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.
Just made this today and OMG, so good.
I’m going to make blood orange jam this week!
How far in advance can I make these to give away? Or how long will they keep? Thanks so much
I’m going to say a few weeks in the refrigerator. It should freeze well, so that’s an option, too.
Hello!
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
Hi Kirsten ~ 1 cup of sugar is 200 grams, or 7 ounces (7.1 to be exact!)
Can 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
hi! 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!
Hi 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!
I 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.
This looks awesome! Do you think it would work about the same with navals?
I don’t see why not, Joyce. I know you can do this with grapefruit, and I’ve used blood oranges, too.
Hi 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?
Hmmm, 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.
Hi, 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!!
That’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!
Never tried a clementine jam but this looks good. It’s already on my To Do list! Thanks for the inspiration!
Thanks Julia – I’ve never seen it anywhere else, it just seemed like it needed to be made 🙂
en français les commentaires seraient mieux Merci
Hi 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.
Oh 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 🙂