Drambuie Marmalade (Scottish Recipe)

Drambuie Marmalade is a fantastic Scottish twist on plain Seville orange marmalade. Made with three different citrus fruits and Drambuie liqueur, it’s a winner!

This is one of my favorite times of year in California because it’s citrus season! 

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I have two Meyer lemon trees, one navel orange, a kumquat tree and my newest addition is a mandarin. None are prolific in bearing fruit, but there’s usually enough for my family.

Making the fruit last longer is always a challenge. However, this Scottish Drambuie marmalade was a no brainer as it only took two oranges, one lemon and one grapefruit ( I bought an organic grapefruit).

Last year, my mother made this lovely kumquat jam with my harvest of kumquats.

There’s no pectin needed in this recipe, but an overnight rest, instead. Follow the easy step by step directions for great results. Enjoy!

Add the sugar and stir often to dissolve it.

Simmer until it reaches the setting point of 222F/105C on a candy thermometer. If you’re a seasoned jam/marmalade maker, you can check by dropping some Drambuie marmalade on a plate that was in the freezer. 

When the setting point is reached, remove the pot from the burner, add the Drambuie and allow to sit for 10 minutes.

Make sure your jars and lids are clean and rinsed with boiling water and dried, then carefully begin filling the jars using a funnel.

Clean the rims of the jars well before putting the lid on. Do this as quickly as possible.

NOTE: when I make jam, I pour the boiling jam into old jam jars. Once the jam cools, the middle of the lids will almost always “pop” meaning the jars have sealed (the center of the jar will also become concave). If they do not “pop”, the jam will definitely spoil if not refrigerated. I keep the unsealed jars in the fridge.

The health department would not approve of this method, so I’m not suggesting you do this, I’m just passing on what I do in my kitchen, as my family has been using this old method for as long as anyone can remember.

When the marmalade has completely cooled, label and refrigerate until ready to use.

I suggest making a marmalade cake with some of the Drambuie marmalade!

And if you want to make kumquat marmalade, I have a recipe for that, too.

Scottish Drambuie Marmalade

Servings: 8 - 8 oz jars

Prep Time: 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours hours

Additional Time: 8 hours hours

Total Time: 10 hours hours 45 minutes minutes

A Drambuie flavored citrus marmalade from Scotland

5 from 7 votes

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Special Equipment

• 1 cheesecloth bag
• 1 candy thermometer
• 1 funnel
• 8 8 oz jam jars (237 ml)

Ingredients

• 2 oranges (organic, sweet)
• 1 lemon (organic)
• 1 grapefruit (organic)
• 9 cups water
• 10 ¼ cups sugar (approximately-see directions)
• 3 Tbsp Drambuie

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Finely shred/chop the rinds of the citrus fruits, taking care not to use white pith. Place it in a large bowl.
• Remove the pits and pith from the fruit and place them in the cheesecloth bag, and tie it. Chop the citrus and add it to the bowl of rind along with the water and the cheesecloth bag. Cover and leave overnight.
• The next morning, remove the bag and measure the rest of the citrus and water in a measuring jug. Whatever the liquid amount is in liquid ounces, that is how much sugar to use in weight. Pour it into a large pot and add the bag again. 
• Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer gently for about an hour or so, or until the rind is very soft. Remove the cheesecloth bag and squeeze out as much liquid as possible into the pot (this is the natural pectin).
• Add the sugar and stir often to dissolve it.
• Simmer until it reaches the setting point of 222℉/ 105℃ on a candy thermometer. If you're a seasoned jam/marmalade maker, you can check by dropping some marmalade on a plate that was in the freezer. 
• When the setting point is reached, remove the pot from the burner, add the Drambuie and allow to sit for 10 minutes.
• Make sure your jars and lids are clean and rinsed with boiling water and dried, then carefully begin filling the jars using a funnel.
• Clean the rims of the jars well before putting the lid on. Do this as quickly as possible.
• When the marmalade has completely cooled, label and refrigerate until ready to use.

Notes

• NOTE: when I make jam, I pour the boiling jam into old jam jars. Once the jam cools, the middle of the lids will almost always “pop” meaning the jars have sealed (the center of the jar will also become concave). If they do not “pop”, the jam will definitely spoil if not refrigerated. I keep the unsealed jars in the fridge.
• The health department would not approve of this method, so I’m not suggesting you do this, I’m just passing on what I do in my kitchen, as my family has been using this old method for as long as anyone can remember.

Nutrition

Serving: 8 oz | Calories: 1039kcal | Carbohydrates: 265g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.02g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 16mg | Potassium: 126mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 261g | Vitamin A: 445IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 0.3mg

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Author: adapted by Christina Conte

Course Jams

Cuisine British, Scottish

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