Orange marmalade has been one of the common ingredients in cooking, baking, and serving for centuries. One day, you are tired of the familiar taste and want something new in your recipes.
Of course, nothing can be a perfect substitute for orange marmalade, but we can certainly come closer to its flavor. The following parts will display the top 9 alternatives you can trust.
Top 9 Ingredients To Replace Orange Marmalade
There are many substitutes for orange marmalade, but we find these 9 ingredients most likely to bring you orange-like taste. Let’s check it out!
1. Orange Jam/ Juice/ Zest
Orange zest, juice, or jam are common products and easy to find. With fresh oranges, you can squeeze orange juice or peel the zest for your dishes whenever you want. As for the orange jam, you can buy it at any convenience store or supermarket.
It turns out that the best substitutes for orange marmalade are other orange-based products to maintain the fruit’s signature taste.
Jam and juice are slightly sweeter than marmalade because they are made without peels. Meanwhile, orange zest will add a more bitter flavor to your dishes. It depends on your favorite taste to choose the right alternative.
Orange jam is the go-to choice for toasted bread. Each tablespoon of orange jam contains about 56 calories, perfect for a healthy breakfast. Jam is also a great ingredient for desserts, adding more sweetness and a touch of sourness.
Similarly, orange zest can be a “seasoning” for sweet dishes because it is fully packed with orange tangy, leaving a slightly bitter and fresh aftertaste.
Orange juice is more flexible since it can go with sweet and savory recipes. A combination of the sweet, savory, and sour taste of an Orange Chicken dish can make you mouthwatering. It can also be the secret ingredient for a relishable sauce for your salad.
Orange is an abundant source of vitamin C and pectin, supporting the immune system and slowing down the aging process. Also, it is high in calcium, keeping your bones and muscles strong. Orange zest contains hesperidin to control blood pressure and cholesterol.
Cooking Tips
Adding orange juice to roasted meat or poultry is a great idea to keep them moist and tender.
Mushroom and orange marmalade – a strange combination for a creamy soup can surprise you with the earthy, fatty mushroom flavor, glorified by bittersweet marmalade. If you are not into or allergic to mushrooms, there are many mushroom substitutes you can try.
2. Lemon Marmalade
Lemon is also a kind of citrus fruit but brings more sourness than orange. However, lemon marmalade, when added sugar, can be a great substitute for orange marmalade.
It gives you a taste of sweetness, bitterness, and special tanginess that can only come from citrus fruits. Lemon is cheaper and somewhat more fragrant than orange, thanks to its peel.
Lemon marmalade can appear in many recipes, from desserts and drinks to savory dishes. This ingredient is the perfect top layer for pancakes, tarts, or puddings since it neutralizes the sweetness with acidity.
A gin lemon marmalade cocktail is what you need to get a second wind. The mixture of alcohol, acidity, sweetness, and fresh mint will be a flashback of energetic summertime. Besides, lemon marmalade can be used as a dressing for salads for more flavor.
Lemon is famous for packing tons of citric acid, which is beneficial for breaking up small stones and preventing kidney stones. It is a good source of vitamin C and pectin like orange, reducing the risk of stroke and lowering blood pressure.
According to Ayurveda Medicine, the sour lemon taste also supports digestion and consequently prevents the build-up of toxins.
Cooking Tip
You never want to add any kinds of lemon-based products such as lemon zest or juice to a still-cooking or too hot dish. The high temperature will turn it so bitter that you can longer enjoy the dish.
3. Grapefruit Marmalade
Grapefruit is another kind of citrus fruit that can be a great replacement for orange marmalade.
Grapefruit is slightly more bitter and less sour than orange. It can not bring you an orange-like flavor, but it does give you a sweet and acidic taste. Therefore, it can be a substitute for orange in some recipes.
Grapefruit marmalade can go well with many kinds of dessert and salad. If you are a busy resident, a plate of toasted bread or pancakes with grapefruit marmalade on top will be a quick yet full breakfast.
