Here it is! The recipe for orange jam, which, as always, I cooked in the microwave, is ready!

I’m a week late, and to think I told Nina I hoped to write it up over the weekend… two weekends ago 🙄 but I really couldn’t manage it; events took over, between work, kids, sports competitions (the kids), music recitals (the kids), mountains of ironing (everyone’s)…
…I’m sure you can understand me, right? 💛
It’s true, you might object now that the orange season is winding down, but who knows, maybe you’ll forgive me in a few months when you find the orange jam recipe already ready here in advance of the next season! 😉😄

I had never made orange jam before, I didn’t even know where to start: I didn’t know whether to use the peel or not, how much sugar to use, or whether it would pass the microwave-cooking test… but I tried. And I did very well since we liked it so much.
I did some online research, but honestly I only found recipes for traditional cooking and nothing that enlightened me about cooking oranges in the microwave, so in the end I went a bit by instinct and a bit by experience as always, and now I am satisfied — actually we’re all satisfied, because it’s really a delicious jam that everyone here liked.

I made it with Tarocco oranges for juicing, the same oranges I bought a couple of weeks ago, which you already know in the dried version.

For convenience I divided the production of orange jam into two versions:

– one version with blood oranges, blended until smooth:

– and one version with a coarser texture and visible pieces of peel, made with both blood and blond oranges and the addition of lemon:

The differences in preparation are practically nil, but I explain everything in detail in the recipe.

Ready?

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👇 For other orange recipes, take a look here too! 😉👇

Difficulty: Easy
Cost: Medium
Preparation time: 15 Minutes
Portions: jars: 1
Cooking methods: Microwave
Cuisine: Italian
Seasonality: Winter, Spring

Ingredients

👉 I used Tarocco oranges for juicing, but I am sure all varieties of orange are excellent, naturally considering small adjustments to the sugar weight depending on the sweetness of the oranges used.

1.1 lb Tarocco oranges (for juicing, weighed without peel (about 500 g))
1 cup (packed) brown sugar (about 200 g)
3 tbsp orange zest (about 20 g)
1.1 lb Tarocco oranges (for juicing, weighed without peel (about 500 g))
1 lemon (about 60 g weighed without peel)
4 tbsp mixed orange and lemon zest (about 25 g)
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar (about 260 g)

Tools

Microwave oven
Hand blender
Bowl glass

Steps

Supreme the oranges (and the lemon, if used).
👉 Since part of the peel will also be used, make sure the oranges and lemons have edible skins.
Remove the white pith from the peels you will use, wash the peels and soak them in water for 10-15 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut the oranges into pieces and put them together with the sugar in a microwave-safe container (I used a glass bowl).
Run at full power for 5 minutes, open the microwave and stir, then continue in 5-minute steps for a total of 20 minutes (for the version with lemon I used a total of 25 minutes).
During the last step you can set 1-2 minute increments to better check the consistency.
Add the chopped peels halfway through cooking.
At this stage you can decide whether to blend the mixture, taking advantage of the liquid produced by the oranges and the dissolving sugar, or to continue cooking and blend at the end. In the first case it will be easier to obtain a smoother jam.
👉 If you prefer a chunkier texture you can also blend after cooling. In both cases I used an immersion blender.
Make sure the container is roomy because a sort of foam will form during cooking, as you can see in the next photo (foam that settles quickly as soon as the microwave door is opened).
👉 To avoid spillovers I suggest sticking to the 1.1 lb (about 500 g) of oranges, or a little more, in the recipe, or using a container even larger than mine (mine is 3 liters), or splitting the cooking into shorter steps.
At the end of cooking let the jam cool inside the microwave. Once cooled it will firm up (even if it hasn’t been blended).
With 1.1 lb (about 500 g) of oranges you obtain more or less one jar of jam (depending on the jar size, of course), which can be stored in the refrigerator for several days.
If you want to preserve it for a longer time you will need to sterilize the jar or jars (I gave instructions for sterilization in the apricot jam recipe.)
This orange jam is really delicious, we liked it a lot in both versions. Store-bought orange jam is often quite bitter, but this one is not thanks to the moderate amount of peel, and although the amount of sugar is lower than what’s usually used in jams (not only orange).
Don’t throw away the peels left after you’ve supremed all the oranges! I mostly dried them and turned them into powder; if you have a dehydrator it’s a great method to always have an aromatic supply for desserts.
If you don’t have a dehydrator, or you don’t have the time or desire to dry them, I suggest storing the peels simply by chopping and freezing them: it’s a simple, convenient and useful way to preserve excellent organic peels that would be a shame to waste. (Before doing this always remember to wash the peels and remove the white part).
Enjoy!