Lemon Lime Marmalade is bright and tangy with in season citrus. A spark of lime flavor adds depth and mystery to the mostly lemon marmalade.
“It was a deluge of a winter in the Salinas Valley, wet and wonderful. The rains fell gently and soaked in and did not freshet. The feed was deep in January, and in February the hills were fat with grass and the coats of the cattle looked tight and sleek.”
East of Eden, John Steinbeck
Inspiration
Marmalade inspiration is everywhere during winter citrus season. An almost endless variety of citrus opens the door to unique flavor combinations. This is why I make my own. Excellent orange marmalade is always available at the store. Lemon Lime Marmalade? Time to make my own batch. Last year’s lemon marmalade was lovely, I want outstanding. A spark of lime flavor adds depth and mystery to the mostly lemon marmalade. The Mr. has set aside his favorite blueberry jam and is having sweet and tangy Lemon Lime Marmalade on his morning toast. This is a complete surprise. Is it possible to convert someone to #CitrusLove?
Essentials
Each citrus season I vow to make marmalade that’s filled with the bright and tangy flavor I crave and is easy to make. Easy, as in not spending an hour or more thinly slicing and seeding citrus. Its easy to cut thick slices of rind when making marmalade. As much as I adore citrus a thick chewy piece of rind is the last thing I want on my morning toast. The texture is all wrong and the flavor is bitter. Thinly sliced is best. I keep looking for a solution. In 2017 I chopped the fruit in the food processor. That works. Flavor was excellent, but the look and texture was off. Disappointed, last year I went back to thinly slicing with a very sharp knife. I lost another battle with inpatient knife skills. This time I used the food processor to make Lemon Lime Marmalade. Instead of chopping I used a slicing blade. The results were the best yet. Although the paper thin slices melted into the lemon Lime Marmalade, the bright and tangy flavor and texture were superlative.
The Blue Chair Jam Cookbook by Rachel Saunders is my go to book for interesting and different flavor combinations of jams and marmalades. I like the three day process too. During the three days maximum flavor is coaxed from the fruit, while minimum daily effort ends in fabulous results. Here is a similar Rachel Saunders recipe, for Meyer Lemon Marmalade.
- Day one: Prep lemons and limes for making the juice, by cutting them into eighths and steeping overnight. Use two and a half pounds of citrus fruit. For Lemon Lime Marmalade, use 2/3 lemons and 1/3 limes. Active time10 minutes.
- Day two: Takes the most time, mostly hands off. The lemon lime juice is made by slowly simmering the slices into a thick syrup. This juice makes a deeply flavored citrus base for the marmalade. Two pounds of lemons and limes are seeded and sliced thinly for Lemon Lime Marmalade.This batch was 3/4 lemons and 1/4 limes. Total time, 2-3 hours for lemon juice to cook, active time, 45 minutes. If slicing the fruit by hand, add an hour more of active prep time.
- Day three: Cook and can the Lemon Lime Marmalade, 1-1/2 hours. Then make toast and enjoy!
- Day four: Clean and label the jars.
I love orange marmalade and know your lemon lime version would be equally enjoyed.
Thank you Karen! I adore anything with lemons.
This sounds delicious! I’m not a huge fan of orange marmalade, but lemon-lime would be lovely. Great idea to slice the citrus in a food processor.
Thank you Lisa! I keep searching for easier ways to make marmalade.
Lemon-lime marmalade sounds delicious. I love the way you paced out the recipe.
Thank you Jeff! Marmalade making should be a pleasure, not a marathon.
We love marmalade, but I don’t remember ever trying a lemon-lime version. We’re getting lovely lemons and limes just now from Spain that I think would work just fine for this. Got the jars and lids, no reason for not making a batch this week. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Ron! Making marmalade is a winter treat.
Beautiful citruses captured in a jar for desserts to make all year long ! Great one !
Thank you 2pots!
My girlfriend has a tree loaded with limes. I have to give her your recipe. It looks so good and so delicious, I can taste it on my toast.
Thank you Gerlinde! This marmalade is fabulous on toast.
To e honest I’ve never liked orange marmalade but this lemon lime sounds like to could be right up my alley! Love the thought of this!
Thank you Abbie!
Your marmalade looks absolutely perfect! A good marmalade should be clear which yours certainly is. I’ve never had very much success at it so I greatly appreciate you sharing your process and tips.
Thank you MJ! Making marmalade is such a rewarding winter project.
Oh my Deb! I love any marmalade, but honestly I’ve never had lemon-lime marmalade so I must try it. I can just imagine it baked into a tender quick loaf or pound cake – with more marmalade slathered on top.
Thank you Mary! I like your thinking!
I love this tangy, sunny marmalade for these wintry days!
Thank you Laura!
My little Meyer lemon tree is bursting with lemons. I’m thinking many of them will land in this marmalade. Those day-to-day instructions are great!
Thank you Valentina! Meyer Lemons make a fabulous marmalade.
Such a great citrus preserve. Love to spread some on my toast.
Thank you Denise!
Wow – I am excited to see you in my inbox and want to try this – I have so many limes and lemons. And so much #citruslove.
Thank you Beth! So good to hear from you! Citrus season is the best part of winter.
I don’t think I’ve ever had lemon-lime marmalade. And I want it! This looks excellent — wonderful recipe. Thanks!
Thank you John! Lemon Lime Marmalade is a citrus lovers dream!