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You are here: Home / Food Preservation / Canning / Natural Citrus Seed Pectin for Canning

Natural Citrus Seed Pectin for Canning

May 2, 2019 by Ashley Adamant 34 Comments

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Citrus fruits are a great natural pectin source for home canning, and many “no added pectin” recipes actually add natural citrus pectin in the form of lemon juice. 

While citrus juice has a good bit of pectin, citrus seeds contain even more natural pectin that’s perfect for making homemade jam without store-bought pectin.

Natural Citrus Pectin from Citrus Seeds

I love the idea of making homemade jams and jellies without having to buy storebought pectin.  We sweeten our preserves with home-harvested honey or our own homemade maple syrup and learning to make my own natural pectin has been on my canning bucket list for a while now.  

I’ve seen plenty of recipes for extracting pectin from apples, basically making super-concentrated apple jelly.  That apple jelly is then added a few cups at a time to other low pectin fruit preserves. 

It creates a good firm set, but it also adds a lot of apple flavor to the finished jam.  Thus far, I’ve avoided it because I prefer the clean taste of storebought pectin since it doesn’t add any flavor whatsoever.

I generally make low sugar jams, so my preferred store-bought pectin is Pomona’s Universal Pectin which works wonderfully in low sugar and no sugar recipes.  At some point, I looked up how it’s made and learned that it’s a natural citrus-based pectin.  That got me thinking…can I make my own natural citrus pectin?

Natural Citrus Seed Pectin for Canning

I started doing a bit of research into natural pectins, and learned that citrus fruits are loaded with pectin.  Adding lemon juice to “no pectin added” jams actually adds a significant amount of pectin, and while it’s added mostly to increase acidity which makes the jam taste better…it’s actually helping it gel at the same time.

While citrus juice naturally helps jams gel, citrus seeds can be used as a natural pectin replacement.  Several sources mention that you can actually see this in action by placing a few lemon seeds in a small amount of water overnight. 

They say that it’ll be gel by the morning.  I tried this, and no luck, it didn’t gel.  What does work, however, is simmering the seeds in juice or water to create a pectin concentrate. 

Since this test, I’ve made dozens of jellies and jams using citrus seeds as the pectin source.  For jellies, simply simmer the seeds in the juice for about 30 minutes, then strain out the seeds and any fruit matter in a jelly bag.  Then add sugar and finish the jelly.  Thus far, I’ve used this method with success for moderate pectin fruits like chokecherries.

Chokecherry Jelly Made with Citrus Seed Pectin

Chokecherry Jelly Made with Citrus Seed Pectin

For low and no pectin fruits/vegetables, there’s also a good method I’d suggest.  Start by simmering about 10-15 lemon seeds in about 2 cups of water for about 30 minutes (for every half pint of jam in the finished recipe). 

The water will reduce to about 1/2 cup.  At this point, it should visibly look like it’s gelling.  Strain out the lemon seeds and add that mixture to the canning recipe in place of pectin.  

I’ve done this for a zucchini jam, made with this pectin along with a small amount of lemon juice and a bit of lemon zest.  Keep in mind you’ll need about 10-15 lemon seeds for every pint of finished jam, and adding the lemon juice and a bit of zest also really helps things gel.

Zucchini marmalade made with citrus seed pectin

Zucchini marmalade made with citrus seed pectin

For chunky jams instead of jellies, adding a sachet of citrus seeds in cheesecloth is an incredibly effective method.

Tie a tablespoon or two of citrus seeds in a bit of cheesecloth and add it directly into the jam pot.  As the fruit simmers, the natural citrus pectin will be extracted from the seeds into the jam. 

An even better option is to combine the two techniques and place all the jam ingredients together a few hours (or up to 24 hours) ahead of time.  If you’re making strawberry jam, for example, add the sugar to the strawberries and then toss a sachet of citrus seeds into the bottom of the bowl. 

The sugar will extract liquid from the strawberries, and then the citrus seeds will release pectin into this water.  After that initial maceration period, place everything into the jam pot and start it simmering.

Citrus seeds in cheesecloth as a natural pectin for home canning

This is a great natural gelling agent for citrus jams obviously, and it’s what I used when making this kumquat jam. 

Often though, jam making doesn’t directly involve a lot of citrus fruit.  In that case, it’s best to save up citrus seeds in the freezer throughout the year.  In the winter, we make a lot of limoncello (lemon liqueur) for summertime sipping, and I’m now saving the seeds from those lemons for use in my summer jams as well. 

Anytime you use a lemon, orange or lime remember to save the seeds and you’ll have a good supply before you know it.

More Ways to Use Citrus

Looking for more ways to preserve with citrus?  Here are a few tasty canning recipes, as well as small-batch wine and more…

  • Canning Lemons (3 Ways)
  • 20+ Ways to Preserve Lemons
  • Lemon Wine
  • Salt Cured Lemons
  • Canning Lemon Curd
  • Canning Oranges

How to Make Natural Pectin from Citrus Seeds ~ Canning low pectin fruits can be a challange without added commercial pectin, but you can actually extract quite a bit of natural pectin from citrus seeds. That's good news for homemade jams and jellies. #canning #foodpreservation #pectin #diy #homesteading #selfsufficiency

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Filed Under: Canning, Food Preservation, Water Bath Canning

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Arlene Penlington

    August 29, 2019 at 1:45 am

    Great article! I’m going to use this. Thank you!

