Such a very long day but managed to make some Marmalade my first time too then hubby tried it & said YUK! after all that work & it is a very labour intensive process ( I understand why it is expensive to buy) it was too bitter. So thanks to capoodle Anita I did the whole thing all over again & was able to save the batch & now it is YUMMY! I am not much a of a fan of Marmalade but this is good now! there are 4 full jars for Christmas gift giving & now I have a leftover one that Hubby says he will keep that for himself! I added 1 & 1/2 cups more sugar to the batch so an easy save but very time consuming!
The best marmalades are British, as they are much lower in sugar than American made and more concentrated in fruits (oranges, but can also be grapefruit or other citruses). So, another good reason to make your own - you find the lowest level of .sugar you will enjoy!
Most of them are made of thin glass and are not heat tempered, as regular home canning jars. They may not withstand the high pressure of canning and break. When you open the canner, the jars may still be under pressure. The quick drop in temperature could cause the recycled jar to explode
Please be careful
The recipients at Christmas will be very happy! I just love seeing fresh canned products all lined up cooling on the counters.