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!

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!
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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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!
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.
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!
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.
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.
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!
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.
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?
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)
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.
Philip says
I used to have terrible setting problems when making marmalade, until I came across a recipe that worked, but still a bit hit & miss, even when using added pectin.
After coming across Janice's marmalade setting point article, my marmalade now comes out perfect every time, and without pectin.
This year I've made three batches, same amount and consistency each time. I've just bottled up five 1lb jars; from 1 kg of Seville oranges, 2 lemons, 1.5 kg sugar & 2 litres of water. (If anyone would like the method, please let know).
I confess I do use an alternative method, but follow Janice's advice regarding temperature, albeit without a thermometer!
The visual signs after a fifteen-minute rolling boil, such as 'fish eyes blinking' are very helpful, also the marmalade gelling around the wooden spoon shaft just above the bowl I find useful.
Then confirm this with the cold saucer test.
Jayne says
Hello - this is so helpful thank you! My problem is that by the time I reach temperature half of the liquid has evaporated. I got three jars from my last effort! Can I just add more water at the start?
Janice says
Hi Jane,
It's hard for me to troubleshoot without seeing your recipe but, in theory, you wouldn't need to add more water. If your recipe yielded less than the expected number of jars of marmalade, this would indicate the mixture was overcooked OR you started with less fruit and sugar. How is the texture of the marmalade after resting for 24 hours? If it's overly thick and pasty, this could mean it's overcooked. Let me know the details of your method if you want me to troubleshoot this further 😉
Jayne says
Thanks so much Janice. My method involves a 5 min instantpot pressure cook of 1kg Seville oranges and one lemon. I then remove pulp and pips, shred the peel. Next step is to dissolve the sugar, add the peel and boil. I suspect I am not adding in enough water at the start for the pressure cook? Recipe says reduce the amount of water for a pressure cook version as no evaporation…. but then I lose the water at the boiling stage. I really appreciate any thoughts or advice from you?
Jayne says
I also use less sugar than recipe - 1kg not 2kg. Basically I think I am doing it all wrong!
Janice says
So you are using half the sugar that your recipe recommends? This is a huge difference in quantities which likely accounts for your lower yield, no? I'd think that might be the culprit in this case because it sounds like you are doing everything right. Remember the role of sugar is to trap water along with the pectin from the peel of the citrus fruit. WIth less sugar, you won't want to add more water because this will lead to issues with the set of the marmalade, but also you will just have to boil it off so won't help you.
I think that if you want to make more jars of marmalade, start with more fruit and sugar. I hope this makes sense!
Janice says
Hi Jayne, thanks for clarifying the method you are using. To achieve the perfect set, we do have to boil off a lot of the water and also we rely on sugar and pectin to trap the water. So I don't think adding water is the answer in this case.
Jayne says
Thank you so much. I didn’t realise the role of the sugar was so critical to the set!
Donna says
Our first batch never set up, then found your post and success. Never having made Orange Marmalade before, your post was incredibly helpful. Thank you.
Patricia says
Try pomelo marmalade. It's the best!
Marmalade Rescue: I overcooked my marmalade and it was way too solid, darker than I wanted and caramelized. I emptied out the jars and added lemon juice, a little water and more pomelo pulp. Then gently boiled for just a few minutes until the additions were fully combined.
Wasn't ideal but it was still yummy!
Julie says
This is a great article and really helped me determine what was important for me in my marmalade’s, and how to achieve it. I keep the article in my preserving file.
I value fresh taste over set so I usually pick a set point of 218F.
Mariana Mill says
I am in Carmichael, CA. I have been trying to make Meyer Lemon Marmalade. Been investigating all the different sites. My problem is I boil for 10 minutes & it only goes up to on my thermapen to 118. I don't want to over boil it. How long do you find you are having to boil before it gets to 220. I have a special burner which goes.up quickly & maintains a boil. I use equal parts lemon, sugar & water. Perhaps I have to re duce the water?
Janice says
Hi Mariana, That's a good question! I have noticed with some recipes that the temperature seems to get stuck at a certain point when I'm boiling and doesn't seem to budge. I haven't experienced this with marmalade, though last week when I made a batch, I did notice that the temperature got to around 217-218F quite fast, but then to get up to 219–220F took a lot longer!
I don't make marmalade with water so it could very well be that there is too much water and it's a challenge to boil it down, which some other readers have mentioned. If the temperature doesn't seem to be a good gauge of set, in this instance, you may have to fall back on a plate test to judge the set by cooling a dollop on a frozen plate in the freezer for a minute. This way you can see if the marmalade is too fluid or not. I hope that helps!
