Make Sweet Meyer Lemon Marmalade
When I first moved into my house, one of the benefits was a thriving orange tree in the yard that produced a bumper crop of very sweet and aromatic fruit each year. After eating as much fruit as I could stomach, I still had a bunch left to go to waste, so I found myself turning to marmalade. Although I’ve never been a big fan of marmalade and found it either too bland or too bitter, I found a recipe that retained the best qualities of orange while avoiding the bitter undertones that often make marmalade taste unpalatable. This recipe from The 350 Degree Oven blog has become my standard because it makes a sweet marmalade with an intense flavor.
How to reduce bitterness
The trick to making marmalade sweet rather than bitter is two-part. The first step is to remove as much of the white pith as possible. To do this, you need to peel the skin very finely, removing as much of the white pith as possible. You will also want to remove the seeds and as much of the white shell as possible. This makes the process more labor-intensive, but the result is worth it, as the result is marmalade with an intense orange flavor without bitterness. Since the white center usually allows the marmalade to set, you will also need to add pectin, which will act as a gelling agent.
The second step is to boil and cook the peel several times, this will wash out the bitterness from it. To do this, bring the mixture to a boil, then boil for five minutes, then rinse off and repeat the procedure two more times. Next, mix the peels with the rest of the citrus fruit to create a mixture that will be used as a base for the marmalade.
Once you’ve prepared the fruit and peel mixture, cook it with sugar and pectin, plus a pinch of salt and a little butter, then pour it into jars to set. The original recipe also calls for ground cloves and a little whiskey, both of which are a matter of preference. (I like to add whole cloves, but I usually don’t add whiskey.) If you want to store the marmalade for a long time, you can can it or store it in the refrigerator for a shorter period, usually about a month.
Sweet (or tart) Meyer lemon marmalade
A few years ago, a neighbor started giving me Meyer lemons from his tree. Meyer lemons , a hybrid of lemons and tangerines, are known for being sweeter and juicier than regular lemons. Given their flavor profile, I decided to use them to make marmalade, adapting the original orange recipe.
Depending on your preference, you can add a little more sugar for a sweet lemonade marmalade or a little less sugar for a tart, crinkly marmalade. Whatever your preference, this recipe captures the bright sweetness of Meyer lemons without the awful bitterness of marmalade.
Sweet Meyer Lemon Marmalade Recipe
Recipe adapted from sweet (not bitter) orange marmalade in a 350 degree oven.
Ingredients:
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6-8 Meyer lemons
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3 tablespoons low sugar pectin
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½ teaspoon salt
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½ tablespoon butter (optional, this helps prevent the fruit mixture from foaming)
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4 cups granulated sugar (add a little more for sweeter marmalade, a little less for tart marmalade)
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Wash and dry the lemons. Using a peeler or knife, remove the skin, removing as much of the bitter white pith as possible.
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Place the peel in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for five minutes. Drain the peel, cover it with water and repeat two more times to remove any bitterness from it.
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While the peels are simmering, peel the lemons with a sharp knife, removing as much of the white pith as possible. Also remove the seeds and as much of the shell as possible.
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Mix the boiled zest and lemon fruits in a blender. Depending on the texture you want, you can grind it coarsely or finely to create a thick or smooth marmalade. The total volume of the fruit mixture should be approximately three glasses. (If you don’t have enough, add a little more lemon juice.)
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Pour fruit mixture into saucepan; add pectin, salt and oil. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cook for five minutes, stirring constantly.
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Add sugar, stir and bring to a boil, simmering for one minute. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool for about ten minutes. The recipe should yield 6-7 cups of marmalade, which can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one month.