I've made it and just used grocery store oranges. Seedless ones. I make a small batch recipe.

It's been 2 years since I've made it....but home made marmalade is spectacular!
I made it the first time with tangelos and later with blood oranges and another with just a variety of oranges.
I prefer oranges with a thicker skin so i can get the zesty part off without getting into the pulp....and then remove the pulp and juice and leave the pity behind.
The recipe I use came from someone here....maybe annie?

I've also made orange marmalade and mixed citrus marmalades, and have used whatever oranges I was able to find at the store. I also make a lot of limoncello which requires removing all pith from the lemon peels....

To avoid taking too much pith from the citrus, I either use a vegetable peeler to remove just the rind from the whole fruits -- or I cut larger pieces of rind, put them rind-side down on the cutting board, and use a knife laid parallel to the board to slice off the thick pith.

Here we use pith and all! I slice the washed fruit, remove any seeds (place in a muslin bag to boil along with the fruit) and weigh it. Steep the fruit overnight in the same weight of water. The next day, place it all in a very deep pan and cook the fruit (with the muslin bag of seeds if there are any) until it is soft. Remove the seeds bag. Add double the weight of the fruit in sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Boil hard until setting point is reached, then ladle into jars and can as you will.

I do an entirely different method of making orange marmalade than y'all. I don't peel or de-pith. I slice 7 naval oranges and 3 lemons thinly, discarding any seeds and the ends. Then cut in small pieces over a very large pan to collect the juices too. Add 8 cups water and bring to a boil. Stir in 8 cups sugar until dissolved. Cover and let sit overnight.

Bring to a boil, then to turn to low, uncovered, and cook 30 min to an hour until
soft (or more). Bring back to a boil on medium @30 min to +/- 220F. At this point it easily scorches so it must be watched. Put in sterile canning jars, into a boiling water bath, and time for 10 minutes after the water boils again.

Navel oranges vary in the thickness of the peels. Some have very thick pith, some not so much. But some kind of orange with a bit more kick to it would be best if you get to chose. I usually make marmalade with whatever citrus is languishing in the fridge, so I know that it is all good. Try adding a slice of ginger, that's yum!

Nancy, that's how I prepare the citrus in the tomato marmalade, just slice thinly, remove any seeds and toss it into the pot, I like the bitter bite of the peel in there.

LindaC, I think you do use "my" recipe, which I got from Readinglady!

Annie

I haven't made orange marmalade recently, but I use the oranges with the best looking peels (I like smoother, thinner side peels for marmalade) and fruit with a good weight (juiciness) -- definitely organic if possible. The only marmalade we made last year was a combo of oranges, dried apricots and pumpkin. Very tasty, but orange, ruby grapefruit and mixed citrus are all good, so I wouldn't limit myself to one variety of oranges. Just pick good fruit and enjoy.

Hmm...I do just the opposite...
Knowing what all is sprayed on commercial citrus to make it "perfect" I choose fruit that doesn't look quite perfect!

I make traditional marmalade every winter. DH loves it , I despise it ....such a good wife ; )

We are in Florida now at marmalade "time" and no way could I find Seville oranges but was tipped of to oranges used in Cuban cooking for pork dishes. They call them sour oranges....way ugly .....and perfect for marmalade

Here is my recipe.....a very old British recipe

Marmalade

2 lbs Seville Oranges (the ugliest oranges in the world)

6 cups water

1 lemon

7 1/2 cups sugar.

Place oranges and lemon in a large pot cover with water and simmer ( do not boil) until soft, about 2 hours.

Remove fruit, cool slightly and then cut in half.

Scrape out seeds, pith and flesh . Place pith and seeds in a cheescloth bag. Return bag and flesh to the water.

Slice the skins into desired thickness or process in a food processor.

Add peel and sugar to the pot. Bring to a boil and boil about 30 minutes (maybe less maybe more depending on natural pectin) or until reaches gel stage.

Remove form heat, skim foam , stir. Pour into sterilized jars and hot water bath 10 mins.

Linda, "best" is a subjective term. I'm not talking about the prettiest necessarily, but I prefer thinner to medium skins and juicy fruit -- and I did say that if I'm using the peels, I want organic.