Meyer Lemon Marmalade

I stumbled across this 2008 recipe from Simply Recipes and just happened to have several Meyer lemons that needed to be used. I am one of those people who love marmalade~~on freshly made bread with a cup of tea or coffee. There is something so romantic and very British about it.

Meyer lemons are a hybrid of a regular lemon and an orange. The skin is thinner and it is sweeter than a regular lemon. With this recipe, please note that you cannot substitute regular lemons for Meyer lemons.

If you live locally, Whitfill Nursery on Glendale Avenue is selling boxes of gorgeous organic Meyer lemons. With only 3 ingredients, you can have your very own fresh marmalade. What is also important to know is that the ratio for this recipe is 1:1:1, which makes this a simple recipe to use with any quantity lemons.

The recipe calls for 2 1/2 lbs. of Meyer lemons (about 9 lemons), 6 cups of water and 6 cups of granulated sugar.

After scrubbing the lemons clean, and discarding any damaged ones, I prepared the lemons by cutting 1/4″ off from both ends.

Working one lemon at a time, cut the lemon in half lengthwise and then cut the lemon half into several segments, lengthwise.

As you cut the lemons into segments, if you can, pull off any exposed membranes.

When you get to the final segment, cut away the pithy core. Remove all seeds from the segments. Reserve the seeds and any removed membrane or pith. You will need these later.

Cut each lemon segment crosswise into even pieces to make little triangles of the lemon peel and pulp until you have 6 cups of chopped lemons.

Put all of the seeds, membranes and pith you removed from the lemons into a bag fashioned out of two layers of cheesecloth or a muslin bag. I used my nut bag (from making almond milk). This is now referred to as your pectin bag. Typically one would add store-bought pectin. Since I had never done this before I was curious to try it~who knew this would become your pectin?

Place the lemon segments and 6 cups of water into a large, wide pot. Make sure it is NOT aluminum which will leach. Place the pectin bag in the pot with the fruit pulp and secure it to the pot handle. Make sure the bag is below the surface.

Bring mixture to a medium boil on medium high heat. Let boil, uncovered for about 25-35 minutes, until peels are soft and cooked through. Remove from heat.

Remove the pectin bag. Place the pectin bag in a bowl and let cool until it is comfortable to touch. Once the pectin bag has cooled to the point you can handle it, squeeze it like play-doh to extract any pectin. You should be able to get a tablespoon or two more from the bag. It has the consistency of sour cream. Return this pectin to the pan with the lemon mixture. Notice how I used a latex glove to protect my hand from any residual heat.

Measure out your sugar (6 cups) and add to the pan with the lemon mixture.

Heat the jelly mixture on medium high and bring it to a rapid boil. Secure a candy thermometer to the side of the pan. Make sure the thermometer doesn’t touch the bottom of the pan. The marmalade may take anywhere from 20 to 35 minutes or so to be ready to pour out. Please note that mine took a lot longer than 35 minutes. I think my lemons were extra juicy.

Testing the marmalade to see if it is ready can be done either on a plate or a spoon. I placed spoons in the freezer and when the mixture reached a temperature of 220-222 degrees F, I placed the marmalade on a frozen spoon and cooled it on a plate in the refrigerator for a few minutes.

When the jelly holds its shape (and doesn’t spread out), it is ready. When you push the jelly with your finger, it should wrinkle. If it is not ready, keep testing with a spoon. It took about 4 or 5 tests, before my marmalade was ready.

While the marmalade is in its second cooking stage, rinse out your canning jars, dry them and place them, without lids, in a 200 degree F oven. They should be in the oven at least 10 minutes before using them.

As the time approaches for the marmalade to be done, boil some water in a tea pot. Put the jar lids in a glass or ceramic bowl and pour the boiling water over them to sterilize.

Once the jelly has reached 220 degrees F or its “wrinkly” stage, remove the jelly pot from the heat. Carefully ladle the jelly into the jars, one at a time, leaving 1/4 “ head space at the top of the jars for a vacuum seal. Wipe the rims clean with a wet paper towel. Place the lid on the jar, securing with a jar ring. Work quickly.

Allow the jars to sit overnight. You will hear them make a popping sound as the vacuum seal is created. The jelly will firm up as it cools.

I love the fresh, tart/sweet flavor of this marmalade. Now I need to make some fresh, warm bread!

For the complete recipe, please click this link https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/meyer_lemon_marmalade/. Happy Saturday!