Clementine Jam has a unique, brilliantly fresh flavor that plays well with all kinds of toast, croissants, scones, and biscuits. It’s not a marmalade because there’s no bitter peel involved, it’s a thick no-pectin jam bursting with sunny citrus that takes just 30 minutes on the stove.
Who wouldn’t want this bright jam waking up their morning toast? It’s unusual, too, so I think it would make a nice last minute holiday gift. You’ll need 3 pounds of clementines, (they’re often sold in 3 pound bags) the juice of 2 lemons, and a cup of sugar — that’s it!
The peeled fruit is pureed, then cooked on the stove for about 30-40 minutes, just until it sets. The color is gorgeous and the flavor is pure clementine. I only use a cup of sugar, and a good dose of lemon juice, so there is a nice balance of sweet and tart. The natural pectins in the fruit are enough to thicken it so I didn’t need to add any.
Any variety of tangerine will work for this jam. They peel easily and are often seedless. I cut each one in half through the middle to check for seeds anyway.
Personally I’m not a big fan of the bitterness of marmalades, and this is a nice alternative. As with so many of my homemade jams and curds, this clementine jam can do double duty as a filling for desserts, too.
If you like this idea, try my Pink Grapefruit Habanero Jam — it’s the spicy version and would also make a fabulous gift. And my latest citrus jam is the gorgeous Blood Orange Jam ~ this one is like nothing you’ve ever tasted!
Ingredients
- 3 pounds clementines
- 1 cup sugar
- juice of 2 lemons
Instructions
- Peel the clementines and cut each one in half through the middle to check for seeds.
- Put the fruit, in batches if necessary, in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth.
- Pour the puree into a heavy pot and add the sugar and lemon juice. Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn down the heat a bit and boil for about 30-40 minutes, stirring fairly often. Do not cover the pot!
- The liquid will foam up at first, but will eventually get absorbed. The mixture will start to thicken and get a little deeper and glossier when it is ready. I like to freeze a small plate and test the jam by dropping some onto it and letting it cool. If the jam firms up, it's done. If not, keep boiling a little longer.
- When it is done, ladle it into clean jars and let cool on the counter. When it reaches room temperature, cover and refrigerate. It will keep at least 10 days in the fridge.
notes:
- Your jam will only be as good as your fruit. We’ve all had those clementines that don’t measure up, so skip those and try to find fruit with great juicy flavor. It shouldn’t be too hard, tangerines are in season right now.
- I didn’t use pectin, but if you want a super firm jam, you can use some Low Sugar Pectin (I use Sure Jell brand, in the pink box.)
- The longer you cook the jam, the thicker it will be when it cools. I like to test by putting a small plate in the freezer and then dropping a bit on the cold plate. If the jam jells when it cools, it’s done.
Don’t forget to pin this Clementine Jam!
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113 Comments
Lori
June 23, 2018 at 9:28 amMaking this recipe when I get home today. Looks scrumptious. Just a note to those who have been asking about water-bath canning this recipe….yes, you can …..leave 1/4-inch head-space and process for 10 min (adjust for your elevation).
Sue
June 23, 2018 at 10:20 amThank you Lori! I’m always hesitant to give advice on canning when I haven’t tried it myself, I appreciate you jumping in :)
Lori Snyder
June 23, 2018 at 4:05 pmyou are most welcome :)
SharonMunce1952@g
May 8, 2018 at 2:42 pmHi Sue. After the oranges are peeled do you have to clean the white stuff of the oranges before you puree them ?
Sue
May 8, 2018 at 3:08 pmYes, I’d do that if there’s a lot of it, Sharon, it is bitter.
Diann Athey
April 9, 2018 at 1:29 pmI am really into making curds and jams recently. What are the little jars used in the clementine jam and do they have a lid? Thanks, Dee
Sue
April 9, 2018 at 2:13 pmThose are Weck canning jars, Diann, and they do come with glass lids with little clips, they come in all sorts of sizes and I love them. Here’s a link to them on Amazon.
J Doma
March 3, 2018 at 9:59 amThanks for this recipe. The host school gave our team fruit for our playoff games and I didn’t want the uneaten clementines to spoil, there were lots of them, so I made this jam. Excellent taste!
Sue
March 3, 2018 at 10:25 amSo glad it worked out for you, enjoy!
Rebecca
February 23, 2018 at 1:56 pmCan it be water bath processed for a longer shelf life?
Lori
June 23, 2018 at 9:31 amyes you can, leave 1/4-inch headspace and then water bath process for 10 min (adjust time for your elevation
Charlene McHugh
January 27, 2018 at 12:55 pmThank you so much for this recipe. I am wondering why the Clementines need to be fully pureed before they are cooked. I prefer to make “preserves” with various fruits, so I’m wondering if I could put them in the pot and crush them somewhat with a potato masher. That is how I make my blueberry, strawberry and other preserves. Do you think I could do this?
Sue
January 27, 2018 at 3:49 pmI think that method would work find too, Charlene ~ let us know how it goes.
Janell
January 22, 2018 at 6:21 pmHi
Would love to know if this jam can be frozen and then thawed later…..
