Grapefruit Marmalade Recipe

grapefruit marmalade recipe thumb This grapefruit marmalade recipe takes only 20-30 minutes to make, and is delicious. It has a stronger, more "zingy" flavour than anything you're likely to find in the supermarket.

If you're looking for recipes to make homemade food gifts or homemade gifts in a jar, then this is a great one to start with!

"Fabulous recipe...easy and sets every time...and tastes great... thank you!"

Annette - Melbourne, Australia.

This particular homemade jam recipe evolved when my husband tried "Margaret's Marvellous Microwave Method" for making strawberry jam, but using some grapefruits from my parent's garden. To our delight, the marmalade turned out very tasty.

Grapefruit Marmalade Recipe

Ingredients (makes 3 cups of marmalade)

3 medium-sized grapefruit, pink or yellow

2 cups (roughly 1lb) white sugar, or a weight equal to the peeled weight of the grapefruits.

You can use special jam sugar if you like, but there's really no need, because grapefruit has plenty of pectin in it. (Pectin is the stuff that makes jam set.)

By the way, some marmalade recipes use water... not this one. I think you get a more flavoursome marmalade without dilution.

Method

Some grapefruit marmalade recipes require you to soak the rinds overnight to soften them up. I've found that 20 minutes in the microwave softens them up just fine.

Use a peeler to peel the thin, yellow, outer layer (zest) from the grapefruits. Slice the zest into thin strips and put it aside.

Remove seeds and white pith from the grapefruits. Make sure you do a good job getting rid of the white pith, because it tastes bitter.

Chop the juicy bits of the grapefruits finely and put them to a large, microwave-safe bowl (3L/3quarts or bigger) along with the zest. Depending on the size of your grapefruits, the juicy bits should come to about 2 cups worth.

Add an equal amount of sugar, i.e. one cup sugar for each cup of chopped grapefruit.

Microwave on high for 20 minutes, uncovered, stirring every few minutes. Placing the bowl on a dinner plate will make it easier to put in/out of the microwave when it's hot. By the way, if you used yellow grapefruit, you will see the color change to a beautiful deep orange at about the 10 minute mark.

To test whether marmalade has reached setting point, smear a little bit onto a cold plate and let it cool to test the consistency. If it's not thick enough yet, then microwave it for another 5 minutes or so.

While marmalade is in microwave, prepare some clean jars by pouring boiling water over them to sterilise them.

When marmalade is finished, ladle it into the jars, up to 1/2 inch from the top. Put lids on jars, and turn jars upside-down for 5 minutes to seal and sterilise the lids. Then turn upright and let cool.

If your marmalade is going to be a homemade food gift, then dress it up nicely with some coloured fabric/tissue and a ribbon :-)

Grapefruit Marmalade Recipe Variations

Thanks to our readers for sending in these recipes!

Mixed fruit marmalade 1

Thanks for the cute and simple grapefruit marmalade recipe! I made a mixed fruit marmalade using your 1:1 peeled fruit to sugar ratio.

First, I cooked all the strips of zest in three changes of boiling water to minimize bitterness.
Then I chopped up all the flesh of the tangarines, oranges, lemons, pink grapefriut, and Meyer lemons and mixed in the equal amount of sugar (it was about 8 cups.)
I boiled that for over an hour and then mixed in the boiled zest.

It turned out a pretty color from the pink grapefruit and it does taste like marmalade!

~Kathy

Mixed fruit marmalade 2

I love marmelade! I make a mixed fruit variety.

I mix orange, lemon and grape fruit. I peel and slice it very thinly then boil it till soft, throw the water, add the flesh of the 3 fruits and an equal amount of raw sugar microwave on high for 20 minutes. Then I pour in sterilised jars.

~Paulette

What next?

I hope you enjoyed this grapefruit marmalade recipe as much as I do! If you've tried it, and have any comments or suggestions, then let me know :-) I'm curious how well it works in microwaves of different strengths (ours is 1100W). Here's what one of our readers said:

"Hey, I made your marmalade last week in a very old (one of the 1st models out) microwave. It was awesome. I did have to add an extra 1/4 cup of sugar to the mix. I love the simplicity of it. None of this waiting 24 hours to soak business! YEAH Right On!!!"
~ Anne, AUSTRALIA

"P.S. I made another batch with added mandarins, as my neighbours tree is full of them, but this time I boiled it on the stove. Very nice taste."

If you have a friend with a fondness for sweet spreads, then make sure you also check out my lemon curd recipe and strawberry jam recipe.

Happy Gifting!

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