Meyer Lemon Marmalade

 

I am on a marmalade canning kick.  It is really good and citrus is cheap this time of year.  It tastes good, too.  One of my kiddos has discovered Nutella and orange marmalade sandwich.  I know.

 

This recipe is for Meyer Lemons.  Don't substitute regular lemons - it won't work very well.  Meyer lemons are in a category all by themselves.  They are somewhere between a regular lemon and a mandarin orange, with floral undertones.

 

This marmalade is good on it's own, but try it with blueberry muffins or as a base for a berry tart.  Yum.

 

 

Meyer Lemon Marmalade

 

4 cups sugar

6-8 Meyer lemons (about 1 cup of chopped up fruit and juice)

2 1/2 cups water

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon butter

1 package (3 Tablespoons) of low or no sugar needed powdered fruit pectin

 

Measure the sugar into a bowl.

 

Using a zester or a vegetable peeler, remove the zest from the lemons.  You don't want the pith (the white part), it makes it bitter. If you used a vegetable peeler, cut the strips into very thin slices.

 

Transfer the strips to a large pot and add the water and baking soda.

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the peels have softened, about 5 minutes.

 

While the zest is simmering, cut the remaining pith from the lemons, working over a bowl to catch the juice.

Slice and chop the fruit.  Try and get out all of the seeds.  If you miss some, just tell people that is how you know that it is real. 

You should have about 1 cup of fruit and juice.

 

Add the fruit and juice to the pot with the zest.  Add the butter.  Sprinkle the pectin over the mixture and bring it to a boil, stirring constantly.

 

Add the sugar all at once.  Return to a full boil, stirring constantly.  Boil hard for one minute.  Remove from the heat.  Ladle the marmalade into hot sterilized jars and process them in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.

Set the jars on a towel on your counter and wait for the "pings" that say that the jars have sealed.

 

Voila.