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Canning oranges is one of my favorite ways to preserve fresh oranges in season, and this recipe works especially well with super-sweet mandarins.
Growing up, those cut little canned mandarin orange slices were a holiday treat, and my grandmother would buy a few cans for decorating dishes for our Christmas table. We lived in the heart of citrus country, right in the middle of the citrus groves in California, but she’s still by the canned ones.
There’s just something special about those sweet little slices that adds a festive touch to the table in a way that a fresh orange just can’t.
I think a part of it is the lack of pith, so they glisten a bit, and they’re always sweet and flavorful.
It’s actually kind of hard to find good canned orange slices these days, and now they’re preserving the bottom of the barrel (instead of the sweet specialty fruits for a treat).
So, now that I’m a home canner, canning orange segments was an obvious choice.
Table of Contents
The Best Oranges for Canning
You can preserve just about any variety of orange (or citrus for that matter), but mandarin oranges and clementines are by far the best for canning.
They hold up the best, keep the best texture and have the best flavor. Navel Oranges, Cara Cara Oranges, and Blood Oranges also work just fine for canning, and they have fine flavor, but it’s not as spot on as mandarins.
Though mandarins give you that classic canned orange flavor, I have to admit I love how the blood oranges look in the jar.
Aren’t they pretty?
The National Center for Home Food Preservation actually recommends canning oranges and grapefruits together, and notes that gives the best flavor. I’ve tried this, and I honestly didn’t like it. I love both oranges and grapefruits canned alone, but together, it mingles the flavors, and every slice in the jar tastes the same, not quite orange and not quite grapefruit.
My daughter, on the other hand, who doesn’t generally like grapefruit, said that she loved the mixed jar the most. More than just plain mandarins, so clearly it’s a matter of personal taste.
Ingredients for Canning Oranges
To make a canner batch of 7 quarts (or 14 pints), you’ll need the following:
- Fresh Oranges
- Water
- Sugar
Oranges can be processed in plain water, sugar syrup (extra light to heavy) or fruit juice (orange, pineapple, cranberry, apple, etc). Generally, oranges are canned in light to medium syrup.
I’ve found that I prefer them in light syrup. While I normally go for low-sugar recipes and opt for extra light syrup, oranges are acidic enough that they need a bit of extra sugar to make their flavor pop when canned. They can taste a little washed out in extra light syrup, and they’re really not great in plain water.
Orange juice or fruit juice works as well, if you’re avoiding cane sugar.
Using Pectic Enzyme to Remove Pith
Pectic enzyme is a natural enzyme that breaks down pectin in fruits, and it’s commonly used in winemaking to get crystal-clear fruit wines. It’s incredibly helpful when canning oranges.
All you need is a few drops, or up to a teaspoon for a large batch of oragens, so a small bottle of liquid pectic enzyme will be more than enough to get the job done.
If you want to make peeling and removing the pith easier, pectic enzyme can help break down the white membranes, resulting in cleaner, prettier, and tastier orange segments.
The enzyme doesn’t break down the segments themselves, as, believe it or not, they’re made out of a different plant material (not pectin). It’s just the pith that’ll be dissolved, leaving you with perfect segments.
To use pectic enzyme, dissolve about a teaspoon of pectic enzyme in a gallon of water. Submerge the peeled orange segments in the solution and let them sit for several hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
The pectic enzyme doesn’t actually completely dissolve the pith, it just makes it so that you can easily rinse or whip it off. If you’re watching the orange slices, they’re not going to look any different until you rinse or wipe them. Check them every hour or so, and see if the pith wipes away easily.
After soaking, gently rinse the segments under cool water to remove any remaining pith before packing them into jars.
Using pectic enzyme will prevent bitterness in the jars from the extra pith, and I’d highly recommend it.
Preparing Oranges for Canning
Start by preparing the oranges. Wash them thoroughly under running water, then peel and remove as much of the white pith as possible. Separate the segments and remove any seeds.
If you prefer a softer texture, you can remove the membranes, though this step is optional and the orange slices tend to fall apart completely if you remove the membranes.
Next, soak the orange slices in a solution of 1 gallon of water and 1 tsp of pectic enzyme for 3 hours, or overnight. Stir them every hour or so, to see if the pith will wipe away easily. It won’t dissolve completely, but the enzyme makes it so that it’ll wipe or wash away easily.
Once the pith has loosened and you’ve rinsed it away, it’s time to choose your canning liquid and prepare for canning.
Syrup for Canning Oranges
Decide if you want to make a syrup. While oranges can be canned in plain water, a light syrup enhances their flavor. The sugar amounts for various sweetness levels are below, but I recommend making a light syrup.
For a 9-Pint Canner Batch, you’ll need the following amounts:
- Extra-light syrup: 3/4 cups sugar to 6 1/2 cups water
- Light syrup: 1 1/2 cups sugar to 5 3/4 cups water
- Medium syrup: 2 1/4 cups sugar to 5 1/4 cups water
- Heavy syrup: 3 1/4 cups sugar to 5 cups water
- Extra-Heavy Syrup: 4 1/4 cups sugar to 4 1/4 cups water
For a 7-Quart Canner Batch, you’ll need the following amounts:
- Extra-light syrup: 1 1/4 cups sugar to 10 1/2 cups water
- Light syrup: 2 1/4 cups sugar to 9 cups water
- Medium syrup: 3 3/4 cups sugar to 8 1/4 cups water
- Heavy syrup: 5 1/4 cups sugar to 7 3/4 cups water
- Extra-Heavy Syrup: 6 3/4 cups sugar to 6 1/2 cups water
To make a syrup, mix the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Stir until dissolved.