Grapefruit marmalade cake is not a bad choice for weekends. Besides, the pith of grapefruit gives the texture signature bitterness, leaving an unforgettable aftertaste.
Grapefruit is low in calories and high in fiber as well as pectin, a good friend for anyone on a diet. Research shows that consuming high-fiber fruits can increase the feeling of fullness and reduce the craving for food.
It also contains a significant amount of vitamin C and A, doing wonders for your immune system and protecting cells from harmful bacteria.
Cooking Tip
It is advisable to use grapefruit marmalade to make salad sauce if you are on a diet. You will soon feel full even when consuming less.
4. Fig Jam
It seems that fig and orange have nothing in common. However, the sticky and slightly coarse texture can resemble the rind and pith of orange marmalade.
It is not as sour and bitter as orange, but a ripe fig has a unique honey-like sweetness. This substitute is ideal for spoiling your sweet tooth.
As you may know, figs can pair perfectly with cheese. They can go with goat or blue cheese, serving with crackers on a charcuterie board. Sweet pizzas or tarts coming with fig jam spread can be a great combo.
Have you ever heard of honey-roasted chicken? Why not try out a different mix with fig jam instead? Fig will bring you a fresher and milder sweetness than honey.
Fig is rich in vitamin B6, which is essential for your body to break down and create new proteins. It is also a good source of vitamin A, supporting the immune system and keeping your vision healthy.
Your heart will also thank you if you consume figs frequently because the potassium in them can manage blood pressure.
Cooking tip
If you run out of honey and don’t have enough time to buy more, fig jam can be a decent replacement because they are nearly alike in sweetness.
5. Apricot Jam
Apricot jam can also be a proper alternative for orange marmalade. Although it is not a kind of citrus, its color and texture are almost similar to orange marmalade.
There is no bitterness found in apricot jam, but it does bring sourness like orange. Using apricot jam will not make many differences in flavor.
Apricot jam pops up in many sweet recipes that you can use to make a dessert party. You can never deny a sweet, sticky, and gooey apricot jam bar with nuts when you are in the mood for sweets.
A tart with apricot jam top or a crumb pie full of jam pouring out can satisfy any sweet tooth. The sweetness will whet your appetite at the first bite and end up with a slightly sour aftertaste.
Apricot is full of many antioxidants such as beta carotene and lutein, which protect you from illness and diabetes. The high amount of vitamin A in apricot can also reduce the risk of vision loss. Besides, it does wonders for your skin thanks to the included vitamin C and E.
Cooking Tip
If you get a cough or sore throat, a cup of warm water adding some apricot jam can be a good remedy to alleviate the pain.
6. Peach Jam
A peach looks like the bigger version of an apricot yet less sour, so it is undoubtedly a great duplicate of orange marmalade. It has a bright color, just like orange marmalade but without bitterness.
If your children keep complaining about the bitter bread they have each morning, this option can solve your issue.
Like apricot, the peach jam is a common ingredient in many kinds of desserts. It can be a juicy top layer of a tart or a runny center of a pie. Besides, making muffins with peach jam and almonds will bring you a mixture of sticky, soft, and crunchy tastes.
Not to mention, a braised brisket coming with some red wine and peach jam not only can maintain the original taste of meat but also enhance the flavor.
Cooking Tip
To make a more excellent alternative for orange marmalade, you can add some lemon juice or orange juice into the peach jam before using it.
7. Raspberry Jam
Raspberry contains hundreds of tiny seeds, so the texture of jam will be coarse like the grind and pith of orange marmalade.
Although it comes in a different color, the raspberry jam delivers nearly the same levels of acidity and sweetness as orange marmalade. Therefore, it possibly replaces orange in any recipe.
You can come across raspberry jam in both sweet and savory recipes. Using raspberry jam to make ketchup for sautéd pork chops can be a tempting plate on your menu. Raspberry jam is also a great glaze for grilled meat, leaving a glossy and juicy look.
This jam can be used in almost all kinds of dessert. Raspberry jam bars or tarts are the two easiest recipes to make at home.
