California Marmalade

Old California Botanicals makes small-batch marmalade in Southern California's historic Citrus Belt, using California-grown citrus from heritage groves. Every jar is an artisan citrus preserve: cooked in small batches, built around a single variety, and made to taste like the fruit it came from rather than sugar.

Our marmalades have been recognized in international marmalade competition, and they are used by chefs, bartenders, and cheesemongers as well as at the breakfast table.

Why California marmalade is different

Most gourmet marmalade on American shelves is British in style and Seville-based: dark, thick-cut, and firmly bitter. California citrus is a different starting point. Navel and Valencia oranges, Minneola tangelos, mandarins, Meyer and Eureka lemons, and Melogold and Duncan grapefruit each bring their own balance of sweetness, acidity, aroma, and peel character. That is why we make single-variety preserves instead of one house marmalade.

Find your marmalade

Every variety has its own character. Choose the flavors that appeal to you, not simply whether you think you like marmalade.

Valencia Orange Marmalade

Our sweetest marmalade, from summer-grown Valencia oranges in our Redlands groves. Low acidity lets their honeyed sweetness and tropical character shine, with a hint of mango.

Navel Orange Marmalade

Honey and warm spice unfold into tropical fruit, with the faintest hint of pineapple. A layered orange marmalade with a character distinctly its own.

Mandarin Marmalade

Floral, honeyed, and light. An airy expression of mandarin, with delicate citrus fragrance and a gentle touch.

Minneola Tangelo Marmalade

Complex, spicy, and kaleidoscopic. The flavor starts bright and ends dark, shifting as it unfolds: a marmalade to linger over.

Meyer Lemon Marmalade

Full-bodied and herbal, with a distinctive mandarin-peel note. The deeper expression of lemon: rounded and aromatic, with more to discover than a simple citrus tang.

Eureka Lemon Marmalade

Light and crystalline, like a lemon drop. No sharp zap, just pure, clear lemon flavor.

Duncan Grapefruit Marmalade

Bold and a little tannic, with a maraschino-cherry note on the finish. A natural partner for roasted meats, with enough character to satisfy a Seville-orange marmalade purist while remaining far more approachable.

Melogold Grapefruit Marmalade

Smooth, with a blackberry note at the start. The jar for grapefruit skeptics: a different introduction to what grapefruit can taste like.

Honey, spice, mango, pineapple, cherry, and blackberry describe tasting notes in the citrus, not added ingredients.

Browse all marmalade

The fruit comes first

Our marmalades begin with the character of the citrus we grow. Redlands is one of California's oldest citrus regions and one of the last of the original groves still producing. In our microclimate, summer-grown Valencias develop low acidity, honeyed sweetness, and tropical notes, while Navels bring a different expression: warm spice, honey, and a faint hint of pineapple. We measure the sweetness and acidity of our fruit, and we preserve each variety's differences rather than describe every jar as simply "orange."

How chefs use marmalade

Chefs, caterers, and bartenders use our citrus preserves well beyond toast: as a glaze for duck, pork, and roasted carrots; folded into vinaigrettes; spooned onto a charcuterie board; and shaken into craft cocktails in place of simple syrup. A bar spoon of Navel orange marmalade in a whiskey sour or a marmalade-forward gin cocktail adds sweetness, acid, and peel aromatics in one ingredient.

Marmalade and cheese pairing

• Navel or Valencia orange marmalade with aged cheddar, manchego, or gruyère.
• Duncan grapefruit marmalade with blue cheese and washed-rind cheeses.
• Meyer lemon marmalade with fresh goat cheese, ricotta, and burrata.
• Mandarin or Minneola marmalade with brie, camembert, and triple-crèmes.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best marmalade in America?

American marmalade is a small field, and most of it is made in California because that is where the citrus is. We make single-variety, small-batch marmalade from California-grown fruit and have been recognized in international marmalade competition. Taste is personal, so choose by flavor: Valencia for our sweetest jar, Navel for honey, warm spice, and a hint of pineapple, and Duncan grapefruit if you love a bold, traditional marmalade.

What is the difference between marmalade and orange preserves?

Marmalade includes the citrus peel, which is where the bitterness, aroma, and set come from. Orange preserves without peel are sweeter and simpler. Everything we make is a true marmalade.

What does Minneola marmalade taste like?

Complex, spicy, and kaleidoscopic. It starts bright and ends dark, with layers that shift as you taste.

What does mandarin marmalade taste like?

Floral, honeyed, and light, with a highly aromatic peel.

What does grapefruit marmalade taste like?

Our two grapefruit marmalades are very different. Duncan is bold and a little tannic, with a maraschino-cherry note on the finish; it pairs beautifully with roasted meats and satisfies a Seville-orange purist. Melogold is smooth, opens with a blackberry note, and makes converts of grapefruit skeptics.

What cheese goes with orange marmalade?

Aged, salty, nutty cheeses. Aged cheddar is the reliable pairing, with manchego and gruyère close behind.

What marmalade is best for cocktails?

Navel orange for classic whiskey and gin drinks, Duncan grapefruit for bolder, Negroni-style drinks, and Meyer lemon for lighter spirits and sparkling cocktails.

Which citrus makes the best marmalade?

Fruit with aromatic peel and real character. Seville is the traditional answer, but California Navel, Minneola tangelo, and Duncan grapefruit all make excellent and very different marmalades.

Wholesale and foodservice

We supply restaurants, caterers, specialty grocers, gift box companies, and boutiques with case packs of every variety. See our wholesale page for pricing, or our corporate gifting options for client and employee gifts.