Canning Oranges
Prepare a waterbath canner and jars before beginning.
Pack the prepared orange segments into pint or quart jars, leaving half an inch of headspace.
Pour the hot syrup, water, or juice over the fruit, maintaining the same half-inch headspace. Run a non-metallic spatula along the inside of the jar to remove any air bubbles. Wipe the rims clean and place the lids and bands on finger tight.
Place the filled jars in a boiling water bath canner, ensuring they are fully submerged. Return the canner to a boil and process 10 minutes for both pints and quarts, adjusting for altitude. Once the processing is complete, carefully remove the jars using a jar lifter and let them cool on a towel-lined surface for 12 to 24 hours.
After the jars have cooled, check the seals by pressing the center of each lid. If it does not flex up and down, the jar is properly sealed. Store the sealed jars in a cool, dark place for up to a year. Any unsealed jars should be refrigerated and consumed within a few days.
Jar Sizes and Processing Times
Oranges can be safely canned in pint or quart-sized jars. The recommended processing time for both sizes is 10 minutes in a boiling water canner, with necessary adjustments for altitude.
Altitude Adjustments
Processing times must be adjusted based on your altitude to ensure safe canning:
- 0 – 1,000 ft: 10 minutes
- 1,001 – 3,000 ft: 15 minutes
- 3,001 – 6,000 ft: 20 minutes
- Above 6,000 ft: 25 minutes
Higher altitudes require longer processing times due to the lower boiling point of water.
Canning Oranges
Ingredients
- Oranges, about 13 lbs for a 9 pint canner batch
- Sugar, 1 1/2 cups for light syrup, see notes for other types
- Water, 5 3/4 cups water for light syrup
- Pectic Enzyme Liquid, optional, but reccomended
Instructions
- Wash and peel the oranges, removing as much white pith as possible.
- Separate the segments and remove any seeds.
- If using pectic enzyme, place the orange segments in a bowl and cover with a solution made from 1 tsp pectic enzyme and 1 gallon of water. Allow the segments to soak for 3 hours, or overnight, stirring gently every once in a while to check on the progress of the enzyme. When the pith wipes away easily, rinse the segments to remove the remaining pith.
- Prepare a waterbath canner and jars.
- If using syrup, combine water and sugar in a saucepan and heat until dissolved.
- Pack sterilized jars with orange segments, leaving ½ inch of headspace.
- Pour hot syrup, water, or juice over the fruit, maintaining headspace.
- Remove air bubbles and wipe jar rims clean.
- Secure lids and bands, then process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude (see notes)
- Let jars cool for 12-24 hours and check seals before storing.
Notes
Altitude Adjustments
Oranges can be safely canned in pint or quart-sized jars. The recommended processing time for both sizes is 10 minutes in a boiling water canner, with necessary adjustments for altitude. Processing times must be adjusted based on your altitude to ensure safe canning:- 0 – 1,000 ft: 10 minutes
- 1,001 – 3,000 ft: 15 minutes
- 3,001 – 6,000 ft: 20 minutes
- Above 6,000 ft: 25 minutes
Syrups for Canning Oranges
I recommend a light syrup, but you can use whatever syrup you’d like. The sugar amounts for canning batches are below: For a 9-Pint Canner Batch, you’ll need the following amounts:- Extra-light syrup: 3/4 cups sugar to 6 1/2 cups water
- Light syrup: 1 1/2 cups sugar to 5 3/4 cups water
- Medium syrup: 2 1/4 cups sugar to 5 1/4 cups water
- Heavy syrup: 3 1/4 cups sugar to 5 cups water
- Extra-Heavy Syrup: 4 1/4 cups sugar to 4 1/4 cups water
- Extra-light syrup: 1 1/4 cups sugar to 10 1/2 cups water
- Light syrup: 2 1/4 cups sugar to 9 cups water
- Medium syrup: 3 3/4 cups sugar to 8 1/4 cups water
- Heavy syrup: 5 1/4 cups sugar to 7 3/4 cups water
- Extra-Heavy Syrup: 6 3/4 cups sugar to 6 1/2 cups water
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Canning whole oranges hasn’t been specifically tested. It’s best to can oranges in segments, as whole oranges are harder to pack into jars and may not heat evenly during processing. You can get twice as many orange slices into a jar, as compared to whole oranges. Removing the pith and membranes also improves the texture and taste, and that’s harder to do with whole oranges.
Nope! You can absolutely can oranges in plain water or natural fruit juice if you’re avoiding sugar. The sugar syrup does help preserve the texture and sweetness, but it’s totally optional.
When stored in a cool, dark place, properly canned oranges should maintain peak quality for 12 to 18 months, and be safe to eat so long as the jars are sealed. Be sure to refrigerate after opening, and use within a week or so once the seal is broken.
Floating fruit is totally normal! Oranges naturally contain air, which can cause them to rise in the jar. Packing the segments tightly and allowing them to settle before sealing the jars can help minimize floating.
Yes! The leftover liquid is packed with citrusy flavor and can be used in smoothies, cocktails, or even as a light syrup for pancakes and waffles. It’s not the best for re-using to can oranges again, as over time the syrup will become bitter. If canning oranges again, make a new syrup each time.
Technically, yes, but it’s not necessary. Oranges are high in acid, making them safe for simple water bath canning. Pressure canning would work, but could also lead to a mushier texture.
Mandarins and clementines were the best in my tests, but all types of oranges work reasonably well for canning.
