Pink Grapefruit Marmalade - A Spoonful of Sunshine for Your Morning Toast

This Pink Grapefruit Marmalade is a taste of delicious sunshine on your toast, biscuits, scones, English muffins... It's also wonderful on ice cream and makes a fantastic glaze for grilled pork, chicken, shrimp or salmon.

I asked Scott if we could stop at the grocery store the night before we planned to shoot this Pink Grapefruit Marmalade. He asked what we needed. I replied that I'd like to pick up some English Muffins. He said, "You're going to BUY English Muffins??" I said, "Yes I am, English muffins pair perfectly with marmalade."

"But why would you buy them?" He was a bit incredulous that I wasn't making them myself since I love to bake. I had never considered making English muffins. I'm not sure why... maybe it's that they just sound so fancy.

But his comment got me thinking (and sidetracked a bit) as I googled "English muffin recipes". Well, I'm so glad he questioned me because I discovered something new. English muffins can be SO easy to make and they taste incredibly more delicious than anything you can buy. After reading through a number of recipes and testing different techniques, I've come up with a super easy recipe and the results are CRAZY delicious. But... well,  that's a story for another post (coming up). Suffice it to say, he challenged me and the results are amazing, so much better than anything you can BUY!

You are often my inspiration!

So back to the Pink Grapefruit Marmalade. A few weeks ago I received an email that inspired this recipe. This is how it read:

Hi Chris, I really enjoy the label's that you sometimes include with the jam recipes. Would you happen to have the Ruby red grapefruit and orange marmalade labels? Yes, you have spoiled me! Also, how would regular grapefruit be with this recipe? Thanks for always making my day shine!

I realized that I didn't have a plain grapefruit marmalade recipe on the site so I decided to experiment a bit. A friend had given me a stash of fabulous pink grapefruit and the timing was perfectly aligned. After a bit of testing, this Pink Grapefruit Marmalade evolved based on a recipe on the Kraft My Food and Family site.

Marmalade convert

If you're not a big fan of marmalade, this Pink Grapefruit Marmalade might just change your mind. Although it's got lots of fresh, vibrant citrusy flavor it is not bitter at all. I always liked the "idea" of marmalade but usually, when I tasted it, I was disappointed. Those large strips of slightly bitter zest just weren't my cup of tea.

This marmalade is totally different. It does have lots of grapefruit zest but in tiny little strands with none of the white bitter pith. I use a citrus zester to remove just that pretty pink-tinged peel. A citrus zester is easy to use, reasonably priced and works well with any type of citrus fruit.

How to make this Pink Grapefruit Marmalade

This Pink Grapefruit Marmalade couldn't be easier to make. The only thing that takes a bit of time is removing the grapefruit zest and sectioning the fruit from the membranes. For me, the easiest way to remove the fruit is to cut each grapefruit in half, run a knife around the outside edged, then cut along the inner membranes to loosen the fruit, the same way you would cut a grapefruit to enjoy for breakfast.

Once you've got the zest, fruit and juice collected in a measuring cup (you want exactly 2 cups total) the rest is super simple. Just combine the grapefruit mixture with a box of powdered pectin in a large pot. Bring it to a rolling boil then add the sugar. Stir and return to a rolling boil. Set a timer for 1 minute and you're pretty much done. Simply laden the delicious liquid sunshine into clean jars and try to wait for it to cool down before sampling.

You can either use a hot water bath to preserve this Pink Grapefruit Marmalade or store it in the refrigerator or freezer. The marmalade will keep well in the refrigerator for several weeks and up to a year in the freezer. Using a hot water bath will ensure that your marmalade is shelf-stable.

Give the sunshine away!

Want to make someone's day? Slip a jar of this Pink Grapefruit Marmalade in their mailbox or bring it as a hostess gift. It's a great way to show care and appreciation for teachers, neighbors, hairdressers, mailmen, co-workers...

You've probably noticed already that we have a pretty label to adorn the jars. If you'd like to receive a free printable PDF for the labels, just leave us a comment below in the comment section. We'll email you the PDF with instructions on how to use it as well as links for the jars and ribbon pictured in the post.

We'll send you a set of two labels, one that says, "Store in the refrigerator when not in use." (for those of you who choose to omit the hot water bath) and a second that says, "Store in the refrigerator after opening".

A jam session

This is a fun recipe to make with a delicious reward. Make it a family project or gather some friends together for a "jam" session. You'll make some sweet memories and also will have a fabulous sweet treat to serve for breakfast or brunch. Happy jamming!

