Ye Olde Tavern Life

Meyer Lemon Marmalade

• 8 Meyer lemons
• 10 cups water
• 8 cups sugar
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• Rinse the lemons and wipe them dry. Slice off the stem ends, then halve them and remove the seeds with the tip of a paring knife. Reserve the seeds. Cut each lemon piece in half again, then slice very thinly (a mandoline works well for this.
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• Take all reserved seeds and place them on a piece of cheesecloth. Tie the cheesecloth shut with twine, forming a small bag of the seeds.
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• Place the lemon slices in a heavy nonreactive 8-qt pot. Add the water and the cheesecloth bag of seeds. Cover and let sit overnight.
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• After 18-24 hours, stir the sugar into the lemon-water and set the pot over high heat. Bring to a boil, stir, then reduce heat to low to maintain a gentle simmer. Stir occasionally to make sure the lemon slices are not sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning. If any white foam rises to the top, skim it off.
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• Continue cooking the mixture until it reaches the jelling point – 220 degrees Fahrenheit. This will take at least one hour. Once you reach this point, take the pot off the heat. To check if your marmalade is properly jelled, place a small amount on a plate and stick it in the freezer. After five minutes, remove the plate from the freezer and nudge the jell; if it wrinkles, it's finished. If it's still runny, return the pot to the heat, checking every few minutes to see if it's done.
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• Once the marmalade has reached the jell stage, remove it from the heat, remove the cheesecloth bag of seeds, and ladle into clean jars. Refrigerate, tightly covered, and it'll keep for a while. Makes about 2 quarts.