalade and I acquired her love of the combination of sweet and sour. I have made marmalade but would like to learn a more efficient way of slicing those rinds!
I love canning, not so much the marmalade, but the book looks amazing and my mother loves marmalade.
I Love marmalade, but unfortunately have never made it. I would love to get my hands in this book!
When I was a kid I firmly believed that marmalade was some kind of horrible adult created torture food. Who actually ate oranage or lemon peels willingly? Of course, then one day I broke down and tried it… 🙂 I’ve never made marmalade myself, but it is on the list of things to try!
I love marmalade! I haven’t tried making it myself, so the book would be a helpful nudge.
Stay with me here, this’ll lead to marmalade eventually. . .Almost 40 years ago I went to France as a teenager & experienced lemon curd. Nearly impossible to find in the U.S., I rarely got to enjoy it in the following years, until I came across a recipe and discovered how ridiculously easy it is to make from scratch (now, of course, it’s in every grocery). All those wasted curdless years! Well, same story on marmalade. . .I have always loved orange marmalade better than any other jam or jelly (except, of course, lemon curd), but only recently discovered how easy it is to make at home. Using Marissa’s recipes, I’ve made and put up orange marmalade and blood orange marmalade, but would love to try some other variations – esp. something using limes or pink grapefruit. I’d love to get my hands on this book and see how far I can go!
Marmalades are my #1 favorite thing to put on toast, English muffins, waffles, etc. YUM
I’m working up my courage to try making marmalade… I’ve been depending on the generosity of a friend who orders canned and prepped Seville oranges from England. I’d love to learn how to make it from scratch.
I love marmalade! And I LOVE that this book has tropical fruits in it! (I have a dragonfruit cactus AND a passionfruit vine in my yard – along with other fruits – how wonderful would it be to have this book to inspire me!?).
I don’t like marmalade. . . with that said I do like this Strawberry Jalapeno Marmalade I make. Super yummy on chicken or over a piece of cheese.
I have a particular childhood memory of being served marmalade instead of jam on toast. I’m trying to reconcile my childhood aversion to marmalade with my adult tastebuds that like all sorts of slightly bitter foods. The passionfruit or dragonfruit marmalade sounds lovely.
I’ve never made marmalade, but I’ve seen some recipes that look intriguing. I would love to experiment with this book!
My mother often made marmalade-shortbread bars for me growing up, since my egg allergy eliminated most cookies.
This book looks gorgeous and makes me feel more than a little nostalgic.
I have come to love marmalade, hated it as a kid. Crunch English muffins, tons of butter and a large scoop of marmalade. Yum!
I just made my first marmalade with naval oranges. I split the batch and did one batch with plain marmalade and another batch with a touch of scotch. I really enjoy the interplay of the sweet and bitter flavors and the addition of scotch really sets it off in my opinion. Not enough to dominate the palate but just enough to brighten everything up and add another dimension of flaver. I love having it in my canning rotation.
After reasonable success at orange marmalade, I decided to branch out (my decision might have been influenced by the bag of key limes that a co-worker dumped on my desk, but who am I to argue?). So I chopped and peeled and cooked and cooked and cooked and cooked……and finally gave up. I assumed that I would have jars of key lime syrup and be happy with that. After they came out of the hot water bath, they still looked loosey goosey, but I was sure they would be salvageable. The next morning, I picked one up to take to work, and when we opened the jar, it was full of key lime cement. I managed to pry it out of most of the jars, but had to throw one away because I broke it trying to chisel out the “brick-malade”.
I never really understood the difference between jams/jellies/marmalades/preserves/conserves until I started to get into canning. I love all of the above, but marmalades to me are the prettiest little things! They just sit there in my pantry, glowing. The first one I ever made was Meyer Lemon Vanilla Bean and I tell ya, it was a hit! My favorite thing to give as gifts during cold winter months! Would love love love to have this book alternating between my kitchen and coffee table!
I’ve never actually tried marmalade, but I LOVE to can and try new things, its always better homemade.
I haven’t had marmalade in years. I think the last time I tried it, it was the stuff from the grocery store and it was overly sweet. It’d be interesting to try making my own.
I began my canning hobby last winter, and the first recipe I ever made was the Blood Orange Marmalade from this website. The recipe was successful and I am now hooked on canning. I made butter or jam from almost every type of fruit this summer, and just mailed off my first “care package” of jam to my brother as I have so much extra.