Café Tips for making this Pink Grapefruit Marmalade

• One thing that's important when making jams and jellies is to understand the terminology. One of the classic terms is to bring the fruit/sugar mixture to a "full rolling boil". This means a boil that continues to bubble furiously, even when you give it a good stir.
• Another thing that's important is to pay heed to the time that's indicated in the recipe. In this Pink Grapefruit Marmalade, the instructions say to allow the fruit/pectin/sugar mixture to come to a "full rolling boil", then to boil for exactly one minute. Set a timer! This will ensure successful results.
• As mentioned above you can either can this Pink Grapefruit Marmalade, using a hot water bath, making it shelf-stable OR simply ladle it into jars and store it in the refrigerator or freezer.
• If you chose the canning method, here is a great guide from National Center for Home Food Preservation.
• If you chose to not use a hot water bath, it's fine for the marmalade to sit at room temperature for several hours. The sugar in jam/jelly/marmalade recipes acts as a preservative so there's no need to worry. Just keep it in the refrigerator or freezer for longer storage.
• This is not a thick jelly-like marmalade (like store-bought grape jelly), it is scoopable on a spoon but isn't runny.
• Although this is called Pink Grapefruit Marmalade, the recipe will also work with regular grapefruit.
• This recipe calls for 1 box (1.75 ounces or 49g) of powdered fruit pectin. I use SureJell. SureJell is available at most larger grocery stores and online. If you can't find it at your local grocery store, check with the front desk or manager as it's stored in different places at different stores. There are two types of SureJell, regular and low-sugar. You want the regular or original variety for this recipe.
• In order to ensure success with this Pink Grapefruit Marmalade, don't try to alter the ingredients. Lots of people are concerned about the amount of sugar in jam and jelly recipes. The sugar is not only a sweetener but it also helps with the set and it's a preservative, as mentioned above. There are low sugar pectins on the market and it would be better to go with a recipe specifically designed for low sugar than to try to alter this recipe. Plus you only consume a small amount of marmalade at a time so each serving is not that much sugar.
• I often get asked if you can substitute dry and liquid pectins. The answer is no. The proportion of fruit to sugar often varies, depending on whether the recipe calls for dry or liquid pectin. To ensure success, it's best to stick with the type of pectin that the recipe calls for.
• Measure carefully when making jam or jelly with pectin. The proportion of sugar to fruit is important and if you use more or less than what's called for, the set can be affected.
• Many jam/jelly/marmalade recipes call for measuring the sugar into a separate bowl, then adding it to the fruit. Why? It's easy to lose track and add too much or too little and risk the results. I don't do this but I do count out loud so I'm sure about how much sugar I'm adding.

Thought for the day:

Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
    and His understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
    and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:28-31

What we're listening to for inspiration:

As You Find Me

If you enjoy any of these recipes, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It’s so helpful to other readers to hear your results, adaptations and ideas for variations.

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Pink Grapefruit Marmalade

This Pink Grapefruit Marmalade is a taste of delicious sunshine on your toast, biscuits, scones, English muffins... It's also wonderful on ice cream and makes a fantastic glaze for grilled pork, chicken, shrimp or salmon.

Author: Chris Scheuer

Course: Jams & Jellies

Cuisine: American, British, Portuguese

Keyword: Pink Grapefruit Marmalade

Prep Time: 45 mins

Cook Time: 5 mins

Total Time: 50 mins

Servings: 112 servings

Calories: 38 kcal

Ingredients

• 2 cups prepared fruit purchase 6-7 medium grapefruit, you might not need them all
• 1 box powdered fruit pectin I use SureJell, (1 box is 1.75 ounces or 49g)
• ½ teaspoon butter
• 5 cups granulated sugar

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

To prep the grapefruit:

1. Wash the grapefruit thoroughly then dry well. With a citrus zester (see picture above in the post) remove the colored zest (avoiding the white pith) from 5 of the grapefruits and place in a bowl or medium size measuring cup (at least 2 cups).

2. Cut each grapefruit in half across its equator. With a small sharp knife (a serrated knife works great), cut around the perimeter of each half where the fruit and rind meet. Point your knife slightly toward the center of the grapefruit to make up for the curve as you cut.
3. Then, starting at the center, slice on both sides of the thin membranes that separate the sections of fruit to free up the segments. With a small spoon remove the segments to the bowl with the zest.

4. After the fruit has been removed from each grapefruit half, squeeze the remaining juice into the bowl with the zest and fruit segments. Continue until you have 2 cups of the zest/fruit/juice mixture. If you end up with more than 2 cups, reserve the extra for another use.)

For the marmalade:

1. Transfer the fruit mixture to a large pot (6-8 quarts) and add the pectin and butter. Stir to combine then bring the mixture to a full rolling boil (a boil that doesn’t settle down when you stir it.)

2. Add the sugar and stir to combine. Return to a full rolling boil and boil for exactly one minute. (Use a timer.) Remove from heat and allow the boiling to settle down. Remove any foam from the top surface with a spoon.

To finish with a hot water bath:

1. Ladle into the prepared jars, filling to within a half-inch of the top. Wipe the rims and thread then screw on the lids tightly.

2. For the hot water bath method, proceed as directed here.

To finish without a hot water bath (marmalade will not be shelf-stable and will need to be stored in the refrigerator or freezer):

1. Ladle into the prepared jars, filling to within a half-inch of the top. Wipe the rims and thread then screw on the lids tightly.

2. Allow the marmalade to sit for 24 hours at room temperature then refrigerate or freeze.

3. Marmalade keeps well in the refrigerator for several weeks and up to a year in the freezer.

Recipe Notes

*** Please note, when I first published this recipe, it said FOUR total cups of zest/fruit/juice. That was an error. It should be, as it reads now, TWO total cups of zest/fruit/juice. So sorry for any confusion that might have caused! 

See Café Tips above in the post for more detailed instructions and tips to ensure success.

If you prefer to use Metric measurements there is a button in each of our recipes, right above the word “Instructions”. Just click that button to toggle to grams, milliliters, etc. If you ever come across one of our recipes that doesn’t have the Metric conversion (some of the older recipes may not), feel free to leave a comment and I will add it.

Nutrition facts per serving (1tablespoon)

Calories 38kcal

Fat 1g

Saturated fat 1g

Trans fat 1g

Polyunsaturated fat 1g

Monounsaturated fat 1g

Cholesterol 1mg

Sodium 1mg

Potassium 7mg

Carbohydrates 10g

Fiber 1g

Sugar 9g

Protein 1g

Vitamin A 2%

Vitamin C 1%

Calcium 1%

Iron 1%