• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Start Here
  • Baking 101
  • Recipes
  • Shop

The Bake School

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Start Here
  • Baking 101
  • Recipes
  • Shop
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Start Here
    • Baking 101
    • Recipes
    • Shop
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    Home » Baking Techniques

    Published on: January 18, 2019 by Janice Lawandi; Updated on: September 12, 2023 67 Comments

    Never make runny marmalade again: the marmalade setting point

    3.5K shares
    • Facebook1.4K
    • Reddit
    • Flipboard
    a palette of orange marmalades with varying thickness and set, some runnier others thicker, to show impact of cooking temperature on marmalade set

    Ever wonder about the setting point for marmalade? Or what temperature do you actually have to boil marmalade to? I investigated how the temperature affects marmalade set and I was really surprised by the results. Check it out!

    A palette of marmalades cooked to different temperatures to show the impact of cooking temperature on marmalade set
    Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
    Jump to:
    • How do you know when marmalade is set?
    • How long does marmalade take to set?
    • Experiment to compare cooking temperature to marmalade set
    • What is the setting temperature for marmalade (also known as marmalade setting point)?
    • Do you need to add pectin when making marmalade?
    • Cookbooks on Preserves
    • Achieving the perfect texture and set: troubleshooting marmalade
    • Conclusion
    • Further reading

    I cannot stand recipes that suggest that I cook my jam to the "desired consistency" or until it "passes the wrinkle plate test". Say what? How do you know when marmalade is cooked enough?

    Let's be honest. If you are not a jam and marmalade expert and if you don't make preserves very often, you will probably lack the experience to see the visual cues of the perfect set. I know that I can't always tell!

    I hate guessing games and, as you know, I love to measure everything. And that is how the marmalade temperature experiment was born.

    Once you understand the jam setting point applies to marmalade too, your jam-making will get a lot easier!

    three fruit marmalade

    How do you know when marmalade is set?

    You have three basic options for determining if your marmalade has cooked enough and will set properly after cooling:

    1. the bubbles: when the marmalade first comes to a boil, the bubbles are quite volatile, they form and pop almost instantaneously, whereas when the marmalade has thickened enough, the bubbles will be more stable and resemble blinking fish eyes. The visual cues are hard to see for beginners so if you are learning to make marmalade and jams, I recommend you observe the changes in the bubbles as you go, but you should rely on other methods to decide when your marmalade has reached the setting point.
    2. the wrinkle plate test: freeze a few small saucer plates in your freezer overnight. When you think your marmalade is cooked enough, retrieve a saucer from the freezer and place a dollop of hot marmalade on the plate. Put it back in the freezer for 1 minute, then take it out and push the dollop with your finger: if the dollop wrinkles nicely, your marmalade is probably done, if it's still too fluid to wrinkle, keep cooking.
    3. the temperature: measure the temperature with a candy thermometer. You want to cook marmalade to somewhere in the range of 217ºF to 221ºF, depending on how fluid or thick you want it. Don't overcook your marmalade because the peel will become chewy and the sugar will caramelize, so be careful how high you push the temperature before you stop cooking.

    There’s one caveat when it comes to using temperature: you need to pay attention to altitude! If you are making marmalade above sea level (like in the Rockies), the boiling point of water will be lower, which means the setting temperature will be lower too! The setting point of 220 °F is for marmalade-making at sea level.

    How long does marmalade take to set?

    In general, once you achieve the right consistency according to your tests and then you have canned your marmalade in jars using a water bath method, you must set the sealed jars aside to cool and it will take 24 to 48 hours for the marmalade to thicken and achieve the final set.

    Batches of marmalade cooked between 217ºF and 222ºF to determine the marmalade setting point

    Experiment to compare cooking temperature to marmalade set

    I cooked up a batch of three fruit marmalade, using the whole fruit method (no pectin). I measured the temperature as the marmalade bubbled away with an instant read thermometer, the Thermapen which is very fast at registering temperatures and temperature changes, but a probe thermometer with a longer cable like the ChefAlarm would be better because then you don't have to hold it with your hands, which would be much less dangerous to use than my hand-held setup.

