This easy three-ingredient recipe is all you need to makelemon marmaladefrom scratch. Although this recipe is simple, it does require hoursto complete, so make sure to plan ahead. Lemons, water, and sugar are cooked together to create this beloved British breakfast spread. Almost the whole fruit is used—minus the pith and the seeds—to create a transparent jam-like consistency that is both sweet and slightly bitter.
Although a little bitterness is typical, you want to be sure to remove all of the white pith from the rind so that the spread is not overwhelmingly so. Then plan for hours in the refrigerator and a few hours on the stovetop before canning. Enjoy this lemon marmalade with your breakfast toast but feel free to incorporate it into recipes calling for sweet lemon flavor as well.
This recipe comes from "Country Living Country Mornings Cookbook" by Lucy Wing (Hearst Books, 1989).
10 large lemons, washed
4 cups water
4 cups sugar
Gather the ingredients.
Using a vegetable peeler, remove the yellow part of the lemon peel in strips. Cut strips into 1 x 1/8-inch pieces.
With a knife, cut off any remaining white membrane, or pith, from peeled lemons.
Cut peeled lemons crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
In aheavy, non-aluminum 5-quartkettle or Dutch oven, combine lemon peel, sliced fruit, and water. Cover and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours.
Place lemon mixture over high heat and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until lemon mixture is soft, about 1hour.
Add sugar to lemon mixture and increase heat to medium-high; stir until sugar dissolves.
Heat to boiling and reduce heat just so mixture boils gently. Boil uncovered, stirring frequently, until a candy thermometer registers 220F, or 45 to 60 minutes have passed, and mixture has thickened.
Prepare 3 (1-pint) canning jars with their lids and bands for processing,following manufacturer's directions.
Spoon marmalade into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch space at the top of the jars.
Wipe jar rims clean. Seal with lids and bands.
Process jars in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.
Cool jars on a wire rack. Label and store in a cool, dry place.
Tips
- Because the entire lemon is used, it is best to buy organic, or if you're lucky enough, use homegrown. Commercially sold lemons can have a waxy coating and may have been sprayed with pesticides. At the very least, wash the lemons well before peeling.
- Although you may be tempted to reduce the amount of sugar, it's important that you use the full amount as the sugar assists in the consistency and prevents mold from forming.
- Be sure to use a large pot. When the sugar is added, the mixture will boil up and can overflow if the pot is too small.
The Decline of Marmalade Production
Learning to make homemade marmalade is a usefulskill, as sales of the spread have dipped. Some marmalade manufacturers have gone out of business, and in Britain, where the preserve is traditionally most popular, younger people don't eat it nearly as much as the over-45 crowd does. This trend is not only rooted in generational differences in taste but also that breakfast is no longer as widely eaten as it once was.
As breakfast declines in popularity, the jams and spreads served with it no longer have the same hold on culinary traditions as they did previously.One way manufacturers are trying to tap into the younger market is by offering marmalade in new flavors. (Orange marmalade is the flavor that has traditionally been served in the United States and the United Kingdom.)By learning to make your own marmalade, you can enjoy any flavor at any time.
How do I know when the marmalade is ready?
If you don't have a candy thermometer, there are a few ways to tell if the marmalade has set.
- The wrinkle plate test: Place a few small plates in the freezer. Put a dollop of marmalade on a cold plate and push it with your finger; if it wrinkles, the marmalade has set properly. If it is runny, it still needs time to cook.
- The appearance of the bubbles: While the marmalade is boiling at the beginning of the process, the bubbles should pop as soon as they hit the surface, but as it thickens, the bubbles will become more stable.
| Nutrition Facts (per serving) |
|---|
| 89 | Calories |
| 0g | Fat |
| 23g | Carbs |
| 0g | Protein |
Show Full Nutrition Label
×
| Nutrition Facts |
|---|
| Servings: 48 |
|---|
| Amount per serving |
| Calories | 89 |
| % Daily Value* |
| Total Fat 0g | 0% |
| Saturated Fat 0g | 0% |
| Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
| Sodium 2mg | 0% |
| Total Carbohydrate 23g | 8% |
| Dietary Fiber 1g | 4% |
| Total Sugars 20g |
| Protein 0g |
| Vitamin C 22mg | 112% |
| Calcium 10mg | 1% |
| Iron 0mg | 1% |
| Potassium 96mg | 2% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
Rate This Recipe
I don't like this at all.It's not the worst.Sure, this will do.I'm a fan—would recommend.Amazing! I love it!Thanks for your rating!
FAQs
Adjust the cooking time: The bitterness in marmalade can come from overcooking the citrus peel. Try reducing the cooking time, or using a lower heat setting to avoid overcooking the peel. Soak the citrus peel: Soaking the citrus peel in water overnight can help to reduce the bitterness.
