Having Fun Canning Cantaloupe

I used to think of cantaloupe as strictly a summer time treat, the idea of canning it never even occurred to me until the first time I stumbled upon a recipe for cantaloupe jam.

That recipe was in The Illustrated Encyclopedia of American Cooking by family Recipe Press. It is a fun cookbook, but it uses outdated canning methods so the canning instructions have to be updated (see my post on unsafe canning methods).

The cook book called it “jam,” but the fact that is uses citrus rind means that it would more accurately be called “marmalade.” The citrus rind gives it plenty of pectin for a nice firm set.


Here is my version of this recipe (with updated canning instructions)

Cantaloupe Marmalade

2 cantaloupes
2 oranges, ground
1 lemon, ground
1 20 oz can crushed pineapple
4 cups sugar


Chop the cantaloupe, and gently crush it with a potato masher. Add remaining ingredients and cook to a temperature of 220°F. Fill hot jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace and process in a water bath for 10 minutes.

High altitude instructions
1,001 - 3,000 feet : increase processing time by 5 minutes
3,001 - 6,000 feet : increase processing time by 10 minutes
6,001 - 8,000 feet : increase processing time by 15 minutes
8,001 - 10,000 feet : increase processing time by 20 minutes


I have since found other fun things to do with cantaloupe. If you like jams and jellies that are made with no added pectin, then The Joy of Jams, Jellies, and Other Sweet Preserves by Linda Ziedrich, has 200 recipes including 3 variations of cantaloupe jam. The Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving has a recipe for pickled cantaloupe.