    I took samples every degree, starting at 217°F and all the way up to 222°F. I chose this range because most of the recipes I perused recommended cooking to somewhere in that range.

    As the marmalade boiled and I sampled away, I honestly thought my experiment was a flop. I could not have been more mistaken. Behold, the results!

    A palette of marmalades cooked to different temperatures to show the impact of cooking temperature on marmalade set. Marmalade cooked to 217 are more runny while marmalades cooked to 220–222ºF are just right. Above 222ºF, marmalade becomes dryer and chewy

    What is the setting temperature for marmalade (also known as marmalade setting point)?

    It turns out there is a significant difference between marmalade cooked to 217°F and marmalade cooked to 220°F. Generally, the setting point of marmalade is 222ºF (which comes out to about 105ºC). Cooked to 220ºF, marmalade will be very thick and will set properly once cooled. But some people don't like to cook marmalade that much and prefer a looser set, others prefer to go a little higher, up to 222ºF. That's entirely up to you.

    Here's the impact of cooking temperature on marmalade set:

    • marmalade cooked to the lower end of the range (217–218°F or 103ºC) has a bright citrus flavour like fresh citrus fruit, but it is more on the watery side of set. The peel is very tender. Marmalade cooked to this temperature dribbles off your toast and leaves a trail in your kitchen or on your keyboard, if you are like me, doing chores while eating marmalade on toast in the morning, without a plate to catch the drips. Delicious, but drippy.
    • marmalade cooked to the middle of the range (219°F or 104ºC) is not as drippy, but not overly set. The flavour is still bright and the peel is tender, but the preserve is just a touch thicker.
    • marmalade cooked to the upper end of the range (220–221°F or 105ºC) is set just right for me: 220°F is considered the setting point of jam, also known as the gelling point, and this is where things get really interesting. The marmalade is much thicker, but with a touch of dribble to it, the peel is firmer, and the flavour is completely different. The citrus flavour is still there, but it's not as bright. The caramel undertone is coming through and there's a bit of a bitter orange flavour that lingers.
    • marmalade cooked to the setting point, 222°F (105.5ºC), is chewy and very thick: this is the upper limit, in my opinion, as beyond this point, the peel gets really, really chewy. At 222°F, the peel is a "nice" chewy. Past 222°F (106ºC), the peel is bordering on tough, and not so pleasant.

    Do you need to add pectin when making marmalade?

    Seville oranges have the most pectin, so a batch of Seville orange marmalade definitely does not require the addition of pectin. But that being said, citrus fruit vary as does their pectin content. As we can see above with my temperature experiment, the marmalade set has a lot to do with the concentration of sugar and the removal of water, and not as much to do with the pectin content.

    • How to make marmalade
    • Jars of homemade lime marmalade on a cooling rack.
      Lime marmalade
    • A pot of homemade marmalade ready to be canned in jars.
      Orange Marmalade Recipe
    • Pink grapefruit marmalade on toast on a plate with a striped linen.
      Grapefruit marmalade

    If we compare a dollop of pectin-set orange marmalade from the store to homemade marmalade with no extra pectin added, you will notice the pectin-set marmalade is more jellied, seemingly dryer. The store-bought marmalade with pectin definitely doesn't have my favourite texture. It smears funnily on toast, and I found the jiggle of the pectin-set marmalade unpleasant, and a little odd.

    Cookbooks on Preserves

    If you are interested in simple recipes and techniques for making preserves, like this marmalade, check out Camilla Wynne's books on preserving:

    • Preservation Society Home Preserves (available on Amazon in English), and it's also in her book Les Conserves Selon Camilla (available on Amazon in French)
    • Jam Bakes (available on Amazon), which is dedicated to making preserves and baking with them too!

    I used both these books to research this recipe and follow Camilla Wynne's methods closely as she taught me how to make Seville orange marmalade years ago. Highly recommend!

    a palette of orange marmalades with varying thickness and set, some runnier others thicker, to show impact of cooking temperature on marmalade set

    Achieving the perfect texture and set: troubleshooting marmalade

    Is your homemade marmalade not setting or is the marmalade too runny?

