- 4 cups orange peels with as much pith removed as possible and cut into thin slices
- 4 cups orange pulp with seeds and membranes removed and cut into small pieces
- 1 cup lemon unpeeled, thinly sliced (1/8″), and slices cut into quarters
- 6 cups water
- 6 cups sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon butter (optional)
- Prepare the boiling water bath.
- Wash jars, lids, and rings and rinse well, and sterilize the jars.
- Bring water to a boil in a saucepan large enough to accommodate your lids, reduce the heat to a simmer, and drop the lids into the hot water until needed.
- Rinse oranges and lemons in cool water.
- Peel the oranges and remove part of the pith from the peels. Slice the peels into 1/8″ slices and measure 4 cups.
- Remove the seeds and membranes from the orange pulp and cut the pulp into small (1″) pieces. Measure 4 cups of pulp.
- Slice the lemons into 1/8″ slices, then cut the slices into quarters. Measure 1 cup of lemons.
- Place the orange peels and pulp, lemons, and water, along with the butter if you are using it, into a large stock pot, jelly pot, or Dutch oven, and bring it to a boil and cook for approximately 1 hour or until the peels are tender.
- Add the sugar and bring back to a full rolling boil, stirring until combined.
- Boil for about 45 minutes, or until the liquid either measures 220 degrees Fahrenheit when tested with a candy or jelly thermometer, or it begins to sheet off a spoon.
- Then fill the prepared jars, wipe rims, affix lids and rings, and put them into the boiling water bath.
- Once the boiling water bath comes back to a full rolling boil, start timing and process for 5 minutes, or 10 minutes if you did not sterilize the jars earlier.
- Remove the jars to a prepared area and let them set undisturbed for 24 hours. Then check the jars for a good seal, wash and dry the jars, label the jars, and store them in a cool, dry area away from any heat or light source.
Yield: 7 – 8 half-pint jars.
For the full detailed process: How to Do Water Bath Canning | What I Learned Over 50 Years.
Anne James—also known as Jelly Grandma—is a professional canner and lifelong food preserver with over 55 years of hands-on experience. A retired librarian, paralegal, and self-taught expert in traditional Southern crafts, Anne specializes in canning, jelly-making, cooking, gardening, and quilting. She even has extensive experience as a bartender.
She’s been featured in the Daily Commercial and on Hershey’s website, and is lovingly known as the “go-to canner” in her family and beyond. Her mission is simple: to preserve and pass on the old ways—skills that kept generations thriving without shortcuts or preservatives.
You can find more of Anne’s work at PreservingSweetness.com, on YouTube, and occasionally on SurvivalFreedom.com.