Meyer Lemon Marmalade Recipe
Here is my recipe for Meyer Lemon Marmalade. I wish the best of luck to all
who try it, because, as with most recipes, different cooks may end up with
different results. I don't think you will be disappointed, however.
Take 7 large, ripe (golden-colored), blemish-free, Meyer lemons. Scrub the
outsides thoroughly to remove any dirt or pesticide residue (if you use
such). Cut them in half cross-wise. Remove as many of the seeds and pips as
you can before placing them into a large stock pot (I think this recipe makes
around 10-12 quarts or 20-24 pints, if I remember rightly). Roughly measure
the amount of fruit and add three times that amount of water to the stock pot
and let them soak 12 hours. Bring just to a boil and then turn the heat down
low and simmer for 20 minutes. Then let them soak for another 12 hours. At
the end of this period, remove the fruit (the rinds will have soaked up some
water, this is desirable), and shred the whole fruits, using a food processor
if you have one. With this method, it only takes a couple of minutes to
process the fruit perfectly. If not, you must slice the fruits by hand as
finely as you desire it to be in your finished product. Remove as many of
the remaining seeds and pips as you find, and return the fruit to the water
in the stock pot. Then add approximately 3/4 cup of sugar for every cup of
fruit and juice. Measure and add the sugar, stirring until it is dissolved,
and bring it back to the boiling point. Because of the addition of the
sugar, the boiling point of the mixture will have been raised. It should
reach 8 or 9 degrees Fahrenheit (apologies to Centigrade users) higher than
the boiling point of water in your locality to form a satisfactory jell. If
you have a candy thermometer, you can use it to test the temperature of your
marmalade. You can test the marmalade 10 minutes or so after the sugar has
been added and the mixture has begun to boil. I also constantly keep picking
out the little pips that appear as the mixture boils. It makes for a cleaner
finished product. Place a small amount of the mixture in a spoon, cool it
slightly, and let it drop back into the pan from the side of the spoon. At
first, it will be light and syrupy. As it thickens, two large drops begin to
form along the edge of the spoon. When they come together and fall as a
single drop, the "sheeting stage," 220 to 222F, has been reached. This can
also be tested with the candy thermometer, but may not be as reliable as your
'intuition.' The marmalade is then ready to be taken from the heat. It may
take as much as 30 minutes or more for this stage to be reached, so be
patient. If you use jars with two-piece metal screw-down lids, there is no
need to use paraffin. I wash my jars and lids in the dishwasher so that they
are ready when I need them. You may also boil your jars and lids and keep
them in the hot water until you are ready to use them. Then, just using a
ladle, I fill the jars with the hot marmalade to within 1/8 inch of the top.
I put the rubber-sealed top on and screw the metal band on firmly, then
invert the jars for a few seconds to seal them completely. Cool the jars in
an upright position, and store as you would any other jam or jelly. I wish
you all the best of luck and hope you enjoy this stuff as much as we do.
Sincerely,
Kurt Mize
Stockton, California
USDA Zone 9