    After your batch of marmalade is canned and left for 2 days to cool and achieve its final set, if you open your first jar and find that the marmalade is runny, it means that you didn't cook the marmalade for long enough or to a high enough temperature. Your batch of marmalade contains too much water still.

    How can I fix runny marmalade?

    You have two choices to fix runny marmalade if it's not setting properly:

    • Live with the runny marmalade and enjoy it despite its flaws: Spread it liberally on toast or better yet, spoon it on vanilla ice cream. Serve it with cake as a sauce.
    • Reboil it: open up all the jars of marmalade, combine them in a pot on the stove, and cook it again up to 220ºF. You will have to go through the process of sterilizing the jars again and canning the marmalade in the sterilized jars in a water bath.
    Homemade brioche brun split open to reveal a fluffy golden interior, served with butter and a knife

    Is your homemade marmalade too thick and chewy? It's overcooked!

    As I mentioned, you can save and fix a marmalade that doesn't set properly because it's undercooked by reheating the preserve, bringing it back up to a boil and cooking to 220ºF–222ºF before transferring to sterilized jars and sealing. On the other hand, if you've overcooked a batch of marmalade, there's not much you can do.

    A jar of marmalade served with a brioche bun

    Overcooked marmalade has a few characteristics: chewy, tough citrus peel, possibly rubbery and a thick texture verging on dry. I have been guilty of overcooking marmalade when I was trying to determine the set with a plate test: I left the pot of marmalade on the stove, which continued to boil while I was fiddling with the plate test. In those few minutes, the temperature of the marmalade continued to rise, and I ended up with a rubbery marmalade.

    Unfortunately, there's nothing you can do to salvage a batch of overcooked marmalade. Of course, you can still eat overcooked marmalade and learn from this mistake. Remember to pull the pan off the heat while you determine if you've achieved the proper set and use an instant-read probe thermometer (like this probe thermometer with a longer cable: the ChefAlarm) to make sure you are able to measure changes in temperature as they happen with little delay!

    An open jar of homemade thick-cut orange marmalade

    Is your marmalade gritty with sugar crystals? Find out why!

    Undissolved sugar can cause crystallization

    When making marmalade, each step serves a purpose and though it might seem tedious, it's important to follow the steps carefully. For example, when you mix the chopped fruit with the sugar, it's very important to stir the mixture on a lower heat setting in order to properly dissolve all the sugar.

    The goal is to completely dissolve and melt the sugar. If you don't take time to properly dissolve the sugar at the very beginning of jam-making in general, you risk ending up with gritty crystallized marmalade because sugar wants to crystallize and just a tiny amount of undissolved sugar at this stage can ruin an entire batch of marmalade.

    A pot of sliced oranges and sugar, ready to be boiled to make homemade orange marmalade.

    If you didn't properly dissolve the sugar, it's likely that you will notice sugar crystallizing in all the sealed jars of the entire batch of marmalade, before they've been opened. When you open a new jar, you can transfer the contents to a saucepan and heat it on low to warm the marmalade and melt the sugar crystals. Then transfer it back to the jar and store in the fridge.

    Some people also suggest briefly microwaving the open jar of marmalade to warm and melt the crystallized sugar.

    Improperly stored jars can cause crystallization

    It's important to properly close open jars of marmalade to avoid evaporation. If you don't close a jar of marmalade (or jam) properly, the surface may evaporate causing crystallization of the sugar. This isn't surprising given how much sugar you use to make preserves. This concentrated sugary spread is likely to crystallize over time, especially if it dries out.

    Conclusion

    It's honestly a matter of personal preference, but now I hope that you can better understand your options and pick your favourite marmalade set. I don't think there's a right or a wrong. Well... there's definitely no wrong when it comes to marmalade. I love them all. My favourite was definitely above 219°F. Probably 220–221°F. I love the flavour of the marmalade in this range, and I am happy that it will stay put on my toast. Then again, I cooked a batch of marmalade to 222°F and I love how it's a little darker, with a deeper flavour. In a perfect world, I would have a jar from each temperature on hand, at all times, to suit my mood.

    Which marmalade do you think you would prefer?

    A piece of toast topped with orange marmalade.

