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 clementine jam waking up their morning toast? The color is gorgeous and the flavor is pure fresh 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. This unique citrus jam makes a thoughtful gift for someone who could use a little touch of winter sunshine.
what you’ll need to make clementine jam
- 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!
how to make clementine jam (it’s easy!)
- Remove the peels from your fruit. Cut the clementines in half crosswise to reveal any seeds to discard.
- Puree the fruit.
- Add the sugar and lemon juice and boil the puree for 30-40 minutes, or until thickened.
- Transfer to jars to cool, then refrigerate.
the secret to a sweet clementine jam
Taste your fruit! If your fruit is sweet and juicy, your jam will turn out perfectly. Any variety of tangerine can 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!
more citrus recipes to try
- Fresh Tangerine Cake
- Gluten Free Tangerine Cake
- Candied Orange Peel
- Orange Cardamom Crumb Cake
- Orange Creamsicle Cake
- 10 clever uses for that orange in your stocking
- Chocolate Dipped Orange Shortbread Cookies
“Here 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.”
Lorrese
Clementine Jam
Ingredients
- 3 pounds sweet juicy 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. Clementine jam can be frozen for longer storage.
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.
What a gorgeous pot of jam! I’m a big citrus person and love this season. This clementine jam is just beautiful, and delicious too!
Thanks C&C! I have to agree, citrus season is really special.
I love the color of this jam. It sounds amazing. I love that it has so few ingredients and is so simple to make.
I love nothing better than to come up with a recipe that has such a glorious color!
Ugghh, 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).
I 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!
What 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!
I’ve never had orange jam, gotta try that.
What 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!
Look at that gorgeous colour! It must be very delicious, Sue.
One 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….
Tomato 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: https://theviewfromgreatisland.com/habanero-nectarine-jam/
Pink Grapefruit Habanero: https://theviewfromgreatisland.com/day-6-of-all-citrus-week-pink-grapefruit-habanero-jam/
Habanero Peach: https://theviewfromgreatisland.com/habanero-peach-jam/
and Hot Pepper Cranberry: https://theviewfromgreatisland.com/hot-pepper-cranberry-saucerelishjam/
Gosh, 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!
I 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!
Absolutely beautiful! I can’t get enough clementines these days, so I now I’d love this jam 🙂
I love this jam, amazing color. I am buying more clementines today, I promise!!!!