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.
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105 Comments
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?
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.
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!
Christina
January 8, 2017 at 9:20 amJust made this today and OMG, so good.
Sue
January 8, 2017 at 10:43 amI’m going to make blood orange jam this week!
Mom beto
December 20, 2016 at 2:19 pmHow far in advance can I make these to give away? Or how long will they keep? Thanks so much
Sue
December 20, 2016 at 2:24 pmI’m going to say a few weeks in the refrigerator. It should freeze well, so that’s an option, too.
Kirsten
December 3, 2016 at 9:39 amHello!
This looks wonderful and am definitely going to this for small xmas presents. One question, I’m in the Uk and we don’t normally deal with qualities such as cups- how much in oz’s/lbs in a cup of sugar? Thanks! X
Sue
December 3, 2016 at 9:43 amHi Kirsten ~ 1 cup of sugar is 200 grams, or 7 ounces (7.1 to be exact!)
Dee
October 24, 2016 at 5:10 pmCan you tell me approximately how many cups of the purée you get from 3 lbs. of cle mies? We have a couple of tangerine trees & don’t really know how many of the fruits would make up the 3 lbs. Thanks
gabriela
April 21, 2016 at 7:14 pmhi! it looks beautiful, here in lima, peru is mandarin season so im definitely making this jam next week! i have one question, do you know how much time it lasts if i close it and i boil the jar?
check my website! here in lima i have my own jams and marmalades business http://www.fb.lcom/mermelorris
thanks!
Sue
April 22, 2016 at 7:57 amHi Gabriela — I’m afraid I haven’t canned it so i can’t say for sure, please keep us posted if you experiment, and enjoy your clementine season!
Owly
January 13, 2017 at 4:55 amI process my jams and jellies 10-15 minutes in a hot water bath on the stove, take out, they pop when sealed after cooling, let set overnight then put in cellar. Most Ball Canning books give times for each type of preserves. Hope this helps.
Joyce Thomas
April 1, 2016 at 2:06 pmThis looks awesome! Do you think it would work about the same with navals?
Sue
April 1, 2016 at 2:23 pmI don’t see why not, Joyce. I know you can do this with grapefruit, and I’ve used blood oranges, too.
Taryn Barclay
March 21, 2016 at 2:26 pmHi Sue,
So I made your cranberry curd and it was amazing. I just tried this recipe, I substituted honey for the sugar and it is so bitter. Do you think that could be reason?
Sue
March 21, 2016 at 2:34 pmHmmm, I don’t think that could be. All I can think of is that the clementines were bitter themselves, for some reason there were seeds in your puree? I find clementines notoriously variable, sometimes they are amazing, but toward the end or beginning of the season they aren’t so great.
Rose
November 29, 2017 at 12:37 pmHi, just made this and I had a similar problem with bitterness, though used cane sugar, not honey. But I know the culprit is the clementines, which is why I made this in the first place – they weren’t the best and definitely NOT for eating. Did you know that salt takes away bitterness better than sugar? Not sure why, but it does. So I sprinkled some in, a little at a time, and it worked a treat. Thanks for a great recipe!!
Sue
November 29, 2017 at 3:45 pmThat’s fascinating, Rose, I didn’t know that about salt. And yes, the quality of the clementines is everything with this recipe. I am just experimenting with a lemon jam today, so the subject is timely!
Julia @ HappyFoods tube
January 5, 2016 at 9:10 amNever tried a clementine jam but this looks good. It’s already on my To Do list! Thanks for the inspiration!
Sue
January 5, 2016 at 1:54 pmThanks Julia – I’ve never seen it anywhere else, it just seemed like it needed to be made :)
aline
December 29, 2015 at 9:10 amen français les commentaires seraient mieux Merci
Adina
December 28, 2015 at 2:08 amHi Sue. I made this jam last week and it is AMAZING! My husband has been eating it every morning since he discovered the first jar in the fridge, there is only half a jar left anyway from the two I had. That is the only problem with the recipe: two jars are just not enough! I will have to make a second batch soon and maybe manage to take some pictures as well.
Sue
December 28, 2015 at 7:59 amOh thanks so much Adina — I love to hear this! I ended up giving away one of my jars, and the other one went way too quickly, time for another batch here too :)
Coffee and Crumpets
December 23, 2015 at 6:46 amWhat a gorgeous pot of jam! I’m a big citrus person and love this season. This clementine jam is just beautiful, and delicious too!
