Blood Orange Jam ~ this easy small batch citrus jam has a bright delicate flavor with berry overtones, and a glorious color ~ with none of the bitterness of marmalade. I’ve added vanilla bean to make it even more alluring…breakfast never had it so good!
I’m always extra excited to bring you a recipe that’s totally unique, I guess it’s the thrill of discovery! This Blood Orange Jam is one of a kind…it’s something I’m sure you’ve never had before, and a sheer delight.
Blood orange season is short and sweet, so grab them when you see them. Look for them next to the regular oranges, but read your signs carefully, because blood oranges don’t look any different on the outside, it’s only when you cut into them that you’ll see how special they are. Keep in mind you can do this with all kinds of citrus, not just blood oranges. I’ve already made Clementine Jam which turned out fabulously, the color and fresh citrus flavor is intense!
I’ve also done a GRAPEFRUIT HABANERO JAM, which is a hot pepper jam perfect for cheese and crackers. In all cases the citrus flavor just sings, and proves that marmalade and curd aren’t the only games in town when it comes to preserving citrus. I’m planning to experiment with lemons next…should be interesting!
what exactly are blood oranges?
Blood oranges are a wonderful freak of nature ~ they’re a natural mutation that has the most gorgeous blush color and raspberry-like flavor. The beautiful flesh ranges from deep pink to vibrant maroon, sometimes streaked with orange. This distinctive color comes from anthocyanins, pigments commonly found in berries and flowers but rare in citrus fruits.
how to make blood orange jam
- Prepping this jam is a breeze ~ I use a small sharp knife to remove the rinds from the oranges, and then just slice them thickly, removing any seeds.
- Then I puree the flesh and pour the whole lot into a large pot. I love the combination of vanilla and citrus, so I add the seeds and pod of a vanilla bean.
- I set it on the stove to boil for about 40 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced by at least 2/3 and thickened. The exact time will depend on the size of your pot and how furiously you boil 😉
- At this point I like to push it through a mesh strainer just to refine the texture a bit, but that isn’t absolutely necessary.
the results!
The color and flavor come through so vibrantly ~ and the flavor is like nothing you’ve ever tasted. This jam really is unique and wonderful.
storing blood orange jam
This jam can be kept in the refrigerator for at least 2 weeks, or frozen for up to a year, if you’re lucky enough to have a large quantity of blood oranges. Mine is a small batch jam, not meant for canning, but you can easily freeze it for longer storage, up to a year!
Weck tulip jars
You can find the jars I use in this post on Amazon, here.
I used this jam to fill my Blood Orange Crumble Bars ~ they turned out fantastic so be sure to check them out. Shortbread crumble bars are a specialty of mine, and I’ve done lots of delicious varieties, some filled with jam, others filled with fresh fruit.
Blood Orange Jam
Equipment
- Dutch oven or large pot
Ingredients
- 4 lbs blood oranges
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- juice of 1 lemon
- 2 vanilla beans
Instructions
- Remove the peels from the oranges. I do this by slicing off the very top and bottom, and, with the orange firmly sitting on my surface, carefully cut away the peel, from top to bottom, working my way around the orange. Try not to cut away too much of the flesh, but do remove the bitter white part. Discard the peels.
- Thickly slice the oranges and remove any seeds. Puree the oranges, in batches, in a food processor, and then put in a large pot, preferably one with a heavy bottom to prevent scorching. Stir in the sugar and lemon juice, and add the vanilla seeds and pods. Bring up to a boil, lower the heat to medium, and boil for about 40 minutes until the mixture has reduced by at least 2/3, and has thickened. Stir frequently, especially toward the end when it could scorch. Be aware that the jam will thicken even more as it cools.
- Remove the vanilla pods and push the jam through a mesh strainer. I use the back of a large spoon to force as much as possible through. You should only be left with a thin layer of solids. This step is optional.
- Fill your jar or jars and let cool before covering and refrigerating. Jam will keep at least 3 weeks in the refrigerator, or up to a year in the freezer.
Notes
- You can use a little more or less sugar, just be sure to taste the jam as it is cooking and adjust the amount to your liking.