Raspberry is packed with fiber and vitamin C. Fiber plays an important role in boosting your digestive system and controlling your weight. Vitamin C does wonder for your immune system and your skin.
Ellagic acid – a special antioxidant in raspberry – not only can reduce oxidative damage but also repair damaged DNA.
Cooking Tip
Remember to cook meat with raspberry jam glaze on medium heat because the jam is easy to get burned.
8. Pineapple Jam
Pineapple jam is another substitute for orange marmalade. Indeed, you may be surprised how this can be true since orange and pineapple do not have a similar taste.
However, pineapple brings a sweet and sour flavor, just like an orange. If you want, you can make it even more similar to orange marmalade by adding some orange or lemon juice to the pineapple jam.
Pineapple cookie is properly the most famous recipe when mentioning pineapple. With the pineapple shape and the sweet and sour taste, this kind of cookie can satisfy any kid. You can also mix this jam with other types of cake like tarts, donuts, etc.
Besides, a tropical coconut sticky rice serving with pineapple jam can be tempting due to its fatty, gooey, and sweet taste.
Pineapple contains an abundant amount of vitamin C and K. While vitamin C is essential for a healthy immune system, vitamin K plays a key role in preventing excessive bleeding.
Moreover, there is an enzyme called bromelain found in this tropical fruit, supporting digestion by breaking down proteins.
Cooking Tip
It’s best never to mix pineapple jam with milk or mango-based products. These combinations will likely cause diarrhea.
9. Mango Jam
It is safe to say that mango jam can be a decent alternative for orange marmalade. Mango jam is fibrous and a little hairy, somewhat similar to the peel of orange marmalade. Besides, these two do taste sweet and sour. Therefore, you can confidently use mango jam instead of orange marmalade.
You can try baked salmon with mango jam to fully enjoy the mixture of fresh fish and juicy mango jam, leaving a little sweet aftertaste without any sickly smell. As for sweet dishes, cute little thumbprints or cookies dressing with mango jam will be an ideal gift for your kids.
Eating mango is a good way to maintain your cholesterol level since it contains fiber and pectin. Moreover, the included vitamin C in mango will boost your immune system and prevent heat strokes.
Cooking Tip
It is a wise choice to combine honey and mango jam because they will enhance the flavor of each other. However, do not use mango jam in recipes containing wine. They are both hot foods, which will potentially harm your kidney.
Commonly Asked Questions
How Do You Make Homemade Orange Marmalade?
Instead of buying from stores, you can always make orange marmalade at home with ease. All you need are oranges, sugar, water, and about 2 hours of cooking. Here is the 5-step process:
Step 1: Wash the oranges and dry them with towels.
Step 2: Discard the end of oranges, slice them thinly, and remove any seeds.
Step 3: Combine water, sugar, and orange in a saucepan and bring the mixture to boil. Every orange needs ¼ cup of water and ¼ cup of sugar.
Step 4: After boiling, let the mixture simmer on low heat for about 40 minutes.
Step 5: Once you get the desired consistency, let the marmalade cool down and store it in the refrigerator.
What Is The Difference Between Jam And Marmalade?
The biggest difference is the key ingredients. Marmalade can only be made from citrus fruit, while you can make jam from many other kinds of fruit.
Jam contains only the fruit pulp, but there are both pulp and zest in marmalade. This point causes the bitter flavor in marmalade, while sweetness is the signature of jam.
What Is Orange Marmalade Used For?
The simplest way to enjoy orange marmalade is to spread it on toasts or bread slices. Besides, it can be added to pancakes or puddings for garnishment and flavor enhancement.
Apart from sweet recipes, this marmalade can be served with savory dishes. It is a perfect barbeque sauce with ginger and honey. Otherwise, orange marmalade can accompany meat and poultry rubs to whet your appetite.
Conclusion
Cooking is creating, and you are an artist. You are free to make new recipes by replacing some key ingredients. It is not that hard to find a substitute for orange marmalade, but each of them will bring a wind of change to your dishes.
We hope you can come up with some new ideas after reading this article.
