Love and Olive Oil

Strawberry & Meyer Lemon Marmalade

Strawberry & Meyer Lemon Marmalade

An unexpected surprise a few weeks ago from some very dear friends left me with a box of gorgeous homegrown Meyer lemons.

And as you very well know, when life gives you lemons, especially Meyer lemons, you sure as heck don’t waste them, even if you do happen to be hopping on a plane to Disney World the very next morning.

It’s a rare occurrence when you find yourself in the possession of Meyer lemons and strawberries at the same time. It’s like a planetary alignment of fruit. And seeing as how much I enjoyed the combination of citrus and strawberries last year, I applied that same strategy to these beauties.

How-To Meyer Lemon Marmalade Recipe

Ever since last year, I’ve decided that I prefer a more delicate texture in my marmalade; the large chewy slivers that marmalade commonly contains are a bit too sinewey for my taste. So rather than halving and thinly slicing the entire fruit, I used this OXO zester to completely strip the lemons naked. This particular zester produces perfect ribbons of zest, thicker than the feathery fine stuff that a microplane zester produces, but finer than my meager knife-skills can achieve and with less pith overall.

How-To Make Lemon Marmalade Recipe

Soaking the zest overnight helps tenderize the peels. The cheesecloth pouch contains the lemon seeds and bits of pith to draw out more pectin so that the jam sets up nice and jiggly (there is no additional pectin other than what comes naturally from the lemons).

Strawberry & Meyer Lemon Marmalade

I think this one is even better than the blood orange version, partly because of the improved texture. Chunks of berries and tender ribbons of lemon intermingle in a jam that is tart, sweet, and delightful. It’s perfect spread onto a toasted English muffin, slathered on a buttermilk biscuit, or heated and drizzled over vanilla ice cream or a slice of cheesecake.

I won’t make any lady marmalade jokes (despite the fact that some contestant on some game show is belting it out at this very moment on the TV downstairs… coincidence?) but just know that this is the kind of marmalade that people write songs about. With tangerine trees. And all that jazz.

Strawberry & Meyer Lemon Marmalade

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Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds meyer lemons (about 5-6 large, juicy lemons)
  • 3 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 cups chopped fresh strawberries (about 1 pound)

Directions:

Coarsely zest lemons, getting as much of the peel off as possible. Alternatively, peel of sections of the lemon skin with a vegetable peeler, then thinly slice into strips using a sharp knife. Juice zested lemons; you should have about 1 cup juice. Zest/juice more lemons if needed to make 1 cup of juice.

Secure any seeds and some of the pith pieces in a length of cheesecloth; tie it tightly into a bundle.

Place zest and juice in a medium bowl along with 2 cups water (filtered, if necessary). Submerge the cheesecloth bundle in the liquid; cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 2 days. Place strawberries in a glass or plastic bowl and add 1 1/2 cups sugar. Stir to coat; cover and refrigerate for the same length of time as the lemon zest.

When you are ready to can, prepare canner and wash/sterilize your half-pint mason (or equivalent) jars. Keep jars in hot (not boiling) water until ready to use. Warm lids in hot (not boiling) water to sterilize and soften seal.

Remove the cheesecloth bundle; squeeze out any remaining juices and discard what’s left. Pour the soaked fruit and all liquid into a large, non-reactive saucepan along with strawberries and remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar.

Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook, stirring regularly, until marmalade is reduced by more than half and reaches 220 degrees F, about 30 to 40 minutes. You can test the gel of the marmalade by placing a spoonful on a chilled plate. Return to the freezer for 1 to 2 minutes, then check for doneness. If you want a firmer gel, cook for a few minutes longer.

When marmalade has reached the desired consistency, remove from heat and skim off foam. Ladle hot sauce into jars, leaving 1/4-inch of headspace. Wipe jar rims and threads. Screw on lids and rings. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Remove from water and let cool completely, 12 to 24 hours. Check seals. Any unsealed jars should be refrigerated and used within 3 weeks.

Adapted from SimpleBites.

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32 Comments

  1. Hi , I love your website because you have such clever ideas. I had never thought about making Strawberry & Meyer Lemon Marmalade before. Where did you get the recipe?

  2. I have been saving this recipe since summer when I froze enough strawberries for this recipe.  Now that the lemons are in season I just zested and juiced 2 pounds and mixed the strawberries with sugar.  Tomorrow will be marmalade making day.  Just in time to give these as Valentine’s Day gifts.  Got my fingers crossed they turn out!

  3. Can you use frozen strawberries to make this or other jams? I know the idea is to make it when you have an abundance of fresh fruit, but in a pinch can you use frozen? And would this alter anything else in the recipe? Thanks.

