Lactose Free Orange Marmalade
Bright, bittersweet, and deeply aromatic, this classic citrus preserve captures everything you love about a great marmalade — glossy set, tender peel strips, and that perfect balance of tart and sweet in every spoonful. The entire recipe is built from oranges, lemons, water, and sugar, so it's naturally free of dairy in any form, no substitutions or label-reading required. What makes this one genuinely satisfying to make is the technique: the pith and seeds get bundled into cheesecloth and simmered alongside the peel, releasing natural pectin that sets the marmalade without any added thickeners or commercial pectin. The frozen-plate wrinkle test takes the guesswork out of knowing when you've hit the right consistency, which is a small but confidence-boosting detail for anyone new to preserving. Processed in a boiling-water bath, the finished jars are shelf-stable and ready to gift, stack in the pantry, or spread generously on toast whenever the craving hits. Making your own also means you control exactly what goes in — no mystery additives, no shared production lines, just pure citrus flavor you put together yourself.
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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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