Make This Sweet Meyer Lemon Marmalade

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When I first moved into my house, one of the perks was a full-grown orange tree in the yard, which produced an annual bumper crop of intensely sweet and flavorful fruits. After eating as much of the fruit as I could stomach, I still had a bunch leftover that was in danger of going to waste—so I found myself turning to marmalade. Although I’d never been much of a fan of marmalade, finding it to be either too bland or too bitter, I found a recipe that retained the best aspects of the orange fruit, while also avoiding the bitter undertones that often make marmalade unpalatable. This recipe, from the blog The 350 Degree Oven, has become my standard, as it produces a sweet, intensely flavored marmalade.

How to reduce bitterness

The trick to making marmalade that is sweet, rather than bitter, is twofold. The first step is to remove as much of the white pith as possible. To do this, you want to peel the rind very finely, removing as much of the white pith as you can. You’ll also want to remove the seeds and as much of the white membrane as possible. This does make the process more labor-intensive, but the result is worth it, as it creates a marmalade with an intense orange taste without the bitter aftertaste. Since the white pith is what typically allows the marmalade to set, you’ll also need to add pectin to act as a gelling agent.

The second step is to boil and simmer the rinds multiple times, which leaches out the bitterness. To do this, bring the mixture to a boil then simmer for five minutes, after which you rinse it off, and repeat the process two more times. After this, mix the rinds in with the rest of the citrus fruit to create a mixture that is used as the base of the marmalade.

Once you’ve created this mixture of fruit and rind, you’ll cook it with sugar and pectin, plus a pinch of salt and a small dab of butter, after which you’ll ladle it into jars to let it set. The original recipe also calls for ground cloves and a small amount of whiskey, both of which are a matter of preference. (I like adding in whole cloves, but usually skip the whiskey.) If you want to store the marmalade for a long time, canning is an option, or you can 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 gifting me Meyer lemons from their tree. Meyer lemons, which are a hybrid of lemons and mandarins, are known for being sweeter and juicier than regular lemons. Given their taste profile, I decided to use them to make marmalade, adapting the original orange recipe.

Depending on your preferences, you can either add in a little more sugar for a sweet, lemonade-y marmalade, or a little less sugar for a tart, puckery marmalade. Whatever your preference, this recipe captures the bright sweetness of Meyer lemons with none of the dreaded bitterness of marmalade.

Sweet Meyer Lemon Marmalade Recipe

Recipe adapted from The 350 Degree Oven’s Sweet (Not Bitter) Orange Marmalade

Ingredients:

• 6-8 Meyer lemons

• 3 tablespoons low sugar pectin

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ½ tablespoon butter (optional, prevents fruit mixture from foaming)

• 4 cups granulated sugar (add a little more for a sweeter marmalade, a little less for a tart marmalade)

1. Wash and dry the lemons. Use a peeler or knife to remove the peel, removing as much of the bitter white pith as possible.

2. Place peels in a pan, and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for five minutes. Drain the peels, cover them with water, and repeat two more times, to remove the bitterness from them.

3. While the peels are simmering, use a sharp knife to peel the lemons, removing as much of the white pith as possible. Also remove the seeds and as much of the membrane as you can.

4. Mix the simmered peels and lemon fruit in a blender. Depending on desired texture, you can pulse it roughly or finely, for either a chunky or smooth marmalade. The volume of the fruit mixture should equal about three cups in total. (If you don’t have quite enough, add in some extra lemon juice.)

5. Pour the fruit mixture into a pot; add the pectin, salt, and butter. Bring the mixture to a boil, then simmer for five minutes, stirring continuously.

6. Add sugar, stir, and bring to a boil, boiling for one minute. Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to cool for about ten minutes. Recipe should make 6-7 cups of marmalade, which can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one month.

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