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Home » ALL RECIPES » Spiced Cranberry and Orange Marmalade

Spiced Cranberry and Orange Marmalade

Author: Karon Grieve Published : December 2014

Recipe
cranberry and orange marmalade pin image
spiced cranberry and orange marmalade pin image

This spiced cranberry and orange marmalade is the perfect festive preserve. Whether it’s for your toast on Thanksgiving morning or for Christmas day it will make you smile. Oh and it tastes just fabulous too.  Like all my preserves there is no pectin in this recipe.

cranberry and orange marmalade in jar with orange at side and cranberries in front

Christmas is coming, well no, it is all around us.  The tree is up, the decorations and pine needles already meeting the floor with that characteristic tinkle.

There are adverts on TV, movies full of goodwill, kids and snow, Santa Claus in the shopping centres and panic stricken faces as people shop like mad and rush hither and thither trying to get everything done.

I feel the most Christmassy when I am busy in the kitchen making foodie gifts to give to family and friends. This past week has been all about kitchen crafting and it has been made even more Christmassy by the snowy weather.

Nothing beats looking out on a chilly white glittering garden from the warmth and comfort of a steamy kitchen filled with the aroma of spices and citrus fruits.

jars on table and image of cranberries

I made this  Cranberry and Orange marmalade yesterday to pack into my festive goodie bags.  I wanted to make something that really featured Christmassy ingredients and would be just a little bit special, and this cranberry and orange marmalade fitted the bill perfectly.

Ingredients for cranberry and orange marmalade

All those gorgeous seasonal goodies – oranges, cranberries, ginger, cinnamon and just a wee  dash of Scotch whisky. This really smells and tastes of Christmas.

What type of oranges?

I just used normal oranges and not Seville oranges as one normally would when making marmalade. The reason being there were none in the shops and I just wanted to make this now for Christmas.

I didn’t want to wait till January when there just might be the right sort of citrus around.

ladle and jars

Here’s what you will need and how to make your own Cranberry and Orange Marmalade

Ingredients

  • 500g/1 lb oranges (unwaxed if possible)
  • 1 lemon
  • Thumb sized piece of fresh ginger root
  • 1 large cinnamon stick
  • 300g/11 oz fresh cranberries
  • 650g/1 lb 7 oz granulated sugar
  • 500ml/1 pint water
  • 150ml/5 fl oz whisky
spoon of marmalade

How to make cranberry and orange marmalade

  • If you are using normal unwaxed fruit then scrub them really well in hot soapy water to remove the protective wax and rinse thoroughly and towel dry.
  • Peel the fruit trying to avoid the bitter white pith and finely shred the skins.
  • Toss the shredded peel of both oranges and lemon into a large heavy based preserving pan .
  • Cut the fruit in half and squeeze out all the juice and add this to the pan.
  • Scrape out all the flesh and seeds and tie this up in a little piece of muslin or an old hanky and toss into the pan (this will help to add both flavour).
  • Peel and grate the ginger and add this to the pan along with the cinnamon stick
  • Now add the water and bring the pan to the boil then lower the heat, cover and let it simmer for 30 minutes
  • Add the cranberries, recover and continue simmering for a further 30 minutes.
  • Fish out the little muslin bag and discard.
  • Mash with a potato masher to break down the cranberries.
  • Stir in the sugar and once dissolved completely raise the temperature to a boil and let it bubble away for 20 minutes or until the setting point has been reached.
  • Stir in the whisky
  • Remove the cinnamon stick and ladle the marmalade into sterilised jars and pop on the lids.
knife and bread with jar

New to preserving? Then don’t panic, I can take you from zero to hero in no time at all.

Just check out these handy articles to get you heading in the right direction fast;

How to make great jam and marmalade

How to make cool curds

How to make great jelly

How to make chutney and relish

How to sterilise jars and bottles

Sticky situations – troubleshooting your preserves

Different types of preserves

My favourite preserving kit

How much marmalade does it make?

This recipe made me eight small sized jars of cranberry and orange marmalade which was just perfect for my prezzie bags.

This year instead of baskets and boxes I managed to find some really cute little gift bags with holly on them. Maybe I should think about making my own, but what the hell not this time round.

The bags hold my cranberry and orange marmalade, hot salt, a little bottle of cassis that I made in the summer when the blackcurrants were abundant, and a brilliant new mustard that I’ll be showing you later.

shot of my kitchen

How long will this marmalade keep

Your cranberry and orange marmalade will keep for up to a year in a cool cupboard. Once opened store in the fridge and use within a month.

How to serve cranberry and orange marmalade

Well, the obvious one is with toast or croissants in the morning for a lovely festive breakfast.

But why keep this delicious cranberry preserve just for the mornings.

Serve cranberry and orange marmalade with a sharing platter/cheeseboard. The zingyness goes really well with cheese and cold meats too.

Stir some spiced cranberry and orange marmalade into your turkey gravy for another layer of festive flavour.

Water it down just a little with some water and use as a glaze when roasting turkey or chicken.

Think of that leftover turkey and add some cranberry and orange marmalade to a basic turkey sandwich, jum!