    Reply
  2. Nancy E. Sutton

    November 27, 2019 at 2:05 am

    Well done! I’ll be referring to this article a lot…. thanks for sharing all your research and experience.

    Reply
  3. Lucille Gasecki

    January 5, 2020 at 8:43 pm

    Today I am using kumquat seeds to make pectin for addition to kumquat jam. Using the soaking method foe seeds. Thanks flow awesome ideas, especially about saving citrus seeds over time to use to make pectin.

    Reply
    • Ashley Adamant

      January 6, 2020 at 2:43 pm

      Wonderful, I’m so happy to hear it!

      Reply
  4. Elaine

    March 31, 2020 at 5:15 am

    Hi there from Northern BC Canada!

    I am so excited to try making cherry (sour) jam using lemon seeds. BUT I just realised that in one place you say 10-15 seeds per finished pint, and in another , 10-15 seeds per finished half-pint. Could you please clarify? I’m doing this tomorrow – our own organic cherries are half-thawed – so I may have to just wing it but for next batch….. Thanks a bunch!

    Reply
    • Administrator

      October 8, 2020 at 2:56 am

      How did your cherry jam work out?

      Reply
  5. Elaine

    March 31, 2020 at 6:14 pm

    It’s hard to tell how big your seeds are. They look so different from mine (California organic lemons, avg 4oz) My seeds are very small. I imagine yours are from Florida, which may be irrelevant, but they look so plump and robust! A measure by weight rather than quantity would help, or how many it takes to cover a dime….March just went out like a LION. here….Stay well & eat lots of lemons!!

    Reply
  6. Erica

    October 6, 2020 at 3:55 pm

    Thanks so much for this. I’ve also seen that guava has a lot of pectin. Do you think I could use guava seeds similarly? They are smaller, so I’d have to use a sachet, I guess.

    Reply
    • Administrator

      October 8, 2020 at 2:54 am

      I think it would definitely be worth trying. Let us know how it works out for you.

      Reply
  7. Steve

    November 26, 2020 at 12:44 pm

    I found this article when I was searching for a recipe for ‘home made pectin’. I, too, found many recipes for home made pectin with apples and how to can it.

    However, I remembered a very old recipe I have for making marmalade. I formerly lived in Dundee, Scotland where marmalade was invented. A friend there shared an old family marmalade recipe that involved boiling the pips (seeds) in water until a gel forms. You then use this gel in your marmalade recipe to help it set. I was amazed at how well this natural pectin worked. The final product is a pleasantly firm jam. I was told that key to perfect marmalade is to use Seville oranges that are abundant in seeds and have a thick skin.

    These oranges are hard to come by in most places and have a very short season (I live in Canada). I am going to try and get a few this winter and make marmalade, but also try and extract the pectin, can it and use it next summer. I have an idea that the citrus-based pectin may have a more complimentary flavour for some of my jams and jellies. I have found that the commercially available products like Certo give me a result that is too hard and do not add anything to the flavour profile.

    Thanks for this.

    Reply
  8. Jennifer

    July 8, 2021 at 10:14 am

    Thank you for this article, I will definitely save my seeds. I’m a bit lazy and have been making my cherry and rhubarb jams this year with strips of peel tossed in, lemon for the rhubarb and lemon & orange for the cherry. Worked great. I put a strip per half pint jar for the rhubarb, a bit more for the cherry because I found the orange and tossed two extra strips of that in. Cooked with the fruit then took it out before putting the fruit in jars for water bath canning. Gelled up perfectly. Always looking for new ideas though and have seeds to save so will try that too.

    Reply
  9. DavidM

    July 18, 2021 at 11:23 pm

    Does using lemon seeds or citrus seeds for pectin, add bitterness to the jam or jelly?

    If so about how much bitterness?

    Why are you people not honest and upfront enough to give us the pros and cons of using citrus seeds for pectin?
    And with what fruits are they best used.? And with which fruits are they not desirable?

    I want to make rose petal jam.
    And I want to know, if they would ruin the delicate flavor of rose petals?

    If they would be suitable for rose petal jam, would it be a good idea to smash the seeds with a hammer to get more pectin out?

    If citrus seeds would not be be good for making rose petal jam, would smashing the seeds for other fruit work, without ruining the flavor?

    Reply
    • Administrator

      July 27, 2021 at 6:05 pm

      The only place where you would have the potential for bitterness should be in the pith (or the white) of the fruit. The juice, seeds or zest should not contribute to any bitterness at all. I can assure you that there is no intent here to be anything but upfront and honest. Ashley works very hard to provide her readers with as much information as possible on practical self-reliance. This is a simple method that gives you an alternative to store-bought pectin. If you are interested in doing a rose petal jam using this method, then my suggestion would be to follow the directions in the post for low and no pectin fruits and vegetables. Ashley covers a wide variety of topics on the blog so it is impossible to try every possible combination. If you decide to try this method with the rose petals, we would love to hear about your experience so that we can all learn from one another. I have not personally tried smashing the seeds but if you’re curious you could always do a little experiment and use some seeds whole and do another batch with smashed seeds and see if you notice a difference.

