Lemon Marmalade

     
I love Marmalade well let's get honest I love love love Lemons. Any way I can incorporate them into a preserve and get that tart taste well.... Yes!

I tried something new I put a couple of vanilla pods into the brew while cooking down the marmalade. It turned out scrumptious.




Ingredients

4 cups lemon pulp (Meyer is best)
2 lemons sliced thin about a cup
1 cup thinly sliced lemon peel (rinds)(just peel)
¼ tsp baking soda
2 cup of lemon juice (fresh squeezed its best but bottled will do)
2 cups of water 

2 vanilla pods sliced down the middle
3 to 4 cups of sugar again to taste I like 3 but I like tart
*******gel point of 223 degreez

So thinly slice your 2 lemons skin,rinds and all. It comes to about a cup or so give or take. Now take the slices and cut them into quarters. Put the slices in 1 cup of the water and 1 cup of the lemon juice add the baking soda and put it in the pot bring it to a boil . Now turn  it down and let it simmer on low for oh 20 minutes this tenderizes the lemon. Do not worry the baking soda does no affect the taste of the end product.

In the meantime cube up your lemons and this is without the peel cut enough to have 4 cups. Also cut your cup of lemon peels. Use the peels from the citrus you are sectioning right now. This is time consuming but you need the variety of pulp, peels and sections to make a truly good marmalade. 

Here is a link on how to separate the citrus for easy cutting.  but like all my tips you make it the consistency you like after all its your jam. 


Add the cooked peel from earlier (add the whole pot liquid included), 1 cup of water, 1 cup of lemon juice, the peels from the cubed citrus and the 4 cups of fruit  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and boil gently for about a half hour stirring occasionally. 

In the same pot, continue with  fruit mixture at the medium-high heat. Add in the vanilla bean and 4 cups of sugar (one at a time mixing it in completely) gradually, maintaining the boil. A boil you can not stir down. Stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches the gel stage. This is a temperature of 223 degrees. 

Let the marmalade cool for a few minutes. It should get a top like when coco cools and it gets that thin cover. This is another way you can see it has a set.

Then, skim off the foam if any and ladle the hot marmalade into the warm jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Process 10 minutes and then remove the canner lid. Wait 5 minutes longer before removing the jars. Let the marmalade cool for at least 8 hours then remove the twist portion of the lid and wash your jars. Store your jars without the twist in a cool dry cupboard. Makes four 8-ounce jars.

Disclaimer: This is not an all inclusive recipe for making jam. You should have a basic knowledge and understanding of the canning process before proceeding. Please consult your local Center for Home Preservation for additional information and available classes.