Meyer Lemon Marmalade

My 2014 Obsession with Meyer Lemons,  has come to an end. I used to last few lemons this morning to make marmalade.  The process actually started last night with the slicing of the lemons and soaking over night in water with the seeds tied in a cheesecloth bag. This step allows the pectin in the seeds to leach out, helping to thicken the jam with less sugar or requiring a long cooking time. My recipe is adapted from one widely available online.

I will be enjoying this marmalade long after the muffins, scones and lemon chicken are just distant memories. Marmalade is my favorite on toast, English muffins, bagels, and biscuits. I especially love the tangy flavor with cream cheese on a plain bagel. Without a bagel in the house, I opted to test the marmalade on fresh buttermilk biscuits. I usually make my buttermilk by adding lemon juice to whole milk, but today I didn't have any lemon juice! I used white vinegar in its place. If you need a good biscuit recipe, give mine a try. They are easy to make and perfect every time, especially when topped with tart, sweet Meyer Lemon Marmalade.

Meyer Lemon Marmalade

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Ingredients

• ▢ 5 Meyer lemons
• ▢ 2 and ⅔ cups water
• ▢ 2 and ⅔ cups sugar

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Instructions

• Halve lemons crosswise and remove seeds. Tie seeds in a cheesecloth bag. Quarter each lemon half, cut out the center membrane, and thinly slice. Combine sliced lemons with bag of seeds and water in a 5-quart non-reactive heavy pot and let stand, covered, at room temperature 24 hours.
• Bring lemon mixture to a boil over moderate heat. Reduce heat and add the sugar. Boil, uncovered, stirring occasionally and skimming off any foam, until a candy thermometer reads 226 degrees. If you don't have a candy thermometer you can chill a plate while cooking the marmalade. Test the set by dropping a half teaspoon of hot jam onto the chilled plate. Wait to see if it thickens. The chilled jam should wrinkle when gently pushed with your finger.
• Ladle the jam into clean sterilized jars and process following standard canning rules. There are many sources of canning information available online.
• If you will be using it soon, the marmalade can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer. If you use glass jars and plan to freeze them, make sure they are freezer safe.