What makes a good marmalade? ›
'Best' marmalade should be filled with perfectly uniform shreds, and these take time to slice, so pop on the radio and chop with patience. The peel also needs to be very soft before pouring in the sugar as it will not soften any more after the sugar is added.
Why won't my lemon marmalade set? ›
It sounds like you have over boiled it. If you cook it for too long at a high temperature, the natural pectin breaks down and no longer acts as a setting agent and the sugar polymerises into toffee. The way to make any set jam or marmalade is to simmer the fruit gently until it develops your desired level of softness.
What is the ratio of fruit to sugar when making marmalade? ›
What's the ratio of sugar to fruit in marmalade? Because of the tartness of a Seville orange, the ratio of sugar to fruit in marmalade is 2:1. This recipe calls for 2kg of sugar and 1kg of oranges but you can scale it down or up using that ratio.
What sugar is best for making marmalade? ›
Caster sugar is the one to avoid. The crystals are too fine, which is great for baking but they will dissolve too quickly when making marmalade. Granulated sugar is a good choice. The large crystals will dissolve quickly and cleanly, resulting in a clear, amber liquid that best shows off your perfectly floating peel.
Why did my lemon marmalade turn brown? ›
Don't let the marmalade turn brown: If the marmalade is turning brown while you are cooking it, you are likely overcooking it and the sugars are beginning to caramelize. Remove it from the heat immediately if this happens and then next time you make marmalade, aim for a lower setting temperature.
Why add lemon juice to marmalade? ›
Adding acid in the form of fresh lemon or lime juice is important for two reasons: First, it makes for a more well-balanced jam, returning some of the acidity lost with the addition of sugar. Second, pectin needs acid to properly activate, or firm up.
Does lemon juice thicken marmalade? ›
Lemons contain a very high amount of pectin, which naturally sets and thickens the marmalade.
Why put butter in marmalade? ›
To prevent scum forming on the top of your jam, add a knob of butter to your fruit at the same time as you add the sugar, we recommend 20 grams per 1 kilogram of fruit. Note: Scum is nothing sinister, it is only air bubbles that are created during the cooking process, they will not ruin your jam/marmalade if they form.
Do you boil marmalade with lid on or off? ›
Once it comes to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Uncover and let simmer an additional 15 minutes or until citrus is very soft, stirring occasionally. Raise heat and mixture to a boil. Add sugar to citrus mixture and mix until well combined.
Tim Nind's Seville Orange and Ginger Marmalade, Dalemain Award Winner 2023. Selected from a wide variety of entries from all over the world, Tim Nind's Seville Orange and Ginger Marmalade has been crowned the winner of the 2023 Dalemain Marmalade Homemade Double Gold Award.
How do you fix runny lemon marmalade? ›
How do you fix runny marmalade? Runny may mean not enough pectin. You could Try boiling to get it thicker. If that doesn't work try adding a small amount of sugar if it's not too sweet.
What happens if you don't put enough sugar in marmalade? ›
Reducing the sugar in the recipe means a slacker, not set consistency and the marmalade could have a shorter shelf life.
What to do with failed marmalade? ›
As I mentioned, you can save and fix a marmalade that doesn't set properly because it's undercooked by reheating the preserve, bringing it back up to a boil and cooking to 220ºF–222ºF before transferring to sterilized jars and sealing.
What is traditional marmalade made of? ›
Marmalade (from the Portuguese marmelada) is a fruit preserve made from the juice and peel of citrus fruits boiled with sugar and water. The well-known version is made from bitter orange. It is also made from lemons, limes, grapefruits, mandarins, sweet oranges, bergamots, and other citrus fruits, or a combination.
What is the method of marmalade? ›
Cook the Zest and Fruit
Put the zest, fruit, and accumulated juices, along with 4 cups of water and 6 cups of sugar into a large, heavy pot. Stir to dissolve the sugar a bit and bring everything to a boil. If you plan to hot-water process the jars of marmalade, fill a canning kettle with water and bring it to a boil.
How long to boil marmalade before it sets? ›
After about 5 mins the marmalade will start to rise up the pan (it may drop back and then rise again) and larger bubbles will cover the surface. After 8-10 mins boiling, test for setting point. Times will vary according to the size of the pan – in a large pan this takes 7-8 mins, in other pans it may take 12-15 mins.
What is original marmalade made of? ›
Originally, marmalade was made from quince, which is a fruit that looks like a pear. This variety of marmalade was expensive, so eventually someone decided to use oranges, which were cheaper compared to quince. Even though the quince was replaced, the name marmalade stuck.
