Making Meyer Lemon Marmalade

 I was introduced to meyer lemon marmalade last year by my friend Jennifer and fell in love.  It's tart, but not too tart; sweet, but not too sweet.  A little bit tangy and really gives you a burst of sunshine on a winter's morning.  This year, I begged to be shown how to make this yummy goodness. 

While I have done some pickling and a little canning in the past, I am not an expert and have never tried my hand at jams.  Come into the kitchen with us and I'll share a little of what I learned.

Jennifer's recipe was in her head, but I found this one that seems quite similar. 

Pantry items:  2-1/2 lbs. meyer lemons, 6 cups of sugar, 4 cups of water.
For canning materials and how-to, check the link above as well as a good canning book.  My current favorite is Put 'em Up and Jennifer swears by the Ball Blue Book.

 Several recipes I looked at called for thinly slicing your lemons, but I cut my lemons into little triangles - I got 16 per lemon (or 8 per half of lemon).  I like the result of the chunks of lemon you get instead of little slices. 

 Here it is almost ready - can you see how it turned a lovely, dark amber color?  I kept sneaking little tastes - so yummy!

Sterilized and filled jars in the water bath. 

 Waiting and chatting.  We did a lot of this while making the marmalade, which is why it is more fun to can with a friend.  Jennifer is one of those women who works full time and has two kids, but still manages to do so many cool, creative things.  The whole process took about 2-1/2 hours, so we talked about everything under the sun.

Finished jars waiting to cool and be eaten.  I like mine best on good toast, smeared with cream cheese and then a big topping of the marmalade on top.  It's also yummy as a PB&J.

Meyer lemons are only in season for a little longer, so even if you don't have time to make your own marmalade, you should get a few to try.  They have such an interesting citrus taste.

Can't wait until next year to make it again!