    • You can most definitely use frozen fruit! You may end up with a slightly thinner jam since there will be more water present in frozen fruit, but it should still work fine. I’ve never done it personally, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work!

  4. Hi! I’m new here and I’m in love with your lebels! How you make them? :)

  5. Wonderful recipe! Turned out perfect. This was my first canning experience, my first marmalade. I used a mix of different kinds of lemons. I like the use of all of the fruit, instead of just the zest, it gives it substance and texture. I am thinking of trying the same style with mixed citrus as well.

  6. This sounds wonderful, I adore marmalade :)

  7. a box of meyer lemons on my doorstep would be such a welcoming gift ahhhh…and this marmalade looks so delicious…beautiful photos.

  8. Such a beautiful recipe, Lindsay! This is the perfect way to use my favorite summer fruits, and great for gift giving too. Thanks for sharing!

  9. Love the Oxo zester!! Also love the looks of this marmalade :)

  10. I love this marmalade! I’ve been looking to make homemade jam for a while and now I have the recipe! …could u tell me if this has more of a sweet and sour taste or the sugar makes it completely sweet?
    Thank you! i’ m gonna follow your recipes from now on :d
    Parisa

  11. This looks so delish! I’ve never made preserves before but I’ve been having some serious “Martha” moments coming on so it might be happening sooner rather than later. However, mine will be apricot. Just so happens I have loads of them from my recent trip to Costco! You can’t possibly eat that many apricots before they go bad! Thanks for the great detailed tutorial. I hope you’re having fun in Disney! Heading to Disneyland soon too.

  12. My husband would love this! He goes through a jar of jam a week. I have fears of canning. It seems so complicated but you make it seem so easy!

  13. Linds! You had me at “planetary alignment of fruit”, “perfect ribbons of zest” and stripping your lemons naked. Hahaha! I need that OXO zester. Seriously, your Strawberry and Meyer Lemon Marmalade looks divine! Yes, you are a “Lady Marmalade”, of the culinary type. ;) Life is full of those coincidences, like your hearing the song while working on this post. I call them “God winks”. I think it means you’re “on track” as they happen simultaneously. They happen often around here. It is a phenomenon. Often, I will be reading or writing and, at the exact moment, I will hear the word on TV or in a song I’m listening to. When I was writing my post from last Friday (about love, giving and gratitude with photos from our wedding), hubby put The Princess Bride on for “background” while I was writing it late one night before he went to bed. He did not know what I was writing about. A coincidence for sure! Now that you know about them, watch and listen to see if more of these “God winks” happen to you! Once I told hubby about them, they happen to him now. See if the same thing happens with you and your hubby. xo

  14. Those lemons are gorgeous-so is that marmalade!

  15. You have good friends and you make delicious things out of your presents :)

  16. This marmalade sounds delicious! And such a perfect use for the lemons on our backyard tree. :)

  17. Are there still Meyer Lemons bopping about? I need to find some!

  18. This looks lovely! Such a great recipe :)

  19. Wow this has to be delicious

  20. What a great combination of fruit flavors in a marmalade. Love marmalade – this one sounds fabulous!

  21. My mouth is watering just thinking about it! What a great idea for an ‘out there’ marmalade – I bet it’s delicious…

  22. Now that is definitely a gorgeous marmalade!! Packed with incredible flavor!

  23. I love friends who unload amazing produce or goodies on me – doesn’t happen that often but it’s always like Xmas when it does :) Your marmalade is gorgeous! And I saw a great pic of you on a BlogHer recap I was reading. You were wearing coral or peach? pants I think. And I remember thinking, I love her pants!

  24. Wow- what a unique and delicious sounding marmalade. I love love LOVE meyer lemons! So great to meet you this weekend- I am really excited to start following your blog! :) – Mallory

  25. I love marmalade, and this sounds so amazing!

  26. First off, I love your blog! All your recipes looks fabulous and great photos. Very inspiring. I would like to make this marmalade but wonder if I can make it without the refined sugar? should I substitute honey instead?

    Thanks for your time and assistance

  27. Hi Lindsay,
    Just opened my email and found this delicious recipe waiting for me! The strawberry & lemon marmalade looks heavenly (your lighting is gorgeous, BTW). I’m working with strawberries this week, so your timing is perfect. :)

  28. It looks absolutely delicious! It is a long time ago, that I have done marmalade myself… I really need to repeat that soon :D

  29. so gorgeous! i love this marmalade! I never thought to do strawberry!

  30. Real friends give eachother lemons like these!! That is gorgeous! I love the soaking trick, I’ll totes be trying that out.

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