CanningUSA.com

Making and Canning Lemon Marmalade

Lemon marmalade is easy to make using this recipe even though the tasks need to be spread out and over a period of three days. This lemon marmalade canning process softens the outer skin, rind or peel and lets it maserate to optimize the flavor. If you are well organized, this presents no problem and you might find it easier to have the preparation and canning procedure spread out.

Note that it's best to only use organic fruit for marmalade, with no pesticides. Any pesticides used in inorganic fruits would have settled within the skin, peel or rind and would be cooked and sealed into your canned goods, making a less than wholesome product.

We use the same cooking and canning procedure for all marmalades: it is a traditional and simple lemon marmalade recipe, which we believe gives the lemon marmalade the best flavor. The first day, the lemons are cut and parboiled with half the sugar. The lemon marmalade is then left to maserate for a day. The second day, the lemon marmalade is parboiled again and then left to maserate another day. The third day, the lemon marmalade is boiled again and canned.

The pith, or skin that separates the fruit inside the skin, contributes considerably to the sour flavor of lemon. If you wish to make the lemon marmalade sweeter, you can remove the pith while cutting the fruit, by scooping the fruit out from between the pith, and then separating the pith from the peel. Another consideration when considering sour flavor of lemon is the amount of time it has been since picking. If possible, it's best to make marmalade the day the lemon is picked.

Yield may vary slightly.

This recipe is adapted from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Complete Guide to Home Canning and Preserving

We do not recommend the use of added pectin in marmalade. If chosing to do so, please follow the pectin manufacturer's instructions.

1. Day 1: Finely slice and quarter the fruit.	2. Place into a large bowl or measuring cup and press down as much as possible.	3. If necessary, add enough water to bring the liquid level up to the top of the fruit.
4. Put fruit in a kettle and add half of the sugar.	5. Bring to a boil then simmer for 10 minutes. Cover and let stand for 24 hours.	6. Day 2: Bring to a boil then simmer for 10 minutes. Cover and let stand for 24 hours.
7. Day 3: Add remaining Sugar. Bring to a boil then simmer for 20 minutes.	8. Check to make sure liquid resembles a thick syrup by placing on a plate, letting it cool then turning it slightly. If the lemon marmalade is not thick enough, continue cooking and retesting.	9. Can and process exactly as you would for Canning Jams.

Video 1: Making and Home Canning Jam and Infused Fruit If you are new to home canning, we recommend you begin with this video. You will learn how to can jam, infuse fruit and then process them in a hot waterbath canner.