Sue
December 23, 2015 at 9:39 amThanks C&C! I have to agree, citrus season is really special.
Dawn @ Words Of Deliciousness
December 22, 2015 at 6:28 pmI love the color of this jam. It sounds amazing. I love that it has so few ingredients and is so simple to make.
Sue
December 23, 2015 at 9:55 amI love nothing better than to come up with a recipe that has such a glorious color!
Barely Vegan
December 22, 2015 at 5:32 pmUgghh, you ever got that feeling when you see what someone else did and you’re like ” Dang! Why didn’t I think of that?!”? That’s how I felt as soon as I saw the title for this post. Haha!! I’m serious! I love making jam at home and I love clementines. Why haven’t I tried making clementine jam?! Genius! This looks very vibrant and beautiful and tasty. I can’t wait to try the recipe. This jam would probably taste great in those little thumb print cookies (i think that’s what they’re called).
Sue
December 22, 2015 at 6:27 pmI HATE that feeling too ;) Let me know what you think if you try this, and definitely let’s do those thumb prints with this jam!
Melanie @ Melanie Cooks
December 22, 2015 at 2:43 pmWhat a cheerful sunny color – I’d so look forward to spreading it on my morning toast! I love orange jam – this would also be a great addition to a cheese tray!
Sue
December 23, 2015 at 9:56 amI’ve never had orange jam, gotta try that.
Susan
December 22, 2015 at 11:43 amWhat a beautiful color in this jam, Sue. The recipe sounds so easy and I just happen to have a BIG bag of clementines in my frig :) I just love clementine time of year! Not only are the delicious, they’re so darned cute!
Angie@Angie's Recipes
December 22, 2015 at 9:31 amLook at that gorgeous colour! It must be very delicious, Sue.
suzanne neuman
December 22, 2015 at 9:20 amOne of the recipes talked about spices??? Which ones ? I am wondering if you have ever made Tomato Preserves?? My mother used to make. She always put a lemon slice on the top.. Another thought would be you could put wax on the top to seal. Thanks….
Sue
December 22, 2015 at 9:36 amTomato preserves sound wonderful, I’m going to do that this summer. As for the spicy recipe, I have several hot pepper fruit jams: Habanero Nectarine: http://theviewfromgreatisland.com/habanero-nectarine-jam/
Pink Grapefruit Habanero: http://theviewfromgreatisland.com/day-6-of-all-citrus-week-pink-grapefruit-habanero-jam/
Habanero Peach: http://theviewfromgreatisland.com/habanero-peach-jam/
and Hot Pepper Cranberry: http://theviewfromgreatisland.com/hot-pepper-cranberry-saucerelishjam/
Geraldine | Green Valley Kitchen
December 22, 2015 at 8:29 amGosh, Sue, this jam is such a gorgeous color. Love that there are only 3 ingredients and no pectin. Do you think they would work with Cuties – I see bags of those in the market lately. Pinning!
Sue
December 22, 2015 at 8:48 amI used some farmer’s market clementines, and some cuties. The issue with cuties, I find, is that they can vary a bit in quality. As long as they’re juicy and they taste great, go for it!
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers
December 22, 2015 at 2:55 amAbsolutely beautiful! I can’t get enough clementines these days, so I now I’d love this jam :)
Adina
December 21, 2015 at 11:17 pmI love this jam, amazing color. I am buying more clementines today, I promise!!!!
Bita
December 21, 2015 at 11:11 pmThank you – this is bright and cheery! I am not normally a jam person since I’m already too sweet, hee hee, but I am quite tempted to give your a try. Thanks for sharing.
Gerlinde @Sunnycovechef
December 21, 2015 at 9:20 pmThis looks fantastic Sue, I will make it after the holidays. I like homemade jams and marmelade.
Mary R. Paik
December 21, 2015 at 7:13 pmCool ideas, this looks so delicious, love a lot!!!
Mary
December 21, 2015 at 5:51 pmThis looks wonderful! I just have one question, did you take the fruit out of the skin? Or just peel the outer peel? I have been following your blog for a while and love to try a lot of your recipes. Thanks for sharing them!