There is something so special about just pottering in the kitchen with Christmas songs on the radio and snow outside the window. It is the stuff that little memories are made of. I hope you make some foodie gifts this Christmas and some lovely little memories too.

larder links

Looking for more creative uses for cranberries? Then check these out before you go;

Cranberry and apricot relish

Cranberry gin

Cranberry Gin Jam

Sugar free cranberry relish

Cranberry fruit curd

Finally, if you do try this recipe don’t forget to leave a comment/star rating below as I just love to hear from readers. Want more Larder Love? Then follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter and sign up for my newsletter too of course.

Photos And Tips AboveMost of my recipes have step by step photos and useful tips plus videos too, see above.
cranberry and orange marmalade

Spiced Cranberry And Orange Marmalade

Karon Grieve
This Christmassy marmalade is sweet and tangy and makes the perfect foodie gift.
4.10 from 11 votes
Print Recipe Comment Bookmark Saved! Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 1 hr
Total Time 1 hr 10 mins
Course sweet preserves
Cuisine British
Servings 30 servings
Calories 110 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 500 g oranges unwaxed if possible
  • 1 lemon
  • 2 tbsp grated ginger
  • 1 large cinnamon stick
  • 300 g fresh cranberries
  • 650 g granulated sugar
  • 500 ml water
  • 150 ml whisky
Metric – US Customary

Instructions
 

  • If you are using normal unwaxed fruit then scrub them really well in hot soapy water to remove the protective wax and rinse thoroughly and towel dry.
  • Peel the fruit trying to avoid the bitter white pith and finely shred the skins.
  • Toss the shredded peel of both oranges and lemon into a large heavy based preserving pan .
  • Cut the fruit in half and squeeze out all the juice and add this to the pan.
  • Scrape out all the flesh and seeds and tie this up in a little piece of muslin or an old hanky and toss into the pan (this will help to add both flavour).
  • Peel and grate the ginger and add this to the pan along with the cinnamon stick
  • Now add the water and bring the pan to the boil then lower the heat, cover and let it simmer for 30 minutes
  • Add the cranberries, recover and continue simmering for a further 30 minutes.
  • Fish out the little muslin bag and discard.
  • Mash with a potato masher to break down the cranberries.
  • Stir in the sugar and once dissolved completely raise the temperature to a boil and let it bubble away for 20 minutes or until the setting point has been reached.
  • Stir in the whisky
  • Remove the cinnamon stick and ladle the marmalade into sterilised jars and pop on the lids.

Notes

This made 8 100ml jars and I estimated a serving as 1 tablespoon.
This will keep for up to a year in a cool dark place, once opened store in the fridge and use within a month.
This is perfect on toast, in cakes. As a glaze for roast meats, turkey and chicken. Stirred into sauces and gravies and with a cheese board too.

Nutrition

Calories: 110kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 1mgPotassium: 46mgFiber: 1gSugar: 24gVitamin A: 44IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 10mgIron: 1mg
My Top Tips*Always read the full recipe first. *Assemble all your ingredients and everything you need before you start. *For baking check the size of tins I’m using as this makes a big difference to your cakes. * I use medium sized eggs unless otherwise stated. * I use extra virgin olive oil unless otherwise stated. * I use unsalted butter unless otherwise stated. * Check out My Preserving Kit!
Keyword Christmas marmalade, cranberries
Tried this recipe?Mention @LarderLove or tag #LarderLove

 

Filed Under: ALL RECIPES, Christmas, Jelly and Marmalade, Winter

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Comments

  1. nan says

    December 15, 2014 at 3:33 pm

    5 stars
    Your Kitchen IS Christmas!! I love the sound of this recipe – will have to see if I can find some time to make it! I owe you a letter my friend, it’s coming – been so busy with work and trying to get all the things done for Christmas – my grandkids arrive on Saturday night!!! That will be Christmas for me – seeing those little faces. Love the new look of your blog – you are the Madonna of blogging – always reinventing!! xoxo, Nan

    Reply
    • Karon Grieve says

      December 15, 2014 at 5:19 pm

      Hi Nan
      Well what can I say, the Madonna of blogging eh! Been called many things in my time and I shall take that as a compliment! Have a great time with those adorable grandkids and write me when you have a mo, can’t wait to hear from you.
      Have a great Christmas
      love
      Madge!

      Reply
    • Trudy says

      November 19, 2019 at 6:33 pm

      When does the whiskey go in?

      Reply
      • Karon Grieve says

        November 27, 2019 at 12:36 pm

        At the last minute before ladling into jars.
        K

        Reply
  2. Kimberly says

    December 16, 2014 at 1:56 pm

    I swear I’ve read the instructions three times and I don’t see where the 5oz of whiskey comes in. Is it at the beginning or the end? That sounds like a lot of whiskey.

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Greg says

      October 18, 2015 at 6:12 am

      Augh! Me too! When do you add the whisky?!?

      Reply
      • Karon Grieve says

        October 20, 2015 at 1:35 pm

        Oops, should have said you add the whisky at the very end just before potting up the marmalade.
        K x

        Reply
  3. Christina says

    February 18, 2016 at 2:55 pm

    I had a question about the whiskey as well. Do you add it in when everything is bubbling or just at the end? I would imagine it should but wasn’t sure.

