Paraben Free Orange Marmalade
Bright, bittersweet, and deeply aromatic, this classic citrus preserve is the kind of thing that makes a plain piece of toast feel like a proper occasion. It's built from just four ingredients — fresh oranges, lemons, water, and sugar — with zero additives, preservatives, or synthetic compounds that tend to sneak into store-bought jars. For anyone navigating sensitivities to parabens and other chemical preservatives, making your own spread from scratch is genuinely the most reliable path to a clean pantry staple. The natural pectin comes entirely from the pith and seeds bundled in cheesecloth, so the set is achieved without any commercial gelling agents or stabilizers. The process is methodical but deeply satisfying: long-simmered peel, a candy thermometer, and a frozen-plate test are all you need to nail the texture. Once sealed, those jars are shelf-stable through proper water-bath canning, keeping things safe and long-lasting without a preservative in sight. Slather it on toast, swirl it into yogurt, or use it as a glaze — this is a recipe worth making in a full batch.
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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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