I used to spend a great deal of time with my Nanny and my Great-Aunt Lizzy. I was 12 and fancinated by their stories of growing up very, very poor in New York at the turn of the 20th century. We would have tea, toast and marmalade. It was a magical, wonderful time in my life.
Marmalade always makes me think of visiting my grandparents. My mother always made the jams we ate, and she never made marmalade. It was always a treat to visit my grandparents and have it – citrus! With peels in it! Yum!
Gorgeous photos -really luscious!
I haven’t tried many. would like to add to my recipes though!
My favorite marmalade is based on your Three Citrus Marmalade except that mine is titled Mostly Grapefruit. I have several citrus trees (lemon, lime, two different orange varieties and grapefruit). I can only drink so much grapefruit and not a big fan of plain grapefruit so marmalade is the solution to my grapefruit glut. (Grapefruit curd is delicious also but off the topic.)
I didn’t like marmalade until I started making it myself. Some of my favorites are a meyer lemon and a blood orange. Can’t wait to check this book out.
I’ve only made orange, but would love to learn other varieties.
I’m typically not a huge fan of traditional marmalade, but I really like some of the more offbeat versions I’ve made at home (the best ones were ginger-Meyer lemon and blueberry-Meyer lemon – both so good!). Definitely would look forward to trying out some other more unusual marmalades with this book.
Learned to love marmalade when a job took me to the U.K. This looks like a lovely book.
I *adore* marmalade! So far I’ve done orange, orange ginger, and meyer lemon. (Meyer lemon marmalade + brie cheese = HEAVEN!) After a recent query about favorite marmalade’s by Punk Domestics on facebook, I’m really curious to try grapefruit, lime, or Buddha’s hand marmalade.
I love how well marmalade compliments sweet and savory tastes. This cookbook looks delightful!
Not a big marmalade fan, but my mom is. I think she would really enjoy this book.
I’ve never tried making it so this would be a great first step! And considering the amount of canning I do (hundreds of jars) it is kind of crazy that I’ve never made it.
LOVE, Love, love marmalade. Good stuff is difficult to come by in Montana, at least in my little corner. I would love to make some, but I would have to order citrus fruit to do so. Well worth it, I think!
When I play tea party with my nieces we always enjoy marmalade and we say it with a fussy British accent!
When I was a kid, my dad would always eat Peanut Butter – Marmalade toasts for breakfast. I didn’t really like it at the time.
This year, I made a batch of carrot jam, which has orange and lemon pieces in it, and my first thought was that it tasted like marmalade, and its delicious !
I guess now its my turn to continue the marmalade tradition !
I have made marmalade, rhubarb marmalade to be exact, and it’s my family’s favorite. But that’s not my best marmalade story (how many people have marmalade stories, I ask you). When I was 12 my family took a road trip to the Smoky Mountains from Chicago. My dad, when he was not driving, would read from the book he brought. A book all about marmalade. And because he was so enthused about the topic, shared nearly every other tidbit. I used to know entirely too much about marmalade; having children flushed it and now all I recall is my dad’s enthusiasm…and the family’s ribbing…about preserved orange jelly. 🙂
I have always loved my aunt’s peach marmalade. Breakfast with marmalade was always a highlight of a stay at her house. I used to make it myself, but have lost the recipe and haven’t quite been able to recreate it as she did it.
I love tart flavors so marmalade has always been a favorite. But, I’ve never tried making it! Maybe it’s time…
Big, big props to you, Marisa, for the Dragon fruit substitution!!! Such a beautiful, exotic and outlandish looking fruit!
I grew up with three “canning” aunts. But none of them ever tried making marmalade, so I grew up with store-bought seville orange and 3-citrus marmalades in those exotic looking jars. I do love marmalade!
Love marmalade and am reminded by this post to eat more of it.
I have canned orange marmalade in the past but after reading your email today I find I lived in a very dark world. There are soooo many of them and now want to try them all. Ohhh a world of marmalades. I will never just assosiate that word any more with just regular oranges.
So glad to read this today! I have always disliked marmalade, but my Dad loves it, and we have 6, count ’em 6 citrus trees. So finally, just 2 nights ago, I got out my Food in Jars, and made the Three Citrus Marmalade. It was completely tedious, my left hand froze up during the zesting, and I swore I would never do it again. But, my Dad loves it. And I’m really liking it now, too. The tiny hint of bitterness as an aftertaste still bothers me, but I’m getting over it.
So, I’m getting ready for Meyer Lemon Marmalade, those trees are just about to bust out yellow.