Recipe: Lemon Marmalade

Lemons have enough acid and pectin to make marmalade without adding additional pectin. Some recipes call for using the seeds, others don't. Here is a recipe, you would remove the seeds before cooking, so it won't make it bitter.

The dishwasher does not sterilize, just clean. I order to sterilize, they would need to be boiled. However, when processing any food in a water bath canner for 10 minutes or longer, you do not need to presterilize the jars and the dishwasher will be fine to use. Only with jelly that is processed for 5 minutes would you need to boil the jars prior to canning.

I would use a candy/jelly thermometer if you have one and bring up to 220 degrees.

Here is a recipe for you to compare.

LEMON MARMALADE

3 lb Lemons - Meyer or regular lemons
8 cups Sugar - granulated (actually 8 to 10 cups)

Slice the lemons as thin as possible. Discard ends. Remove all seeds and tie them in a square of doubled cheesecloth. Put lemons and seed bag in a nonreactive bowl with enough water to cover. Let stand overnight.

Measure the lemons and water into a wide, shallow, nonreactive pan. Add an equal volume of sugar and cook over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Raise heat to medium-high and cook, stirring frequently and skimming off the foam as it rises, until temperature reaches 220F, about 1/2 hour. Remove marmalade from heat.

To test for consistency, drop a little marmalade on a saucer and put the saucer into the freezer until marmalade is cold, about 5 minutes. Tip the saucer: the marmalade should just barely run. If too thin, return the marmalade to medium-high heat and cook, testing often, until it has reached the right consistency.

Put marmalade into hot jars. Store in refrigerator up to 1 month or, for longer storage, seal in water bath canner for 15 minutes.