    Further reading

    • If you want to make marmalade, start with this homemade three fruit marmalade recipe
    • This method was also used to make grapefruit marmalade and orange marmalade
    • If you prefer finer cut marmalade, try this lime marmalade
    • Make marmalade pudding cakes with your homemade marmalade!
    • Serve homemade marmalade with homemade croissants (if you have the time)
    Orange pie with saltine crust sliced and ready to serve.

    Please note this post contains affiliate links to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you buy a product I recommend, I will get a small commission, and the price you have to pay will not change in any way.

    More Baking Techniques

    • Graham cracker crumbs in a springform pan lined with parchment paper, to be spread out and pressed to form a crust for cheesecakes.
      How To Make A Baked Graham Cracker Crust
    • A bowl of smooth, cooked sweet potato purée ready for baking.
      How to Make Sweet Potato Purée for Pies
    • Working butter into flour with fingertips.
      Perfect Pie Crust by Hand
    • A perfect slice of rhubarb pie, ready to be served.
      How To Make a Lattice Pie Crust

    Baking resources

  • Baking conversion charts
  • Baking ingredients and pantry staples
  • Baking substitutions
  • Common baking conversions
  • Choosing baking pans
  • How to measure ingredients for baking
  • Mixing methods
  • Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sas says

      April 15, 2025 at 4:35 pm

      I did save a batch of - slightly - overcooked marmelade by emptying jar for jar in a Magimix, adding a few spoons of water and the juice of 1/2 orange and pulse 3 or 4 times to chop it up, then putting the chopped marmelade back in the jam kettle. I rewashed and resterilised the jars and after a 3 minute rolling boil, stirring it all the time, rejarred the jam. It turned out super nice after 2 days setting.

      Reply
    2. Sas says

      April 15, 2025 at 4:35 pm

      I did save a batch of - slightly - overcooked marmelade by emptying jar for jar in a Magimix, adding a few spoons of water and the juice of 1/2 orange and pulse 3 or 4 times to chop it up, then putting the chopped marmelade back in the jam kettle. I rewashed and resterilised the jars and after a 3 minute rolling boil, stirring it all the time, rejarred the jam. I turned out super nice after 2 days setting.

      Reply
    3. Anne Milling says

      January 13, 2025 at 9:08 am

      I find it tricky to get my Meyer Lemon Marmalade to set in Scottsdale AZ's altitute. What if I substituted some lemon juice for water? Could the extra acid activate the pectin more and provide a brighter taste? I'm reluctant to add powdered pectin because it might change the taste. Maybe combination of powdered pectin and lemon juice subbed for water could work. What do you think?

      Reply
      • KT says

        February 15, 2025 at 3:23 am

        Cooked to the setting point: a touch of dribble.

        I'm new to this. The batches of marmalade I have made, have no dribble. The liquid becomes like gelatin.

        So the cues I'm using - bubbles and freeze plate - I must be interpreting them wrong.

        What about color? I notice at some point in the boiling there is a sudden, big change in color - a faster and broader darkening.
        Is this reaching setting point? Is it setting point?

        Until I get a thermometer and I'm able to measure and find out - could you talk about changes in color throughout the process?

        Also, what does it mean if the marmalade is dark/too dark? How to ensure a bright marmalde?

        Thank you -

        Reply
      • Mrk says

        April 05, 2025 at 1:26 pm

        buy some powered pectin Anne it work wonders but add it near to the end of your final boil a teaspoon at a time, be careful not to add too much.

        Reply
    4. so says

      May 29, 2024 at 6:23 pm

      Very informative - One batch a few months back was very runny indeed...I actually strained it in little bottles and used it in duck sauce, over yoghurt etc. The flesh part was used up in little freezer batches in muesli later on too. One question is can you save lemon pips in the freezer and use them later in making jam or marmalade? Roughly how many pips are needed for pectin in a 1.5kg prepared fruit? Many thanks.

