Vanilla Mandarin Jam
If any of you are anything like me, you have a glut of Mandarin oranges in some corner of the kitchen, most likely because you, like me, keep buying them on sale and then running out of gumption to eat your way through that entire box. It turns out they’re delicious in smoothies, or pureed whole with vanilla ice cream to make a sort of orange creamsicle milkshake, but if you have a couple pounds to go through, it also makes a deliciously mild orange jam – not quite marmalade as the heft of it is juicy flesh rather than finely chopped peel – and if you stir a bit of vanilla in, it too tastes like an orange creamsicle.
Vanilla Mandarin Jam
AuthorJulie
Wash and zest the mandarins – I like using a Microplane to do this; it’s nice and sharp, and you can get the orange part off while leaving the white pith underneath. Set the zest aside and peel the oranges, tossing the white part and chopping the juicy flesh, working over a bowl or on a chopping board with a gutter to catch the juices. Pick out the seeds and put the chopped fruit into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until not quite smooth. (If you don't have a food processor, just chop it more.)
Combine the puree, zest, sugar and lemon juice in a large, heavy saucepan or small pot, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and cook, stirring occasionally to make sure it’s not burning on the bottom, for about half an hour. Cut your vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with the tip of a knife; stir them into the jam toward the end of the cooking time. Test to see if it's jam by dropping a small spoonful on a chilled saucer – when you poke it with your finger, it should wrinkle.
Divide into jars or freezer containers and refrigerate for up to a month, or freeze for up to 4 months. Makes about 4 250 mL jars.
Ingredients
Directions
Wash and zest the mandarins – I like using a Microplane to do this; it’s nice and sharp, and you can get the orange part off while leaving the white pith underneath. Set the zest aside and peel the oranges, tossing the white part and chopping the juicy flesh, working over a bowl or on a chopping board with a gutter to catch the juices. Pick out the seeds and put the chopped fruit into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until not quite smooth. (If you don't have a food processor, just chop it more.)
Combine the puree, zest, sugar and lemon juice in a large, heavy saucepan or small pot, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and cook, stirring occasionally to make sure it’s not burning on the bottom, for about half an hour. Cut your vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with the tip of a knife; stir them into the jam toward the end of the cooking time. Test to see if it's jam by dropping a small spoonful on a chilled saucer – when you poke it with your finger, it should wrinkle.
Divide into jars or freezer containers and refrigerate for up to a month, or freeze for up to 4 months. Makes about 4 250 mL jars.
Looks lovely! Bet it would be great with yesterday’s Irish soda bread!
Hey Julie, I’m liking the new format, but alas…your “pin” feature won’t let me pin. Happy new year and 366 new recipes! ?
Dang. Thanks for the feedback!!
What… wait… You actually have leftover mandarins? We just can’t buy them fast enough as we are constantly nibbling on them! That being said, lovely quick recipe!