Recently my wife and I have been making marmalade. Lots and lots of marmalade. Our neighbor next door has an orange tree that is definitely over producing, and the neighbor has been encouraging us to harvest oranges whenever we want. In exchange we leave jars of marmalade at her front door.

In making the marmalade we decided to create flavors other than orange marmalade to push the boundaries. To date, we’ve made: orange marmalade; lime marmalade; and grapefruit and vermouth marmalade to name a few. We’ve also created a fairly lengthy list of marmalades that we’d like to make–as we get time. Many of those marmalades are based on cocktails. For instance, Manhattan Marmalade is made with oranges, bourbon, and sweet vermouth. After hearing some of the flavors we were working on, one of my friends had this to say:

I never thought marmalade could be anything other than orange. You’re blowing my mind.

Tom C.

I started wondering if ChatGPT might be of assistance in creating ideas and recipes for new marmalade flavor combinations that we had not thought of ourselves. Below are some of the interactions that I had with ChatGPT with respect to marmalade recipes.

ME: Please create 10 orange marmalade flavor pairings.

ChatGPT: Certainly, here are 10 orange marmalade flavor pairings:

1. Toasted Almonds: Spread orange marmalade on toast and top it with toasted almond slices for a crunchy and nutty flavor combination.
2. Dark Chocolate: Dip a spoonful of orange marmalade into melted dark chocolate and let it cool for a delicious sweet and bitter pairing.
3. Goat Cheese: Spread orange marmalade over a cracker and top it with a slice of creamy goat cheese for a tangy and sweet contrast.
4. Ginger: Combine orange marmalade and fresh ginger for a spicy and citrusy combination that works great as a glaze for grilled chicken or salmon.
5. Vanilla: Mix orange marmalade with a hint of vanilla extract and spread it on top of your favorite cake or muffin for a simple and tasty dessert.
6. Whiskey: Stir orange marmalade and whiskey together to create a unique and flavorful marinade for steak or pork chops.
7. Cinnamon: Mix orange marmalade and cinnamon for a warm and comforting combination that goes great on toast, oatmeal or pancakes.
8. Rosemary: Spread orange marmalade on top of a crostini and sprinkle with fresh rosemary for a sweet and savory appetizer.
9. Yogurt: Stir orange marmalade into plain Greek yogurt for a tangy and sweet breakfast or snack.
10. Brie: Top a slice of warm brie cheese with orange marmalade for a gooey, sweet and savory treat that is perfect for a party or holiday gathering.

Not exactly what I meant. I wanted recipes to make marmalade, not recipes that used marmalade. A couple of more tries with rephrasing the question finally got me to what I was looking for. Here is what ChatGPT and I talked about:

ME: Create 10 recipes for making orange marmalade from scratch.

ChatGPT: Sure, here are 10 recipes for making orange marmalade from scratch:

1. Simple Orange Marmalade: Slice 4 oranges and 1 lemon thinly, remove seeds and place in a pot with 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer for 45 minutes. Add 6 cups of sugar and let simmer for another 45 minutes. Transfer to jars and store in the fridge.
2. Classic Seville Orange Marmalade: Cut 2 lbs of Seville oranges in half and remove seeds. Chop the oranges and place them in a pot with 4 cups of water. Let simmer for 2 hours, then add 6 cups of sugar and let simmer for another 30 minutes. Transfer to jars and store in a cool, dark place.
3. Blood Orange Marmalade: Cut 3 lbs of blood oranges in half and remove seeds. Slice the oranges thinly and place in a pot with 4 cups of water. Let simmer for 2 hours, then add 6 cups of sugar and let simmer for another 30 minutes. Transfer to jars and store in a cool, dark place.
4. Ginger Orange Marmalade: Add 1/4 cup of fresh grated ginger to the water and oranges in a Simple Orange Marmalade recipe. Follow the rest of the recipe.
5. Orange Marmalade with Cinnamon and Cloves: Add 1 cinnamon stick and 4 cloves to the water and oranges in a Simple Orange Marmalade recipe. Follow the rest of the recipe.
6. Honey Orange Marmalade: Substitute honey for sugar in a Simple Orange Marmalade recipe, using 3 cups of honey instead of 6 cups of sugar. Follow the rest of the recipe.
7. Spicy Orange Marmalade: Add 1 tsp of red pepper flakes to the water and oranges in a Simple Orange Marmalade recipe. Follow the rest of the recipe.
8. Orange and Vanilla Bean Marmalade: Add the seeds of 1 vanilla bean to the water and oranges in a Simple Orange Marmalade recipe. Follow the rest of the recipe.
9. Rosemary Orange Marmalade: Add 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary to the water and oranges in a Simple Orange Marmalade recipe. Follow the rest of the recipe.
10. Orange Marmalade with Whiskey: Add 1/2 cup of whiskey to the mixture after the sugar has been added in a Classic Seville Orange Marmalade recipe. Simmer for another 10 minutes and then transfer to jars. Store in a cool, dark place.

Some of these sound positively wonderful and we had not thought of. Some were already on our list, or we had already tried. Rest assured that I would ask ChatGPT for recipe help in the future–just so long as I don’t care about the citation for a recipe.

If you enjoyed this article, you might be interested in my other recent article about ChatGPT and the Fake History of Skee-Ball which is an in depth look at ChatGPT and writing [fake] fact-based material.

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