      Reply
      • Datomi says

        December 06, 2024 at 8:27 am

        Great article! One question though: how long does it take to get to 220°? I made clementine marmelade with great success while living in upstate NY. Now that I'm in coastal Carolina I'm struggling with the same recipe. I didn't have a thermometer for my first batch and have never was great at the chilled plate test. I ended up reducing it til it was almost taffy. (I ended up softening it in hot water, spreading it between two canned Danish cookies and dipping them halfway into melted dark chocolate which was a hit.) Bought a thermometer but could not get it to go past 212°° and, after cooking it for over a half hour, and afraid I'd candy it again, took it off the heat and jarred it. 24 hours later it's still liquidy like thin syrup and there are still sugar crystals visible in it. Hoping you can help!

        Reply
    5. Andrew says

      May 06, 2024 at 7:50 am

      Wonderful detailed instructions. Many thanks.

      Reply
    6. Catherine Bates says

      February 28, 2024 at 6:39 pm

      Hello.Thank you for all the useful information.

      I would just like to point out that, with reference to your description of bubbles, fish do not blink. Most of them don't even have eyelids.

      Reply
      • Janice Lawandi says

        March 04, 2024 at 7:02 pm

        I'm glad you found this helpful!
        I guess we need to think of cartoon fish, like the fish on the Simpsons 😉

        Reply
    7. Frans says

      December 26, 2023 at 2:20 pm

      Hi. I like your website! Over the years I have made 52 batches of marmelade and I go mostly by the wrinckle test in combination with time of boiling, 33 minutes (because my process is always the same). My question: I would not be able to observe the bubbles as you describe because after 10 minutes there is always a thick layer of foam on the pot and I have to regulate the fire (electrical stove) so as to not let it overflow. How can you see the bubbles?

      Reply
    8. Kelly says

      March 12, 2023 at 9:54 pm

      This was incredibly helpful!! I just so happened to have made 20 jars of runny marmalade the other day and after carefully reading your instruction my husband and I fixed them and learned a lot in the process. Thank you so much for your efforts!

      Reply
    « Older Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    This is a picture of Janice Lawandi

    Hi, I'm Janice!

    I am a baking-obsessed recipe developer with a PhD in Chemistry who writes about baking and the science of baking.

    More About Me

    Join the Community

    If you enjoy the free content on this website or have questions, consider joining the Bake School Community!

    Easter Treats

    • Strawberry jam with rhubarb smeared on a piece of toast on a plate.
      Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
    • Freshly baked rhubarb crumble ready to be served.
      Rhubarb Crumble
    • Rhubarb upside down cake sliced to serve it.
      Rhubarb raspberry upside-down cake
    • Serving rhubarb muffins on plates with a side of butter.
      Rhubarb muffins with sour cream and streusel
    • Let's bake with rhubarb-best rhubarb recipes roundup
      What to bake with rhubarb
    • Bluebarb or blueberry rhubarb crumble with a marzipan oat crumble topping in a blue baking dish with a fluted edge
      Blueberry rhubarb crisp with marzipan crumble

    Berry Baking

    • Milk crumbs on a Momofuku Milk Bar style cake-layers of blackberry curd, almond cake, and almond frosting
      Blackberry almond cake — Milk Bar style
    • raspberry amaretti semifreddo slice
      Almond raspberry semifreddo
    • Vanilla cardamom tapioca pudding with strawberries
      Homemade tapioca pudding recipe with fresh strawberries
    • A pan of baked honey blueberry muffins with streusel topping.
      Honey blueberry muffins
    • A plate of raspberry financiers.
      Raspberry Financiers
    • Honey-kissed-strawberry-rhubarb crumbles
      Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble With Honey

    Eggless chocolate cake

    Chocolate layer cake with cream cheese frosting and chocolate sprinkles on a cake stand.
    Learn to make an eggless chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting!

    Baking conversions

    Buy the baking conversion charts NOW!

    As seen on

    Logos of online and offline publications that featured the Bake School and Janice Lawandi.

    How to poach pears

    Poached pears on an enamelware plate.
    This easy poached pears recipe is simple and you can use the poached fruit for salads, appetizers, and desserts!

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Meet Janice Lawandi
    • FAQ
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms and conditions
    • Accessibility
    • Press

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Services
    • Portfolio

    As seen on

    Logos of online and offline publications that featured the Bake School and Janice Lawandi.

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    COPYRIGHT © 2025 · THE BAKE SCHOOL