Dairy Free Orange Marmalade
Bright, bittersweet, and deeply aromatic, this classic citrus preserve captures everything that makes homemade marmalade worth the effort — glossy strips of tender peel suspended in a jewel-toned gel that no store jar can quite replicate. The entire recipe is built from oranges, lemons, water, and sugar, making it naturally free of any dairy ingredients without a single substitution required. That simplicity is actually what makes it so satisfying: no butter, no cream, no hidden milk solids to worry about, just pure fruit and the kind of slow, attentive cooking that coaxes out every bit of natural pectin from the pith. The cheesecloth bundle technique is the real secret here, drawing concentrated setting power straight from the fruit itself so the marmalade firms up beautifully without any additives. A candy thermometer and the frozen-plate wrinkle test take the guesswork out of knowing when you've hit the perfect set. Spread it thick on toast, swirl it into oatmeal, or use it as a glaze — however you serve it, a pantry stocked with these jars feels like a genuine accomplishment.
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Learn more →Ingredients
48 servings
- 2 lbs navel or seville oranges (about 4 medium), scrubbed
- 2 lemons, scrubbed
- 8 cups water
- 6 cups granulated sugar
Instructions
- 1
Halve all the oranges and lemons. Squeeze the juice from each half into a large heavy-bottomed pot (at least 8-quart), catching the seeds and any loose pulp in a fine-mesh strainer set over the pot. Transfer the seeds and strained pulp to a double layer of cheesecloth; set the squeezed halves aside.
- 2
Using a spoon, scrape the white pith and any remaining pulp from the inside of each squeezed orange and lemon half and add it to the cheesecloth bundle — this pith is rich in natural pectin and is essential for the set. Tie the cheesecloth into a secure bundle with kitchen twine, leaving a long tail to tie to the pot handle.
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