During orange season, I make this blood orange jam pretty often. It is simply a perfect spread for breakfast and brunch and makes a great hostess gift.
Being from Austrian, right next to Italy, means growing up with Aperol Spritz and other drinks made of the famous Italian aperitif. The flavors of Aperol and fresh blood orange blend so well that it would almost be a shame not to spread it onto the daily bread for breakfast. By the way, the jam doesn’t taste alcoholic at all, just so you know.
This small batch jam (2 cups) is ready in no time and requires very little hands-on time. The only rather time-consuming task is to fillet the oranges – and if you don’t care for it, you can omit this step (see intro recipe part). I usually use blood oranges since they blend perfectly with the Aperol taste-wise. But I’ve also tried it with regular Navel oranges and got great results as well.
The recipe is meant for short-term storage only and keeps stored in the fridge up to 3 weeks or up to 1 year in the freezer. If you don’t have any Aperol on hand (what a pity), you can substitute lime or lemon juice. I always strain the orange juice since it makes a clear, jelly-like base. I usually do add the fillets of 2 small blood oranges to create a more interesting texture. But if you don’t bother filleting oranges, simply add 1/2 cup more orange juice.
Blood orange jam & homemade lemon curd (recipe here).
Enjoy!
This small batch jam (2 cups) is ready in no time and requires very little hands-on time. I usually use blood oranges since they blend perfectly with the Aperol taste-wise. But I've also tried it with regular Navel oranges and got great results as well. The recipe is meant for short-term storage only and keeps stored in the fridge up to 3 weeks or up to 1 year in the freezer. If you don't have any Aperol on hand (what a pity), you can substitute lime or lemon juice. I always strain the orange juice since it makes a clear, jelly-like base. The only rather time-consuming task is to fillet the oranges. I usually add the fillets of 2 small blood oranges to create a more interesting texture. But if you don't bother filleting oranges, additionally add 1/2 cup of orange juice.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240 ml) freshly squeezed blood orange juice, strained (about 4 small oranges)
- 130 g/4.5 oz (about 1/2 cup) orange fillets, cubed (about 2 small oranges)
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) Aperol
- 150 g (2/3 cups) fine white granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon and 2 teaspoons (17 g) powdered fruit pectin (I use Sure-Jell for less or no sugar)
Instructions
- Prepare jars and lids. This recipe yields about 2 cups.
- In a bowl, mix sugar and fruit pectin (to avoid clumping). Put orange juice, fillets and sugar (including pectin) in a medium saucepan and bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Add the Aperol.
- Boil mixture for 1 minute while stirring. Turn off the heat and keep stirring for 30 seconds to 1 minute; this will reduce the foam on top.
- Ladle or pour mixture immediately into prepared jars (tip: a funnel is a great invention). Wipe jar rims in case you've spilled.
- Close jars tightly and let cool at room temperature. Once cool, put them into the fridge.
- Store in the fridge up to 3 weeks or freeze up to 1 year.
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