- If you don’t want to use expensive vanilla beans, use vanilla extract or, better yet, vanilla paste. If you are using extract, add it after the jam has cooked. You might also experiment with almond extract, or just let the pure blood orange flavor shine through on its own.
Nutrition
We have purchased blood jam that lists apricots in the ingredients, what would be the proportion of blood orange and apricot?
You could do it in any ratio you like, it just depends on what you’re going for.
I don’t have lemon juice or lime juice. what is a good subsitution?
You can leave it out, there’s no safety issue because this recipe is not meant to be canned. The juice brightens the flavor but there isn’t a common substitute.
Made this today using 12 blood oranges. I added another cup of sugar and skipped the vanilla. I ended up cooking it for 55 minutes. I didn’t bother to strain it. It has texture but no more than marmalade would. It made about 2 cups. it was perfect on a peanut butter sandwich.
I can just imagine that sandwich…yum!!
I made a version of this that turned out to have a bitter aftertaste — not inedible but not good. :/ I used 7 blood oranges (it’s all I had, and I read that 2 oranges is approx. 1 lb), a bit less than 1 cup of sugar, and the juice of a lime (didn’t have a lemon). Anyone know what my mistake was? I thought a lime and lemon would have pretty much the same effect. Or maybe I just didn’t use enough sugar?
The only thing I can think of is that maybe your oranges had thicker membranes that might have made it bitter, or maybe some seeds accidentally got into your jam? Definitely strain the mixture to prevent that. This jam may have a faint bitter element, just like my clementine jam, because it does use the membranes of the fruit, not just the flesh, but it shouldn’t be strong or unpleasant. More sugar might help, too.
Hello! Thank you for posting this. Blood oranges are my absolute favorite fruit. I tried making it; it is cooling, so we shall see how it turns out. I have a silly question. Was it supposed to be 4 pounds of fruit with the rinds on? Or four pounds after the rinds had been removed? I measured it after the rinds have been removed and I think that may have been an error on my part. Either way, it smells amazing and looks beautiful, but I would greatly appreciate your feedback! Thank you.
Hi Aubrey ~ that’s 4 pounds of oranges, whole. Then you’ll remove the rinds. I’m so glad you tried this, it’s quite unusual, and I agree about blood oranges, I just used them today to make an incredible salad dressing, I’ll be sad when the season is over!
Every fall I look forward to cranberries and apples. Now I have to add blood oranges to my list. Will be watching for them at Farmers Markets and stores. Can’t wait. I made a double batch of Cranberry Butter to use up the frozen berries from last year, so beautiful and yummy. Love your site and recipes. Keep them coming.
Thanks for the support Schatzi, it keeps me going! And blood oranges are my passion, I can’t wait for them to show up in the stores :)))
Thank you so much for this recipe, Sue. I have a blood orange tree in my back yard and am thrilled to have a way to preserve some. Last season a good deal of the harvest was given to family and neighbors. This year much will be jammed and then, maybe, parceled out to friends and neighbors. Maybe. Can’t wait till the fruit ripens and is ready for pickinf. Yum!
You are so lucky to have a tree, that’s got to be a rare privilege!
Will try this for sure, but am going to process the jam, as i have very little fridge or freezer space to store jam. Would like to try marmalade as well, as that’s something I love.
Just bought blood oranges, can’t wait to make the jam and then your blood orange bars.
thanks for the recipes. Yum! Yummy!
Yay Joan ~ enjoy!
Hi Sue,
Thank you for your wonderful posts. I’m making this jam now and was wondering if I could make your Meyer lemon cake receipe using the blood oranges instead. I would just use the fruit pulp instead of boiling the whole fruit. What do you think? I have made your cake probably 30 times now, I love it in that it uses no flour. Thank you.
Well Laura you probably know that cake better than I do by now! I would think it would be worth a try, and I’d love to know how it turns out ~ I wonder what color it would be…could be beautiful 🙂
Hi Sue,
Sorry for this late reply on the blood orange cake, it didn’t turn out, way too bitter. What made me think of it today was making another tangerine cake!