Marmalade is a sweet, tangy fruit preserve made from the juice and peel of citrus fruits boiled with sugar and water. The well-known version is made from bitter orange, but other citrus fruits such as lemons and limes can also be used. The bitter orange is mostly used in marmalade because of its high pectin content, which gives a thick consistency to its marmalade. In addition, the balance of acid and pectin is needed for consistency. Fruits with low pectin have it added to make the marmalade.
Historically, the term marmalade was often used for non-citrus preserves. Mango, pineapple, apricot, and cocoa beans, have been made into marmalade in those cases. In the 21st century, the term refers mainly to jam made with citrus fruits. White sugar (sucrose) is typically used to sweeten marmalade, but sugar substitutes, such as sucralose, aspartame, or saccharin may be used. Artificial dyes and flavouring agents may be added to marmalade to enhance taste, flavour, and appearance.
Originally marmalade was made from quince, and meant quince cheese. Mary Kettilby's 1714 cookery book, A Collection of Above Three Hundred Receipts (pages 78–79) discusses how to make marmalade. Modern marmalade has existed since the 1700s when the Scots added water to marmalade to make it less solid than before. The Scots were the people who made marmalade a breakfast item, and soon after the rest of Britain followed.
The word marmalade in the English language comes from French which came from the Portuguese word marmelada, starting with the Greek word melimēlon that means 'sweet apple'.
The preserve has been mentioned in various books and is the fictional character Paddington Bear's favourite food. The 2014 movie Paddington made slight increase in marmalade sales in the United Kingdom.