Here's the recipe I use for all my marmalades, which involves boiling the whole fruit til soft, then slicing the soft fruit and mixing with sugar and lemon juice (no water added): https://bakeschool.com/three-fruit-marmalade/
Jason says
Hi Janice,
I’ve tried to make marmalade and jam on many occasions with little success (it is always too runny or caramelised). I followed your advice (reduce water/raise temp to 220F) and my marmalade came out perfect. Great article.
My Grandmother always made grape jam. It was great and store bought grape jam is terrible. I’ve never had success making it (though her recipe was always 1lb of fruit to 1lb of sugar. I will be making some today. Thanks so much.
alex says
Great article.
I am in the process of the annual marmalade production. I shall use a thermometer this year because I have one now, but my marmalade is consistently good. That sounds a little arrogant, but I've been eating the stuff daily for about 50 years or more and I know a great marmalade when I have it. I use seville oranges, lemon and grapefruit (1.25 kg, 2 lemons and 2 grapefuits). For all my jams and marmalades, I just wash the jars and then put them in the oven at about 110°C while I make the preserve. Never had mould or a dud jar of anything, even after keeping some jams for about 8 years...
As I pot the marmalade up, I add Cointreau, Cognac, Scotch Whisky (different sorts) or nothing. Adds variety. And if you don't eat the marmalade in the year, it darkens and becomes even better vintage marmalade next year.
Can you have too much marmalade? Probably not.
Janice says
Oh my gosh! You definitely have more marmalade experience than I do! Please let me know how it goes with the thermometer. Some people have been noticing that with certain recipes that contain more water than the one I use, the temperature doesn't seem to be indicative of a good set, which is so sad. I can't wait to hear how your next batch goes!
Also, I agree, one can never have too much marmalade!
GD says
Thanks for a great post. I’m wondering how to stop the tiny bubbles appearing in the jars. I swooshed a palate knife around the jars to bring the bubbles up to the top of the jar which seems to work to some degree but can you tell me why I get the bubbles in the first place please? Thanks.
Colin Gent says
I have never found the wrinkle test or the flake test to be reliable guides to the degree of setting. I use a thermopen to test the brew temperature and cook to 105c. The test sample wrinkles like an elephant's hide. It hardens on the frozen plate to a gel consistency. Yet it doesn't set when it's put into the jars. It thickens somewhat when cool, but it moves when the jar is tilted. It is more like a thick syrup than a gel. Reboiling and adding lemon juice doesn't improve matters. Nor does adding powdered pectin. I prepare the juice and the peel of 1Kg of Seville Oranges in the pressure cooker and add twice the weight of caster sugar before boiling. The marmalade tastes great, but I like a proper gel on my toast. I despair: perhaps you have to be in league with the Devil to succeed with marmalade? If you don't come up with a solution, I'm going to jump off this ledge!
Janice says
Hi Colin, I feel your pain! I'm going to have to ponder your comment because I'm stumped and not sure where to go because it sounds like you've tried everything. You definitely have plenty of sugar in your recipe (more than I use, in fact!). I've never made jam (or marmalade) in the pressure cooker, but I'd imagine that if a pressure cooker is a sealed vessel, you wouldn't be getting any evaporation. Are you just prepping the fruit in there (like boiling them whole) or are you making the marmalade in the pressure cooker?
Colin Gent says
I laboriously cut all the peel by hand into 2mm slices because I find that makes for a nice bright golden result. 1 Kilo of oranges yields about 400 ml of juice, which I make up to 1 litre with fresh water. I add the juice of one lemon and the bag containing the pith from the oranges. I pressure cook the peel and liquid at full pressure for 15 minutes, by which time the peel is as soft as it would be after two hours on the stove top. I then add the sugar and boil up in the usual way to an end point of 105c. It has occurred to me that perhaps I am boiling too vigorously so the mixture does not evaporate enough before the setting point is reached?
My wife says my marmalade has an acceptable consistency, so I suppose it depends on what you consider to be a 'set'. I just want to get a similar set to that achieved in commercial products.
Valerie Connell says
I, also have had years of making runny pressure cooked marmalade and know the huge disappointment when it does not set. I have just had success using this exact temperature method. Reading about your problem, you do not mention putting all the pips in with the pith when you boil up before adding the sugar, this would make a big difference.