BHA & BHT Free Lemon Orange Marmalade
Bright citrus flavor and a glossy, jewel-toned set — this marmalade delivers everything you want from a homemade spread, with nothing you don't. Many store-bought jams and preserves sneak in synthetic preservatives like BHA and BHT to extend shelf life, but this recipe skips all of that entirely, relying instead on the natural pectin found in the orange and lemon seeds and membrane to achieve a beautiful, firm set. Honey steps in as the sweetener, giving the finished marmalade a subtle floral depth that refined sugar simply can't match. The technique is straightforward: tender, translucent peel strips simmered low and slow, then brought to a rolling boil until the mixture passes the classic frozen-plate wrinkle test. A little fine sea salt rounds out the brightness and keeps the sweetness from feeling one-dimensional. Once cooled and jarred, it's ready to slather on toast, swirl into yogurt, or spoon alongside a cheese board. Knowing exactly what went into every jar makes it taste even better.
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Learn more →Ingredients
32 servings
- 4 medium navel oranges (about 2 lb total)
- 1 medium lemon
- 4 cups water
- 1 cup honey
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
Instructions
- 1
Place a small plate in the freezer — you will use it later to test the set. Scrub the oranges and lemon under cold running water, then dry them.
- 2
Halve each orange and lemon. Squeeze the juice through a fine-mesh strainer into a large heavy-bottomed pot, catching and reserving the seeds and any loose membrane in the strainer. Collect the seeds and membrane in a small piece of cheesecloth or a tea strainer and set aside — they are rich in pectin and will be added to the pot.
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