In her well-documented book “The Book of Marmalade,” C. Anne Wilson Wilson asserts that the  making of marmalade in New England, as with Britain, began with the quince. Unable to grow orange trees, the early Americans planted quince from seeds that they brought with them and made English style quince marmalade. As transportation became more accessible, oranges, lemons, grapefruits, limes, and pomelos could be shipped north from Florida and the West Indies to make spreadable jams.

 Below is a recipe for from a 1945 copy of The Boston Cooking School Cook Book by Fanny Merritt Farmer for “Grapefruit Marmalade.” My mother has been making it for years, even last week at age 87.

1 grapefruit
1 orange
1 lemon
water
sugar

“Wipe fruit and slice very thin, rejecting only seeds and core of grapefruit. Measure and add 3 times the quantity of water. Let stand in earthen dish overnight and next morning let boil 10 minutes. Leave until next day, then boil 2 hours. Measure, add equal amount of sugar, and boil stirring occasionally that it may not burn, about 1 hour. Pour into glasses, seal, label and store. Makes about 2 quarts”

Note: Mother does not soak the fruit for two nights as the recipe suggests. She simply brings the fruit to a boil and lets it set overnight before adding sugar and cooking. “And don’t forget a pinch of salt,” she advises.