Tips for Making Citrus Fruit Preserves

A great way to use citrus fruit is to make your citrus fruit preserves and marmalade. There are many different variations of a basic marmalade recipe that you can use to make sweet, delicious citrus fruit preserves that you can freeze and use throughout the year. Homemade citrus fruit preserves also make fantastic, inexpensive holiday gifts. To make citrus fruit preserves start by ordering a few boxes of fresh citrus fruit, or order a fresh citrus fruit assortment so that you can try making different kinds of fruit preserves. Then use these tips to create a delicious fruit spread by hand:

Use exotic fruits to make unique preserves – Using super sweet Honeybell Tangelos or exotic Clementines is a fantastic way to have the delicious taste of these exotic fruits all year round. Order a box or basket of both Honeybell Tangelos and Clementine oranges to make preserves for all your family and friends this holiday season.

Only make small batches of preserves at a time- If you try to make a huge batch of fruit preserves you will only end up scorching the batch and having to throw it out or risk having bad tasting preserves. Work with one small batch at a time to make sure that your preserves are as delicious as possible.

Zest the fruit before you begin the process of making marmalade – You will need to remove the zest and the pith from the zest before making marmalade but it is much harder to get the zest off the fruit once you have cut up the fruit so peel each fruit while it is still intact and then cut and juice the fruits to get the juice you need to make the marmalade. Place some of the zest in the finished marmalade for color and flavor.

Use honey to cut down on the sugar content of the marmalade- If you are trying to watch your sugar intake, or if the person you’re making the preserves for should not eat a lot of sugar you can substitute honey for up to half of the sugar in the recipe. You will still need to add some sugar because sugar is a preservative and helps to keep the marmalade fresh and tasty. Use local, naturally grown honey to get the best possible taste in the citrus marmalade. You can also use a sugar substitute for half of the sugar called for in the recipe if you want, but still use some real sugar for the preservative quality or use another preservative if you really do not want to use sugar.

Taste the Sunshine with Hale Groves

At Hale Groves, we believe the best gifts come from the land, not a factory. For generations, our fruit has been grown slowly under the Florida sun, picked at its peak, and delivered fresh to your door. From sweet Navel Oranges to rare Honeybells, every gift shares the simple joy of real flavor—perfect for holidays, milestones, or everyday moments worth celebrating.

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