With about twenty pounds of Meyer Lemons to use up quickly (some were not in the best shape after the eight hour trip from Houston), I quickly resorted to canning up lots of this bright and sunshiny fruit. (For all the other ways I used lemons, see my last post here.)
I found two great marmalade recipes, one very simple one and one more traditional.
3 lbs. Meyer Lemons (About 12 or so according the original recipe. Mine were so large, I used 5.)
3 cups sugar
Rinse the lemons and pat dry. Zest the lemons using a large peeler/zester. You want pretty thick strips of the zest, about 1/8 inch thick. Then, cut lemons in half and juice, reserving the juice (about 4 cups).
In a large, heavy saucepan, cover the strips with 8 cups of cold water and bring to a boil; boil for 1 minute. Drain the strips and rinse under cold running water. Blanch two more times; the final time, drain the strips but do not rinse them.
The strips will break apart during the blanching process.
Return the strips to the saucepan. Add the reserved juice and the sugar. Simmer over moderate heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then skimming any foam, until the marmalade sets, about 30-40 minutes.
Ladle the marmalade into 5-6 hot 1/2-pint canning jars, leaving 1/4 inch of space at the top. Add lids and screw on rings. Process in water bath for 15 minutes. Remove and let stand at room temperature for 2 days before serving.
For some reason, this “faux” marm turned dark and almost honey looking.
My more traditional marmalade (made from this recipe), was bright and sunshiny.
We did taste tests and sent a couple of samples to the in-laws in Houston (from whence all the lemons came). So far, none of us can decide which is our favorite, the faux or the traditional.
Meyer lemons are in season this month so seek out some and make some marm!
