I think it’s safe to say that most people would consider winter (especially January and February) to be their least favorite time of year. For myself, I can attest that while I like wintertime, the first two weeks of February tend to be my least inspired when it comes to cooking. It’s the perfect time for some energetic edible sunshine, in the form of this very cheery marmalade made with peak season satsuma mandarins. Inspiration? Look no further than this toast:
Recipe Notes
Happily, there isn’t much to clarify about this marmalade recipe! It’s very simple to put together, much easier than a traditional marmalade or traditional jams.
Citrus varieties for this recipe:
When it comes to the satsuma mandarins themselves, either the regular, small sized ones can be used, or the big, “Sumo” variety. Clementines could also be swapped in I think.
Satsumas vary from regular mandarins in that they are seedless or almost seedless with the occasional seed. They are easy to peel, very juicy, and very flavorful. These attributes are all plusses for making marmalade– if you’ve made a traditional marmalade with oranges, you’ll know that the peeling, de-seeding, and de-pithing process is much more tedious. In fact, this marmalade could probably be bubbling on the stove in less than 10 minutes.
It should be noted that satsumas and sumos are more expensive than regular oranges, but the small batch keeps the price down. If you’d like to make a bigger batch, you should be able to scale up the recipe just fine.
The recipe is put together to be stored in the refrigerator or freezer. If you’d like to can it, you may need to add more acid, such as lemon juice.
A note on pith and pectin:
You may have heard the term “pectin“, but in case you aren’t sure what exactly it is, it’s a naturally occurring substance that has been extracted for use as thickener in jellies and jams. Pectin is commonly found in sour fruits, like the skins of green apples and the pith of citrus, which is why you may have seen green apple skins in a sachet used for jam and jelly recipes. In the case of marmalade, since it is made from all citrus and citrus peel, it is naturally high in pectin and doesn’t need any additional thickening.
Regular oranges contain much more pith than satsumas, which is why often in marmalade recipes theres a lot of pith scraping. I have removed some pith while making this recipe in the past if it seems like there is a lot, but often, none needs to be removed.
Regardless of what kind of citrus is used, more pith = more thickness and bitterness, and less pith = more runnyness and sweetness.
Marmalade Recipe
Satsuma Mandarin Marmalade
Equipment
- 1 small pot
- 1-2 clean jars
Ingredients
- 2 cups satsuma mandarins
- 2 cups sugar
- 2/3 cup water
Instructions
- Peel the mandarins. For the sweetest marmalade, use the sharp edge of a paring knife to gently scrape the pith (the white part) off some of the peels. (This is optional and can be skipped.) Stack the peels and julienne finely into strips.
- Chop the mandarins into 1/4-1/2" pieces and remove any seeds. Small mandarins can be simply sliced crossways.
- Combine the peels, fruit, sugar, and water in a small pot and stir. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Maintain a simmer, stirring occasionally, and cook until thickened, about 45 minutes. When the marmalade is done it will still look runny while hot. To test the ultimate thickness, put a plate in the freezer for a few minutes, then drop a little of the marmalade onto it and run your finger through the center. If the marmalade does not run back into the path your finger left, it is done.
- When the marmalade is cooked to your liking, remove the pot from the heat and let cool. Transfer the marmalade into clean jars and store in the refrigerator for up to two months.
