How to Make Super Tasty Homemade Orange Jam?

 

Easy Orange Jam

Turkish Style Orange Jam (Portakal Reçeli) Recipe

Everyone loves oranges. They are sweet and juicy. What about orange jam or orange marmalade? Both of them are loved by the people very much because of their taste and flavour (a strong pleasant smell) are really different from the other jams. Here, in Turkey, winter is not known as jam season, and jams are mostly made in late Summer or in Autumn except orange jam. Because, December, January and february are our orange jam times. Last week, during the Thursday,  Friday and Saturday, it was very snowing here. When the snow season comes, green grocers turns green to orange colour. Everywhere is covered the oranges and tangerines. But, we barelly bought oranges from the market because of the snow covered everywhere at last weekend. Al last! We made our delicious orange jams in our kitchens.

In this post, we are going to share our recipe of orange jam with you. Before give the recipe of orange jam; we got really very nice and useful information about the orange, orange trees etc. 

It was so snowing, while we bought our oranges

Every Region's Orange is Unique!

The orange tree is really beautiful. It has a lot of shiny green leaves. The small white flowers smell very sweet. An orange tree has flowers and fruit at the same time. Our Mediterranean region's cities and Aegean region's cities are home-town of the orange trees. You can see orange trees everywhere from streets to house gardens. Also these regions people celebrate orange Blossom times in their homes, streets, squares and offices. For example; "The Orange Blossom Carnival" is an annual celebration held every April in Adana city.

We bought flower Crowns to our daughters from 
orange Blossom carnival in Adana city

According to historians; There were orange trees twenty million years ago. The orange trees were very small, not like the ones today. The orange tree probably came from China. Many different kinds of wild orange trees grow there today. In other words, we can say that; these orange trees grow in nature. Many historians stressed that the Chinese started to raise, or grow, orange trees around 2400 B.C.; in China's museums, you can see many Chinese art that has lovely old pictures of oranges and orange trees. 

In Asia, Farmers in India and Pakistan, and the region of Middle East, learned to raise oranges from Chinese. Then they taught the Europeans. The Spanish traders transfered the orange trees to Continent of America and they planted orange trees in North and south America, called the "new world". Then, they took them to Florida first. Oranges are a very important and famous crop in Florida today. What about here, our country Turkey? Due to its geographical location nestled between Asia and Europe, orange trees came from the China very fast too. All oranges have nearly same taste and flavour. But, every region of world's orange is unique and special like finger prints. 

Homemade Orange Jam

How to Make Turkish Style Orange Jam? 

How do you make orange jam? How to prepare orange jam? Today, we are going to share a step-by-step our way of making orange jam recipe (Portakal Reçeli), taken from our moms! It is the perfect winter time jam. If you have a basket full of delicious oranges waiting for some time in your kitchen and if you don’t know what to do with them, make this delicious homemade orange jam! We are sure that; you will love it so much that your family will finish it in a very short time and maybe you need to buy more oranges to make it again. Bye the way, Don't worry about the recipe! Its recipe is not complicated. It is very easy and simple. When we cook this jam, we really fall in love with the orange colour and its smell. We are sure, you will fall in love with the orange color and smell when making this jam. 

Sometimes we don’t feel like having big breakfast and we want to start our day with something quicker. What makes a quick breakfast? Yes! Answer is orange jam with bread! just spread a good amount of good butter on a toasted bread and top it with this candy like orange jam. We are sure, when you try it, you will see it makes a great breakfast dessert!

Actually, we always make orange jam in winters. What is the difference between orange jam and marmalade? We have not tried orange marmalade yet. But many of our friends said that "Orange jam is basically an orange marmalade without the its peel, and winter spices (such as clove, cinamon, star anise etc.) help to add extra bitterness to contrast the sweetness of orange itself". 

Turkish Style Orange Jam Recipe

Recipe of Turkish Style Orange Jam (Portakal Reçeli)

What is orange jam? Our orange jam recipe is a really simple. It covers mainly oranges, sugar and water. But we traditionally add alittle lemon juice and lemon salt because of they make orange jam shiny and by the help of lemon salt, you can save your orange jam in jars up to 6 months in your pantry. Also, we add 1/2 teaspoon butter for decreasing foam and an extra nice taste to your jam, when your jam boiling. Also, we boil the oranges 2 times. First one is with the water and this process takes the oranges' too bitterness taste and it takes 5 or 6 minutes. Second one is with jam syrup and it takes 50-60 minutes. These tips are from our moms and grandmoms.

