Nitrate & Nitrite Free Lemon Orange Marmalade
Bright citrus flavor shines in this homemade marmalade, where fresh navel oranges and lemon come together with honey and a pinch of sea salt for a spread that tastes genuinely alive. Conventional store-bought jams and preserves often sneak in additives and preservatives that people avoiding nitrates and nitrites have to watch for on labels — making a batch from scratch is the cleanest way to know exactly what's in the jar. The natural pectin from the reserved seeds and membrane does the heavy lifting here, so there's no need for any packaged pectin or mystery ingredients to get a beautiful, glossy set. Honey replaces refined sugar and adds a gentle floral depth that plays beautifully against the slight bitterness of the peel. The frozen-plate set test is a satisfying little ritual that tells you precisely when the marmalade is ready, taking the guesswork out of the whole process. Once it's jarred and cooled, you'll have two pints of something far more vibrant than anything on a grocery store shelf — perfect slathered on toast, stirred into yogurt, or spooned alongside cheese.
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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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