2

Are the seeds necessary when making marmalade to extract pectin? If so, should the seeds be whole or ground up? Is the best way to keep them separate with a cheesecloth bag? This recipe is with Seville oranges and low in sugar.

Catija
  • 16,300
  • 8
  • 54
  • 86
padma
  • 1,212
  • 9
  • 25
  • 40
  • Padma could you please add the recipe (or it's link) you will be using to your question. Some marmalade recipes use/need the seeds, others do not. – Debbie M. Jan 03 '17 at 23:56
  • 2
    I never use the seeds when I make orange marmalade. There's plenty of pectin in the peel. – Wayfaring Stranger Jan 04 '17 at 03:05
  • @DebbieM I don't have the recipe. My mother makes it this way. But when the fruit is ground up in the food processor the seeds get ground up too and then she has to pick them out. (I'm trying to save her some work). – padma Jan 04 '17 at 04:27

1 Answers1

3

Without seeing the recipe and procedure, it is hard to say if the seeds are necessary, there are many recipes for Seville orange marmalade that don't call for the seeds, and some that do. There is a good chance that they aren't essential to the recipe, that being said:

There is pectin in the seeds of citrus, but there is no need to grind or chop them for it to be released. Tying them in a cheesecloth bag, that would be easy to remove after cooking, would be fine.

(If the recipe uses added pectin, then the seeds shouldn't be needed at all.)

Debbie M.
  • 5,325
  • 7
  • 27
  • 45