      Reply
  10. Jodi

    August 12, 2021 at 5:22 am

    Can this be used for low/no sugar jams? And to what ratio should the pectin be used? I.e how much per kg of fruit?

    Reply
    • Administrator

      August 12, 2021 at 2:29 pm

      I would try this method for low and no pectin fruits. Start by simmering about 10-15 lemon seeds in about 2 cups of water for about 30 minutes (for every half pint of jam in the finished recipe). The water will reduce to about 1/2 cup. At this point, it should visibly look like it’s gelling. Strain out the lemon seeds and add that mixture to the canning recipe in place of pectin. Be sure to check back in and let us know how it works.

      Reply
  11. Sandra

    August 27, 2021 at 10:33 pm

    I find myself coming back time and again to your informative blog. I have been using lemons and their peels for pectin in my jams and jellies for some time, but this is the first time finding out about the seeds. Oh, when I think of all the seeds I have ‘wasted’!! Thanks for keeping it real for those of us who like the old ways best. Hugs!!!

    Reply
    • Administrator

      September 14, 2021 at 7:37 pm

      You’re very welcome. So glad you are enjoying the blog.

      Reply
  12. Maria R

    December 2, 2021 at 3:11 am

    WOW very good info!! I am going to try this. I have a question, would I be able to slowly collect seeds and either let them dry or freeze them to be able to have enough seeds on hand for when I need them? Thank you

    Reply
    • Administrator

      December 6, 2021 at 6:16 pm

      I think I would freeze them.

      Reply
  13. Linda weatherall

    March 11, 2022 at 6:40 pm

    So you can use apple seeds too !
    And crab apple seeds too for crabapple jelly? Oh my goodness that will save me so much work knowing that you can use the seeds too !!
    Thank you for all the information and a big time saver !!

    Reply
    • Administrator

      March 14, 2022 at 3:52 pm

      You’re very welcome.

      Reply
  14. Christina

    May 10, 2022 at 4:03 pm

    Do you have to do anything special to freeze the seeds or just put them in a jar or something? I’ve just started getting into canning/ making jellies and I love your blog!!

    Reply
    • Administrator

      May 12, 2022 at 4:26 pm

      The seeds should freeze just fine without any special preparation. You may want to flash freeze them on cookie sheets so that you don’t have one bug frozen mass of seeds.

      Reply
  15. poppasmurf669

    July 9, 2022 at 6:53 am

    do you have a list of seeds that have pectin. the only one you mention are lemons and apples and do other fruit have pectin say the squash family

    Reply
    • Administrator

      July 18, 2022 at 5:52 pm

      It’s mainly apples and citrus as far as I know. If you find other information please let us know.

      Reply
  16. Helen

    July 29, 2022 at 8:47 pm

    Wow – I’ve been making jam/jelly for years and never knew this!! Thanks for the info! Will definitely try this!

    Reply
    • Administrator

      August 9, 2022 at 1:12 am

      You’re very welcome. Let us know how it works if you decide to try it out.

      Reply
  17. Brenda

    August 16, 2022 at 6:58 am

    Hello, is it for every half pint or for every pint? Your recipe contradicts itself. Thank you, will try this , very new to jelly canning.

    Reply
    • Administrator

      October 24, 2022 at 3:51 pm

      The section where it talks about 10 to 15 seeds for a pint was specifically referring to the zucchini jam recipe where there was also lemon juice and lemon zest added which helps with the gel process. I would stick with 10 to 15 seeds per half pint if it’s a low-pectin fruit and you’re not adding in lemon juice or zest.

      Reply
  18. Barbara Goldstein

    October 19, 2022 at 7:23 pm

    Can you estimate the volume of lemon seeds needed? I’ve have a few cups (of seeds) in my freezer just for this purpose. Do you know if adding more seeds to the same amount of water will will work?
    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Administrator

      October 19, 2022 at 8:09 pm

      You will want about 10 to 15 seeds in 2 cups of water for every half pint of finished jam in the recipe.

      Reply
  19. Sandra Auvenshine

    December 5, 2022 at 8:27 pm

    This blog is both a gift and a blessing! Last summer (2021), our area had heavy spring rains which made tons of very wet fruit which required more pectin than usual. I ended up purchasing food grade citric acid and adding 1/2 teaspoon to 4 cup batches of the cooked jams. It worked well, but the learning curve was wide due to adding, tasting, and possibly adding more citric acid in order to achieve jelling without making the jam bitter. This idea seems to be an excellent one, and I shall appreciate you each time I’m happily using it in my canning of jams!

    Reply
    • Administrator

      December 8, 2022 at 11:03 pm

      Thank you. We’re so glad you’re enjoying the blog.

      Reply

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I’m an off-grid homesteader in rural Vermont and the author of Practical Self Reliance, a blog that helps people find practical ways to become more self-reliant. Read More…

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