Meyer lemons taste like sunshine on a bleak winter day. I just want to bottle it up, put on a shelf and save it so that I can open and enjoy it any time. But how?
Marmalade. The word alone brings happy things to mind: Paddington Bear, Seville oranges, sweet breakfast treats, and CITRUS.
I MUST make Meyer Lemon Marmalade. But do I dare? I have limited jam making and canning experience and even less appropriate equipment. It looks so simple, and it would be the perfect way to both use and save my beautiful lemons.
I have two living grandmothers in their eighties, maybe they would have some words of wisdom. They used to come up to our house and help my mom with the summer vegetable canning. No one seemed to enjoy this activity, especially on a sweltering summer morning before our family got air conditioning. They were however very efficient, well equipped and knowledgeable and our pantry was stocked with tomatoes and green beans year round. Surely I could make a simple marmalade under their supervision.
My mom and grands were happy to help, but it turns out that none had made marmalade of any kind before. They have made plenty of blueberry and blackberry jelly, but always used a product called surejell. This makes the process go very quickly, and they sealed the jars with wax instead of canning them in a water bath. So they were really just there to keep me company. This was a good thing because after two hours over a stove with little progress, you need someone to talk to. Let me explain. I'm not going to provide the recipe in detail because you can just follow this link to One Green Generation where I got it. These instructions are simple, clear and easy to follow. The only ingredients for this recipe are lemons, sugar and water. It calls for 2 1/2 pounds meyer lemons, which I found to be somewhere between 10-13 lemons depending on their size. You will also need some jelly jars, lids, pots for boiling, and time. What this recipe didn't tell me was that I would be stirring lemons for hours while waiting for them to 'jell'.
Here's what I learned. First of all, you need a HOT stovetop and gas is probably best. We made the first batch at Grandmommy's house on her flat top stove and it took over two hours for the lemons to reduce and turn to jelly. That's a long time, plus waiting for them to boil before even adding the sugar. If I had known, I would have brought a book. Secondly, it's not necessary to use a candy thermometer. I used one for this first batch and nearly cooked the marmalade into pure candy because it never reached the proper temperature. Just look for the signs, and maybe drip a drop onto the counter and see if it looks like jelly when it cools.
The second batch was made at my mom's house on a gas range and it went much more smoothly and quickly. If you have children I would recommend that you do this at your mother's house so she can entertain them, or just wait until they're in bed because it will take over an hour and you wouldn't want it to scorch while you're tending to the kids.
When the lemons jell, they will turn into a thick frothy boil. You can turn the heat off, take the sanitized jars out of their bath and fill them up. Once the lids are on, put them back into the boiling water to seal. When you pull them out, you'll hear them pop quietly as they form a vacuum seal.
The first batch yield was 6 half pint jars and the second batch produced 7. Both batches are very very thick, but the first is darker and more condensed in flavor and texture. If you think this seems like a lot of work for a bakers dozen jelly jars, it's only because you haven't tasted it. Pure lemon, a clean citrus taste and texture that leaves the mouth feeling happy. It's pretty sweet, so I like to eat it on something plain like toast, but my favorite way to enjoy this marmalade is with a spoon, straight from the jar. (Did I mention that I love lemons?)
Comments