Old-fashioned Meyer lemon marmalade is the perfect balance of sweet and tart, made with little more than lemons, sugar and time.
Yield: 3½ cups (830mL)
Cook Time: 2 hourshours
Total Time: 1 dayday
Ingredients
1 ½pounds/ 680gorganic Meyer lemons, about 8 medium-sized lemons, washed and scrubbed
3cups/ 710gfiltered water
3 ½cups/ 700ggranulated sugar
Instructions
Wash and scrub lemons with hot water to remove any coating waxes (if you can find organic, untreated lemons, they'll make the best marmalade). Blanch lemons in boiling water for 30 seconds (this will help soften the peels and release the juices).
Line a small bowl with cheesecloth. Set another medium sized bowl or 4-cup glass measuring cup on your work surface.
Cut off ends of lemons and stand vertically. Cut vertically into quarters. Slice off big chunks of membrane in the center. Pop out any seeds using your finger or the tip of a knife. Working over a bowl to catch any juice, run your finger down the lemon, between the membranes. Sometimes, if your citrus is ripe, you'll be able to almost peel the pieces of membrane from the the flesh. You don't have to worry about getting it all out, but less membrane and pith will yield a less bitter marmalade.
Place any seeds and pieces of pith and membrane in the bowl with the cheesecloth (these are valuable sources of pectin and you don't want to waste them!)
Thinly slice the remaining lemon peel as thinly as you can. Place sliced peel into measuring cup along with any juices from your cutting board (using a cutting board with a juice groove is helpful here!).
Repeat with remaining lemons, reserving all seeds and pieces of pith in the cheesecloth bowl.
When you're done, you should have about 3 cups worth of chopped peel and juices; if you have more or less, you'll want to adjust the water and sugar quantities accordingly.
Bring together ends of cheesecloth around seeds and pith, tie into a secure bundle. Nestle bundle into the bottom of a bowl, then pour chopped peel over top. Cover with 3 cups of filtered water, making sure the cheesecloth bag is fully submerged. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight. (If you skip this overnight steep you'll just need to cook the lemon peel longer to soften it and bring out the pectin).
The next day, prepare canner and wash/sterilize your half-pint mason (or equivalent) jars. Keep jars in hot water until ready to use. Warm lids in hot (not boiling) water to sterilize and soften seal.
Place two small plates into the freezer before you start.
Pour the soaked fruit, all liquid and the cheesecloth bag into a large, non-reactive saucepan.
Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until peel is sufficiently softened (you should be able to cut it against the side of the saucepan with a rubber spatula with little resistance). I find Meyer lemons relatively soft, mine took only about 15 minutes here, but if your citrus is more firm it could take up to 45 minutes. The peel will not soften further once you add the sugar, so be sure you cook it sufficiently beforehand.
Remove pan from heat. Remove the cheesecloth bundle with tongs and place in a bowl to cool slightly. Once the bundle is cool enough to handle, squeeze the bag over the saucepan, kneading and scraping the bag as necessary to release as much of the gooey pectin as possible. Discard bundle.
Return saucepan to heat and bring to a boil. Add sugar, stirring vigorously until sugar is completely dissolved and mixture comes to a full rolling boil. If you have a probe thermometer, feel free to clip it to the side of your saucepan at this time. Otherwise, use an instant read thermometer to check the temperature every few minutes. Continue to boil, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches approximately 217-218 degrees F. We're looking for a final temperature of 220 degrees, but you'll want to start testing it a few degrees sooner just in case (and keep in mind if you are at higher altitudes, you'll likely have a lower target temperature to account for varying boiling points—about 2 degrees for every 1000 feet above 3000).
To test the set, drop a teaspoon or so of jam onto one of your frozen plates, and return to the freezer for 2 minutes. Push your finger through the dollop of jam. If it wrinkles up thickly in front of your finger, that's a sign of a good set, and means your marmalade is ready. If it doesn't wrinkle, cook it for another minute or two then test again.
When marmalade is set to your liking, ladle it into sterilized 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. Sealed jars will keep in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year.