    Reply
    • Karon Grieve says

      February 21, 2016 at 11:25 am

      Hi Christina
      Add right at the end.
      K x

      Reply
  4. Don Swinburne says

    September 24, 2016 at 9:07 am

    4 stars
    If you cannot take alcohol what can I use to substitute the whisky ? Also I think you should remove the cinnamon stick at instruction 9) and replace after instruction 10)
    Thanks
    Don

    Reply
    • Karon Grieve says

      September 27, 2016 at 1:35 pm

      just omit the whisky

      Reply
      • Don Swinburne says

        October 2, 2016 at 10:28 am

        Thanks Karon the marmalade is on my Xmas making. list for myself and my Romanian friends . I presume that it matures with time so I will be making it next week . Thanks again
        Don Swinburne

        Reply
        • Karon Grieve says

          October 12, 2016 at 12:49 pm

          The marmalade matures beautifully so should make great gifts for your friends.
          K x

          Reply
  5. Kim Kappeli says

    November 23, 2016 at 3:26 am

    Sounds delicious! Is there a different (more subtle) alcohol I could use? Maybe dark rum? How long will the marmalade keep? Can I or should I process the jars in hot water if making now for Christmas gifts?

    Reply
    • Karon Grieve says

      November 25, 2016 at 9:31 am

      The marmalade will keep for 6 months or more. You could use rum it would be a good choice.
      K x

      Reply
  6. Julia Duchesne says

    December 4, 2016 at 9:05 pm

    When you say small, what size of jars did you use? 250ml? Thanks for the beautiful recipe!

    Reply
    • Julia Duchesne says

      December 6, 2016 at 6:19 am

      FYI, it made me 5 250-ml jars.

      Reply
      • Karon Grieve says

        December 7, 2016 at 8:49 am

        great, enjoy!
        K x

        Reply
    • Karon Grieve says

      December 7, 2016 at 8:50 am

      Yes that and slightly smaller
      K x

      Reply
  7. Debbie says

    February 11, 2017 at 6:29 pm

    Should this be hot water bathed?

    Reply
    • Karon Grieve says

      February 21, 2017 at 12:46 pm

      In UK we don’t tend to use hot water bath method, just method shown in recipe.
      K x

      Reply
  8. Maura McFall says

    October 14, 2019 at 9:55 am

    When you mash the mixture to break up the cranberries doesn’t it break up the fruit shreds as well as they will now be softer?

    Reply
    • Karon Grieve says

      October 19, 2019 at 8:02 am

      Mine worked fine
      K

      Reply
  9. Mrs M McFall says

    October 18, 2019 at 4:52 pm

    I’m just making this recipe and have doubled up the quantities as I sell my preserves to fundraise for charity. It’s looking good but I was surprised to see so many tiny little seeds/pips from the cranberries. I’m just hoping they won’t spoil the texture of the marmalade.

    Reply
    • Karon Grieve says

      October 19, 2019 at 8:02 am

      As you can see from my recipe I didn’t have a problem with seeds. Hope yours works out.
      K x

      Reply
  10. Debbie says

    November 21, 2020 at 12:01 pm

    I made your marmalade this week it’s lovely and I really enjoyed making it thank you I also love your kitchen have you any other ideas for foodie gift bags please x

    Reply
    • Karon Grieve says

      November 22, 2020 at 11:38 am

      Hi Debbie
      So glad you enjoyed the marmalade. It’s one of my favourites. If you look at my latest round-up post I have putb all my foodie gift ideas in one place for you. Check it out here https://larderlove.com/100-homemade-liqueurs-and-edible-gifts-for-christmas/.
      So thrilled you like my kitchen!
      K

      Reply
  11. Janice Grosvenor says

    December 1, 2020 at 4:57 pm

    HOW DO YOU GET THE MARMALADE CLEAR AS IN THE PHOTOS?

    Reply
    • Karon Grieve says

      December 2, 2020 at 10:41 am

      Hi Janice
      This is just how my marmalade turns out when I do this recipe, it’s always this colour. Has yours gone cloudy or something?
      K

      Reply
  12. Muriel Neish says

    May 30, 2021 at 10:43 am

    Your spiced cranberry marmalade recipe sounds delicious and I am wondering if you could use frozen cranberries instead of fresh.

    Reply
    • Karon Grieve says

      June 1, 2021 at 9:30 am

      Hi Muriel
      Yes you can use frozen cranberries. Hope you like it
      K

      Reply
  13. SusanPercy says

    December 15, 2021 at 7:18 am

    4 stars
    I made your marmalade over the weekend and really love it, but the scotch does seem a bit strong and I halved the amount. Next time I may reduce it a bit further.

    Reply
    • Karon Grieve says

      December 15, 2021 at 9:28 am

      Hi Susan
      Recipes of any type are all a matter of personal taste. I just show the measurements that I like in my recipes. If you find the whisky too strong just adapt to suit yourself. Glad you like the marmalade anyway.
      K

      Reply

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