Sue
December 21, 2015 at 6:00 pmI peeled just the outer peel Mary, but I did try to remove any extra stringy white part, too. And thanks so much for following along!
tricia
December 21, 2015 at 4:52 pmCan this be hot water processed to make it shelf stable? Thanks!
Sue
December 21, 2015 at 5:26 pmI’m not an expert Tricia, but I think you can. You can also freeze it. Here’s a little info on canning and sugar from PickYourOwn.org — http://pickyourown.org/canning_without_sugar.htm
Cathleen @ A Taste Of Madness
December 21, 2015 at 4:14 pmCan you believe I have never tried making jam?? This looks so good!
Sue
December 21, 2015 at 5:27 pmI am a lazy jam maker, Cathleen, so you can count on my recipes to be super easy!
Jennifer Farley
December 21, 2015 at 2:11 pmThis is so amazingly vibrant and beautiful! What a lovely idea.
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop
December 21, 2015 at 1:59 pmThe color is amazing! I love marmalades so I’m certain this would be delicious.
Sue
December 21, 2015 at 3:48 pmI guess I should give marmalades another try, but the rind just puts me off…thanks for stopping by Kathy.
Diane {Created by Diane}
December 21, 2015 at 1:49 pmso pretty and I bet DELICIOUS! I just love jam :)
Amy
December 21, 2015 at 1:15 pmHey, this is an excellent idea. I can’t believe I never thought of this.
Sue
December 21, 2015 at 1:24 pmI’ve made hot pepper grapefruit jam, and of course lots of citrus curds, but never anything quite like this.
Lauren Gaskill | Making Life Sweet
December 21, 2015 at 12:45 pmOh my sweet goodness, Sue! This jam is so beautiful — I can’t stop staring! The bright color puts a smile on my face for sure. I want to spread it over everything! Pinning. :)
Sue
December 21, 2015 at 1:30 pmI love that — there’s nothing more I could want from my posts than to put a smile on my readers’ faces.
clare
December 21, 2015 at 11:26 amLove that luminous color!
Sue
December 21, 2015 at 1:29 pmTangerines are a little brighter than oranges, I love it too :)
Monique
December 21, 2015 at 11:24 amIt is so pretty!
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary
December 21, 2015 at 11:19 amThis jam is absolutely gorgeous, Sue!! That color is just beautiful and I love clementines, so I bet it tastes just as good (if not better) than it looks! I want to slather this stuff on everything.. or just eat it straight by the spoonful! Pinned! Cheers, my dear!
P.S. I made your swirled bark over the weekend, it was AMAZING! <3
Sue
December 21, 2015 at 1:36 pmThanks Cheyanne, I bet you had fun with that bark. Have a wonderful week!
Tricia @ Saving room for dessert
December 21, 2015 at 11:00 amThe color alone is enough to make we want to make this jam. I love clementines or any citrus so I know I would love this. Beautiful! If we lived next to each other maybe you would share a jar with me?
Sue
December 21, 2015 at 11:01 amWe really need to move closer together, how about we meed somewhere in the middle?
Tricia @ Saving room for dessert
December 21, 2015 at 3:46 pmI am seriously thinking about summer 2016 :) Put me on your schedule!
Pattie @ Olla-Podrida
December 21, 2015 at 10:58 amWow! this sounds both easy and amazing. I love anything citrus-y, and my mind is racing thinking of all of the ways in which I could use this. Pinning!
Sue
December 21, 2015 at 11:08 amThanks Pattie, my mind is racing too, for one thing, I think it’d be great in a simple thumbprint jam cookie…
2 sisters recipes
December 21, 2015 at 10:57 amWhat a delicious idea! Never imagine of making clementine jam – pure genius Sue!
Meghan | Fox and Briar
December 21, 2015 at 10:53 amOh wow, this is so gorgeous, what a great idea! I love simple homemade jams and the idea of clementine is perfect right now. Pinning this to make asap!
Laura (Tutti Dolci)
December 21, 2015 at 9:12 amOh this jam is sunshine in a jar!
Chris Scheuer
December 21, 2015 at 9:03 amThis is gorgeous, sounds delicious and would be a perfect way to cheer up any morning! I love that it can be made so quickly too!
Sue
December 21, 2015 at 9:08 amThanks Chris, I’m thrilled with it, it just gives me another way to enjoy citrus!