It is made without pectin (you know oranges have plenty of natural pectin and there is no need to add pectin to orange jam mixture). Our orange jam recipe is a very light jam that you can enjoy on a road trip, picnic, and even you can enjoy in your office or work place. Try it at home for your children.

Ingredients: 3 Normal size Oranges

Ingredients: Sugar, water, lemon juice, lemon salt

Lemon juice and lemon salt make your jam shiny
Butter decrease the foam while your jam boiling

Wash your oranges well

Grate your oranges roughly

Grate your oranges but don't let to disappears
the orange color on the oranges

Then boil your skinless oranges in water for 5-6 mins

This process (first boiling) takes your oranges' 
Bitterness taste

Then wash your oranges in cold water

Then drain and set your oranges aside

Meanwhile prepare your jam's syrup 

Add sugar and water in pot

While boiling your sugar and water mixture, add 
Lemon juice and lemon salt 

Then take your oranges and cut them into small size

Then add your chopped oranges into jam syrup

Then stir your jam mixture occasionally 

Then add 1/2 teaspoon butter into jam mixture.
Butter decrease the foam and add an extra taste 

Cook your jam 50-60 mins then pour it into clean jar/jars

Save your orange jam in jar up to 6 months
in your pantry

You can enjoy orange jam on a road trip, picnic etc.

Here it is our Turkish Style Orange Jam (Portakal Reçeli)'s recipe;    

Very good family favourite;

Serve: 1 or 2 Small Glass jars, Preparation Time: 15-20 minutes, Cooking Time: 60 or 75 minutes, Cuisine: Mediterranean & Anatolian Cuisines,

Ingredients:

• 3 Normal size oranges, raughly grated (not grate all of its peel)
• 3 Cups Water, 
• 2 or 3 Cups Granulated Sugar, (or brown sugar), (we used nearly 2 cups of sugar, Because we don't enjoy too much sugarly jam)
• 1 Teaspoon of Lemon  juice and 1 Teaspoon Lemon salt, (they make your jam shiny and by the help of lemon salt, you can save your orange jam for a long time in your pantry),
• 1/2 or 1 Teaspoon Butter,  (For decreasing foam, when your jam boiling),

Preparation:

1. First of all, put your all ingredients on the work surface. Firstly, wash your oranges well. Then, grate your oranges' skin with the vegetable peeler (don't let to orange color disappears on oranges). We mean that; remove wide strips of zest from the oranges with a vegetable peeler (but do not remove the pith). Then, take your skinless of oranges set aside.
2. Then, put your three skinless oranges in a stainless steel saucepan with the water. And bring to boil. This process takes 5-6 minutes. Then, wash them with the cold water and cut them into small pieces (triangle shape) and removing the seeds and keep it aside in a large bowl. 
3. Then, place in a stainless steel saucepan with the sugar, lemon juice (or lemon salt) and 500 or 600 ml water. Bring to the boil, and stir until the sugar dissolves (melts). Then add your chopped oranges in the jam syrup. Couple of minutes later add 1/2 or 1 teaspoon butter in it and mix all of them well. 
4. Then, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 50-60 minutes. Please watch out! Don't stir the mixture too much. Just do it occasionally. If do it often, your oranges may smash. 
5. Then using a spoon (woodenspoon is better), remove a portion of the jam mixture and pour a little onto a cold plate. Allow your jam portion to cool, then check for consistency (When you run your finger through the jam, it should leave a trail in the jam. It is done! If it doesn't, cook the jam mixture a little longer. 
6. Now your orange jam is ready. And pour the hot jam into sterilised glass jars. 

Enjoy!

Please let us know how this "Turkish Style Orange Jam (Portakal Reçeli) Recipe" turns out for you in the comments. We are always so eager to hear from you.

Turkish Style Homemade Orange Jam

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