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, acid, and peel bitterness. That is why we make single-variety preserves instead of one house marmalade.

Our marmalade varieties

• Navel Orange Marmalade — the classic orange marmalade: sweet, round, gently bitter.
• Valencia Orange Marmalade — juicier and brighter, with more acid than Navel.
• Minneola Tangelo Marmalade — tangelo perfume, honeyed and low in bitterness.
• Mandarin Marmalade — our sweetest and most delicate, a good first marmalade.
• Meyer Lemon Marmalade — floral and soft-edged, less sharp than a standard lemon.
• Eureka Lemon Marmalade — bracing, clean, and tart.
• Duncan Grapefruit Marmalade — the most bitter of the range, complex and grown-up.
• Melogold Grapefruit Marmalade — grapefruit character with much less bitterness.

Browse all marmalade

Sweet or bitter? A quick guide

Running from sweetest to most bitter: Mandarin, Minneola tangelo, Navel orange, Valencia orange, Meyer lemon, Melogold grapefruit, Eureka lemon, Duncan grapefruit.

• Least bitter marmalade: Mandarin.
• Most bitter marmalade: Duncan grapefruit.
• Least sweet marmalade: Eureka lemon and Duncan grapefruit.

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. The honest answer is that "best" depends on whether you want sweet or bitter, so start with our Navel orange for the classic and Duncan grapefruit for the bracing end.

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?

Honeyed and perfumed, like a tangelo, with noticeably less bitterness than an orange marmalade and a little more floral lift.

What does mandarin marmalade taste like?

Soft, sweet, and delicate, with thin tender peel and very little bitter edge. It is the easiest of our marmalades for people who think they dislike marmalade.

What does grapefruit marmalade taste like?

Duncan grapefruit marmalade is properly bitter and slightly resinous, closer to an Italian amaro than a breakfast jam. Melogold is the gentler version, with grapefruit aroma and much less bitterness.

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 anything bitter or Negroni-adjacent, and Meyer lemon for lighter spirits and sparkling cocktails.

Which citrus makes the best marmalade?

Fruit with thick, aromatic peel and real acidity. 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.