Meyer lemon is a particularly tasty citrus fruit that is reputed to be
a hybrid of lemon and orange. They have thin skins and a short shelf
life, so marmalade is a great way to preserve their flavor for year round enjoyment. I developed my recipe over the course of ten years
and use it to make marmalade from lemons, oranges, and mixes of citrus fruits. It uses no pectin or artificial ingredients and makes a bold
and delicious marmalade unlike anything available in a grocery store.
The recipe will make 12 - 15 pint jars but is scalable for larger or
smaller quantities. Plan on 3 - 4 hours from start to finish.
Large covered pots for sterilizing jars
Canning jars with lids and rings
Tongs or jar grippers for handling hot jars and lids
Ladle and wide-mouthed funnel for filling jars
Food processing machine (like a Cuisinart)
Citrus juicer
Large measuring container
Sharp chef¹s knife
Cutting board
Candy thermometer
Large pot for boiling marmalade mix
Cooling racks
20 lemons (or oranges or mixed citrus)
10 Mexican limes
Large piece of fresh ginger
Sugar
1. Wash the lemons and limes.
2. Quarter 10 of the lemons and remove the white core and seeds.
3. Slice the quartered pieces VERY thinly by hand or with a food
processor and put in a large bowl.
4. Juice the remaining lemons and add the juice to the sliced fruit.
5. Zest the limes and juice them. Add this to the fruit mix.
6. Measure the fruit mix put it in the cooking pot, then add an equal
amount of granulated sugar.
7. Add five large slices of fresh ginger to the mix.
8. Stir until the sugar and fruit are well mixed and put on the stove.
Bring the mix slowly to a full boil stirring frequently.
9. In the meantime, put the canning jars, lids and rings, and the ladle
and funnel into the large pots and add enough water to cover the jars
etc. Put on high heat and boil for 20 minutes to sterilize the jars.
10. Boil the fruit mix until the mix reads 215 degrees fahrenheit on
the candy thermometer, then remove it from the stove.
11. Remove the jars from the waterbath using the jar gripper or tongs
and drain them upside down on a rack for a minute.
12. Ladle the fruit mix into the sterilized jars and leave 1/4 inch of
space at the top. Wipe the rim with a clean paper towel, put on a lid
and a ring, and tighten securely.
13. Set jars aside to cool.
(Some canning manuals suggest putting the jars back in boiling water for 15 or more minutes. I have found this step unnecessary. Dipping the jars in hot water to remove any spilt marmalade is a good idea, however.)
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