This blood orange jam is one of my favorite recipes to make when I need a little sweet and sour flavor. I love blood oranges any time of the year, but sometimes they are hard to find, so when I see them going bad, this recipe saves my life.
Make This New Blood Orange Jam For New Sweet and Sour Flavors
Get ready, and let’s start cooking!
For this jam, I use four pounds of blood oranges. I peel, seed, and cut them in half. Blood oranges are special because they have citrus notes, but also a subtle raspberry-like sweetness.
You can use other ingredients if you need to, such as ruby red grapefruit, navel oranges, or even raspberries. Consider adjusting for more sugar if you need it, as some of these are less sweet.
In terms of sweetness, I choose granulated sugar, as it melts quickly, but you can use caster sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, or honey. I also add vanilla beans, for spice and warm aromas.
Adding lemon juice allows for the jam to get its texture and adds to the flavor. Still, you can use lime juice, a bit of orange or grapefruit juice, or a tiny pinch of vinegar instead.
Overall, I cook the mixture until it reaches 220 degrees F, but on average it takes me around 40 minutes. Remember to discard the vanilla bean pods, as these can create bitter flavor, so don’t leave them in the jam.
Finally, I place my jam in the pre-sterilized jars, always carefully removing any air bubbles and leaving enough headspace. This part is very important, so make sure you allow your jars to process and cool down properly.
After about 12-24 hours, my jars are cool enough to store in a dark, cool place. However, I recommend that you store this jam in the fridge for better preservation.
This jam lasts for about 3 weeks, but I enjoy it any day with crackers, as a base for a sauce, or as a treat with sugar cookies.
Blood Orange Jam
Ingredients
4 lb (1.8 kg) blood oranges, peeled, seeded and halved
1 cup (128 g) sugar
2 vanilla beans
lemon juice from single lemon
Directions
- Pulse oranges in blender or food processor until pureed.
- Mix puree with sugar, vanilla seeds, and lemon juice in a large saucepan.
- Boil until temperature reaches 220 F (104 C).
- Cook over medium-low heat for 40 minutes, until mixture thickens. Stir frequently.
- Prepare water-bath canner.
- Simmer jars until ready for use.
- Wash lids and rings with warm soapy water then set aside.
- Gently ladle hot jam into pre-sterilized jars, leave 1/4 inch (6 mm) headspace.
- Remove trapped air bubbles by running a wooden spatula around the inside of the jar.
- Wipe jar rim with a clean damp cloth.
- Apply lid and ring, adjust to fingertip-tightness.
- Process jars for 20 minutes (Adjust for altitude).
- Turn heat off, let jars sit for 5 minutes to settle.
- Remove jars and cool for 24 hours. Don’t place jars on a cold surface or where there’s a cool draft as jars may break.
- After 24 hours, test the seal on lids by pressing down the center, the lid shouldn’t wiggle and must feel nice and solid.
- Any unsealed jars must be refrigerated and consumed first.
