Every shiny scoop of Lemon Marmalade is the collision of sweet and tart. An explosion of lemon flavor captures the season of citrus in every jar of Lemon Marmalade.
“Liza was a good plain cook, and her house—it was always her house—was brushed and pummeled and washed.”
East of Eden, John Steinbeck
Inspiration
When it comes to cooking and baking my rebellious streak is tempered by “Is this something we will eat? With enthusiasm? Is this good use of resources, my time and food?” Bonus, if I can be creative and find joy in the making. Lemon Marmalade checks all the boxes. The collision of sweet and tart is in every shiny scoop. Using up an array of lemons, big and small, thick and thin skinned, Lisbon and a few Meyer, is what makes Lemon Marmalade so appealing. Canning with what’s in season always brings the best flavor and least cost. The joy of filling the pantry with homemade is not to be underestimated.
There was a time when my breakfast was a toasted English muffin, orange marmalade and English breakfast tea with cream. Now I’m a coffee drinker who has a scrambled egg with homemade whole grain bread and homemade jam. Summer berry jam, especially Olallie is without fail, fabulous, but a craving for something both sweet and tart never vanishes. Lemon Marmalade is an exceptional way to jumpstart the day.
Essentials
For this batch of Lemon Marmalade I used Rachel Saunders recipe from Blue Chair Jam Book. The recipe uses five pounds of lemons, with a yield of 10-11 cups of marmalade. It’s a three day affair. Which is fine with me, it breaks up the work into manageable components. Making Lemon Marmalade instead of orange isn’t too rebellious is it? Here is a similar Rachel Saunders recipe, for Meyer Lemon Marmalade.
- Day one: Prep lemons for making lemon juice, 10 minutes.
- Day two: Takes the most time, mostly hands off. Lemon juice is made and lemons are sliced thinly for the marmalade. Total time, 2-3 hours for lemon juice to cook, active time, 45 minutes.
- Day three: Cook and can the Lemon Marmalade, 1-1/2 hours. Then make toast and enjoy!
- Day four: Clean and label the jars.
Deb, you always make a recipe approachable. Breaking down the process day by day makes making this marmalade doable, even for the novice. And as always, your photos are lovely!
Thank you for the delicious comment Mary, much appreciated!
My first choice when it comes to jams is orange marmalade. Since I’m crazy about lemons, I know I would really enjoy your lemon one.
Thank you Karen!
So beautiful photographs and perfect timing ! Thank you Deb !
Thank you 2pots!
Mmmm, lemon. Say no more. Love it! I’m a lemon freak, actually, as I’ve probably mentioned. Terrific stuff — thanks.
Thank you John! I feel exactly the same way, everything lemon!
So vibrant and beautiful, your marmalade looks like the perfect accompaniment to a fresh loaf of bread!
Thank you Laura!
Somehow every time I think of citrus + any time of jam or marmalade, I think of you! And thank goodness this recipe was here to greet me after my (long-delayed!) visit. Thank you for always sharing such sunshiney recipes! Makes me dream of the summer months already~
Thank you for stopping by Ala! California citrus season certainly is winter sunshine!
The flavor and taste of this marmalade are exquisite, it is sweet with a hint of citrus. Thank you for giving me a jar, both, my husband and I just loved it.
Thank you Gerlinde! We didn’t think the Lemon Marmalade was too sweet, much tangier than orange marmalade!
I never tried lemon marmalade, but you make it sound amazing Deb! A recipe to try in the future, when the summer heat disappears!
Thank you Paula! It’s winter here in California, which means citrus season!
I was ogling your process on Instagram and am delighted that you’ve posted! I will try and get a variety of lemons to make this up, but as I live in Britain, we get what we get! Mainly Italian lemons. Deb, I was wondering if I could add bottled yuzu juice (I’ve got the good stuff. Brought back from Japan)? What do you think? Would it mess up the process at all? Was just thinking of half a cup. Thanks!
Hi Kellie! Yes, yuzu juice could be added to the marmalade. Part of the recipe includes 2 oz of fresh lemon juice, yuzu could be used instead. There is also a recipe for Italian or Sorrento lemon marmalade in The Blue Chair Jam book. It’s quite the cookbook, there is such a fabulous array of jam and jelly recipes.
What a beautiful post. And what delicious marmalade! One of my favorite spreads for toast.
Thank you for the kind comment Denise, much appreciated!
This sounds like my kind of marmalade. Loving the pictures here. I need to try out this recipe. Thanks for the recipe. 🙂
Thank you Neha! Lemon marmalade is such a treat!