Marmalade Offers Sunshine in Cooking

Citrus-based spread can add brightness and complexity to a variety of dishes

Published on Mar. 4, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

With limited seasonal produce available in late winter, citrus fruits like bergamots, kumquats, and Seville oranges can provide a much-needed burst of sunshine. This is the prime time for making marmalade, a process that transforms the fruit into a golden, syrupy preserve. But marmalade can also be used in cooking to add bittersweet brightness to dishes ranging from salmon to oatmeal cookies.

Why it matters

Marmalade offers a unique flavor profile that can liven up dishes during the gloomy winter months. Its combination of sweet, bitter, and acidic notes makes it a versatile ingredient that can be used in both savory and sweet applications. As a locally-sourced product, marmalade also supports small businesses like Birdie's Batch in West Nyack, New York.

The details

The article provides several recipes that showcase marmalade's culinary versatility. A sheet-pan chicken and sweet potato dish uses marmalade, fish sauce, soy sauce, and spices to create a sticky, caramelized glaze. Oatmeal cookies substitute marmalade for traditional sweeteners, resulting in a chewy texture with pockets of fruity flavor. Carrot muffins feature a dollop of marmalade baked into the center of each one. The key is to use a thick marmalade with plenty of citrus peel to maximize the ingredient's complexity.

  • Late winter is the prime time for making marmalade, as citrus fruits like bergamots, kumquats, and Seville oranges are in season.

The players

Birdie's Batch

A confectionary company in West Nyack, New York, known for its creative marmalade flavors.

Nigel Slater

An inveterate marmalade-eater who has written about the jelly's ideal texture.

Sara Cann

An owner of Birdie's Batch who suggests using marmalade in a range of dishes.

Melissa Clark

The author of the article, a food writer for The New York Times.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“You have the sweet, you have the bitter from the rinds, you have acidity. Marmalade can add a lot of complexity all by itself.”

— Sara Cann, Owner, Birdie's Batch (Instagram)

“Marmalade is 'quivering, but not so loosely set that it drips down the sleeves of my dressing gown.' It's jam that won't mess up your jammies.”

— Nigel Slater (The New York Times)

The takeaway

Marmalade's unique flavor profile, combining sweet, bitter, and acidic notes, makes it a versatile ingredient that can liven up a variety of dishes during the winter months. From savory glazes to sweet baked goods, marmalade offers a burst of sunshine that can chase away the grayness of the season.