Marmalade is probably the quintessential winter canning item. Everyone who “cans” or “preserves” is getting their hands on amazing winter citrus fruit: blood oranges, lemons, limes, oranges of all kinds, Meyer lemons, etc. So what else is there to make but marmalade? Or curd. But curd isn’t as … let’s say, universal, as marmalade.

Actually, marmalade isn’t very universal. Unless you live in Great Britain or Ireland, it’s kind of polarizing. You either love it or despise it. You either “get it” or you don’t. Curd is probably way more accepted than marmalade. You can use curd as the filling for a tart and no one would ever know it was originally curd.

In my family, there are both these kinds of marmalade people. I don’t much like marmalade myself. I avoid it. My nana liked it, but on the tart side – and not with a lot of rind or peel. My mom likes it sweeter with a lot of peel for texture. My dad doesn’t like it at all. Once you get to love it, you get to understand it. Or once you start making it, in my case. Then you can see how to use it in more ways than just on toast or English muffins. Like for example, melted slightly on pound cake, as a glaze for pork or chicken, swirled into a vodka cocktail, etc.

I’ve made marmalade a bunch of times and each time I’ve had a different experience. Most of the time I’ve used my basic marmalade formula. Sometimes it’s taken a few days for it to “set”, other times it’s set so firmly right away that in order to use it it needed to be softened (thanks to the insanely pectin-y lemons I used). I’ve made some marmalade that never fully set too, and was always a little liquid-ish. Some of them I’ve re-cooked and processed, others I’ve just marketed as “citrus syrup- great on ice cream.” But regardless- it’s always been fairly simple. It’s just a loooooong process.

This time, I made key lime marmalade. Key limes are tiny little adorable -and sweet (yet more acidic too, if that makes sense)- limes that are most commonly used in pies. I have never made lime marmalade before, so that’s what you see here. But for your purposes, any citrus fruit will do.

First of all, you need to choose your fruit. Like I said, ANY CITRUS FRUIT will work. Seriously. And in any combination. Mix blood and Cara Cara oranges, use straight up Seville oranges, use lemons and limes, use lemon and orange, just lemons, just limes… anything you want. And in any amount and size. From one pound to 12 pounds. Because it’s easy to change up a marmalade recipe to suit what you have. Once you choose the fruit and it’s thoroughly washed and dried, you chop and slice your fruit. Removing all (or most) of the pith (that white stuff that makes it bitter). Then you need to cut up the flesh and remove the seeds, saving most of the juice (well, whatever you can save) and then slice the rind thin.

You still with me?

I put the seeds in a little pouch of cheesecloth and add it to the fruit to boost the pectin. Then it has to sit overnight in just enough water to JUST BARELY cover the fruit. Well, anywhere from 5 hours to overnight. I always try and do it overnight or longer so the rind gets very soft and the pectin has enough time to completely leech out into the water. That’s what will give you your “set.” Make sure you don’t add too much water. You just want enough so that your fruit is barely sticking out. I added a large lemon to this batch just to be sure the pectin amount was high enough. You can also add fancy stuff at this point: for example, I could have added some tequila and jalapeño to this lemon/lime batch and made a very interesting marmalade. Or if you’re using oranges, maybe add some vanilla bean or whiskey. Adding a bag of Earl Grey or chamomile tea makes a delicious change from the norm, too. I made blood orange marmalade with red wine last winter.

And then you just have patience and leave it alone. Cover the pot with the lid or plastic wrap and just walk away. When it’s all done sitting, you remove anything you don’t want in the final product like pouches of seeds, vanilla beans or tea bags, and then you add the sugar. Usually, I try and add the same amount of sugar as water. For example, if it took two cups of water to cover the fruit, I add two cups of sugar. And then you cook it. For a long time. Not really long, but it will seem long when you’re trying to reach 220 F on a thermometer. Once it gets to 220, keep it boiling for 1-2 minutes.

Then you’re done.

You don’t need added pectin. You don’t need 5 lbs. of sugar. I swear.

Remove the pot from the heat. Carefully add it to clean, hot jars, process it for 10 minutes in a waterbath, and enjoy your key lime marmalade, or orange marmalade, or whatever… for the next year.

If canning intrigues you but scares you, don’t let it. Click here for an in-depth post about it and how to get started. Canning is fun and easy, but there are certain things you need to know before you jump in so you don’t poison the people you love.

Suggestions for use: Melt over pound cake, use as a glaze for roasted poultry or pork, add alcohol or tea for added flavor, use vanilla flavoring or beans, try adding some hot peppers for a more savory twist.

Soundtrack: Indy snoring.

Sources & Credits: green plaid tea towel; Ikea, all Ball® jars available at freshpreserving.com.