Dot
December 28, 2017 at 5:28 pmThank you for this recipe…have a newbie question– should the skin be removed before puréeing?
Sue
December 28, 2017 at 7:25 pmYes, this jam is made with the pulp of the fruit, not the peel.
Alicia
July 7, 2018 at 9:50 amSo, are we peeling the clementines, removing the pith, and then removing the “skin” on each section of the clementines to get just the pulp of each section? I’m sorry, betweenthe comments and your recipe instructions itis not clear.
Sue
July 7, 2018 at 10:32 amHey Alicia ~ you’re peeling the clementines, and then just removing the seeds, that’s it. The easiest way I’ve found to remove the seeds is to cut the peeled clementine in half and pick any seeds out. Hope this helps!
LEE EDWARDS
December 23, 2017 at 9:08 amHi. I am needing to make a clemintine puree for a cheesecake. I only have the juice of the clemintines and zest. Would this recipe work ( thicken) with those ingredients as well as the sugar and lemon juice? I would need it to set with gelatin inn the cheesecake?
Sue
December 23, 2017 at 9:16 amNo, that won’t thicken on its own, Lee, you’d need some sort of thickening agent like cornstarch.
Claire
December 21, 2017 at 1:16 pmHEllo i want to say you thaï a site colt Your photo and the texte.’
http://cookomix.com
Serach »confiture de clémentines « .sorty i am french.
Good night
Sue
December 21, 2017 at 1:37 pmThank you so much for letting me know Claire, it’s the wild west out there on the Internet these days!
Becky U
December 1, 2017 at 5:58 pmI made this today and it is fabulous. I did use the Splenda/sugar blend (1/2 cups) and it set up beautifully. Thank you for this recipe.
Sue
December 1, 2017 at 6:08 pmThat’s really nice to know about the Splenda,Becky, I’m sure lots of others are wondering if that would work ~ thanks!
Lorrese
November 23, 2017 at 3:54 pmHere it is years after your first post-just finished my first batch using this recipe. It is absolutely awesome and it looks beautiful in the jars! It has an amazing taste. My friends and family will love it.
Sue
November 23, 2017 at 3:55 pmIt makes me so happy to read comments like this, thanks Lorrese. Happy Holidays!
Gemma
November 23, 2017 at 9:32 amMade this today for Christmas gifts, it is super delicious!
Sue
November 23, 2017 at 9:33 amI’m so glad, this is such a unique gift!
Chloe
November 12, 2017 at 6:27 amGonna try this with 20 pounds of fresh picked Satsumas from a local orchard here in Texas! I’ve never made jam so say a prayer for me/ wish me luck! Lol
Sue
November 12, 2017 at 7:20 amoh wow that sounds like quite a delicious project, I bet it will be amazing with fresh picked citrus ~ keep us posted on your progress!
Kacy
October 1, 2017 at 6:05 amCan this recipe be canned? I want to gift it for Christmas, but a 10 day shelf life won’t work.
Lee Ann
December 18, 2017 at 4:05 pmDid you can it?
Holli
June 5, 2017 at 10:16 amI would like to try this as well. Just curious, about how many jars does one recipe make?
Sue
June 5, 2017 at 10:28 amThe yield is about 3 cups of jam, Holli, which is about 4 of my little jam pots.
Lynn Shofner
April 21, 2017 at 4:26 pmHas anyone measured the amount of puree per making? I have a lot of puree in my freezer and I would like to try this. Thank you
Fran clark
March 25, 2017 at 4:44 amDiabetic here…any substitute for sugar? Truvia maybe ? It looks so tempting, might just up the insulin anyway. Thanks in advance
Sue
March 25, 2017 at 6:44 amI make jam all the time without any sugar, I say go for it, just make sure your clementines are sweet.
Fran clark
March 25, 2017 at 10:12 amThanks. Husband just bought a bag….srarting it now
Nina
January 20, 2017 at 5:53 amThank you for a great recipe , just made this using up clementines left over from Xmas , got three jar , looks and tastes great thank you so much , much better than the marmalade I was going to make
From :isle of north uist outer Hebrides Scotland
Sue
January 20, 2017 at 7:45 amHello Nina ~ you live in such a beautiful place! I’m so glad you loved the jam. Now you’ll have to send me your favorite shortbread recipe :)
Mireia
January 16, 2017 at 7:32 amOH this jam looks delicious! I would like to try to do it, no sorry, I have to do it! :)
Its colour is beautiful and say “please eat me with just a toast!”
I have just one problem… I don’t have a food processor. How can I make the purée instead, please? Thank you Sue!
Sue
January 16, 2017 at 7:39 amYou can use a blender, or a hand held immersion blender Mireia.
Mireia
January 17, 2017 at 10:18 amSure! Thank you so much :)
Rose
November 29, 2017 at 12:31 pmHi, I must not have the best food processor because my jam, after processing and cooking, was still pretty pulpy. However, while still hot, I put it in my blender and it came out silky smooth!! Just remember to take the “plug” out of your blender and cover the opening with a towel or cloth to keep it from erupting. I use this method for creamed soups, etc., anything I want to be smooth and creamy. Blending while hot makes it happen!