Meyer Lemon And Navel Orange Marmalade Food

MEYER LEMON AND BLOOD ORANGE MARMALADE

Steps:

• Place several small plates or saucers in the freezer.
• Wash the citrus well under warm running water. Cut the lemons and orange in half lengthwise. Cut each half into 1/8-inch segments, lengthwise. Pluck out any exposed membrane and remove the seeds.
• Measure the cut citrus. You should have 2 1/2 cups, but if you have less, use the same volume of water and sugar as you have citrus. (If there are only 2 cups, for example, use 2 cups water and 2 cups sugar.) Place the citrus and the same volume of water into a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until the peels are very soft and fully cooked, about 20 to 30 minutes.
• Add the sugar to the pot, stir to combine. Turn the heat up to high and bring back to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and let the marmalade simmer until set. It should take about 20 to 30 minutes, but start checking after 15 minutes to see if it is set by spooning a little onto a chilled plate from the freezer. If it looks like jam and not runny syrup, it's ready. (If you want to use a candy thermometer, you are looking for 222 degrees.)
• Allow marmalade to cool to room temperature before serving. Store leftovers in the refrigerator and use within a month.

MEYER LEMON MARMALADE

Steps:

• Note that the proportion of lemon segments to water to sugar is 1:1:1. So if you don't have a kitchen scale and don't weigh your lemons to begin with, as you proceed through this recipe keep in mind these proportions. Your 2 1/2 lbs of lemons should yield 6 cups of chopped lemon. 6 cups of chopped lemon will be cooked first with 6 cups of water, and then later 6 cups of sugar are added. You can also do this recipe with 4 cups of chopped lemons, 4 cups of water, and 4 cups of sugar. Do not double the recipe. Do not reduce the sugar (if you want a reduced sugar recipe, use a different recipe); the sugar is needed for the jelly to set.
• PREPARING THE FRUIT.
• Scrub the lemons clean. Discard any that are moldy or damaged.
• Prepare the lemons. Cut 1/4 inch off from the ends of the lemons. Working one at a time, stand a lemon on end. Cut the lemon in half lengthwise. Cut each lemon half into several segments, lengthwise. As you cut the lemons into segments, if you can, pull off any exposed membranes. Just get the ones that are easy to get to, ignore the rest. When you've cut down to the final segment, cut away the pithy core. Remove all seeds from the segments. Reserve the seeds and any removed membrane or pith. You will need them to make pectin. Cut each lemon segment crosswise into even pieces to make little triangles of lemon peel and pulp.
• Put all of the seeds, membranes and pith you removed from the lemons into a bag fashioned out of two layers of cheesecloth or a muslin jelly bag.
• FIRST STAGE OF COOKING.
• Place the lemon segments and water into a large, wide pot.
• Place the pectin bag in the pot with the fruit pulp and secure to the pot handle.
• Bring mixture to a medium boil on medium high heat. Let boil, uncovered, for about 25-35 minutes, until the peels are soft and cooked through. Test one of the lemon peel pieces by eating it. It should be soft. If it is still chewy, keep cooking until soft.
• Remove from heat.
• Remove the pectin bag, place the pectin bag in a bowl and let cool until it is comfortable to touch.
• ADD THE PECTIN AND SUGAR.
• Once your pectin bag has cooled to the point you can handle it, if you want, squeeze it like play-doh to extract any extra pectin. This is not necessary but will help ensure a good set. (I like to wear latex-type gloves for this part.) You should be able to get a tablespoon or two more from the bag. It has the consistency of sour cream. Return this pectin to the pan with the lemon mixture.
• Measure out your sugar and add it to the pan with the lemon mixture.
• SECOND STAGE OF COOKING.
• Heat the jelly mixture on medium high and bring it to a rapid boil. Secure a candy thermometer to the side of the pan. The marmalade may take anywhere from 20 to 35 minutes or so to be ready to pour out. After about 15 minutes, start checking it frequently.
• There are two ways to test that the marmalade is ready to pour out into jars - the mixture reaching a temperature of 220-222°F (8-10°F above the boiling point at your altitude) and a bit of it put on a chilled plate "wrinkling up" when you push it with your finger tip. I do both.
• For the wrinkle test, put several small plates into the freezer. As the jelly temperature reaches 218°F, start testing it by placing a small amount of the hot jelly on a chilled plate. If the jelly spreads out and thins immediately, it isn't ready. If it holds its shape a bit, like an egg yolk, that's a good sign. Push up against it with your finger tip. If the jelly sample wrinkles at all, it is time to take the jelly off the heat and pour it out into jars.
• When you use a candy thermometer to test the temperature of your mixture, make sure the probe is NOT touching the bottom of the pan. Make sure that the indentation on the probe (with modern candy thermometers this is about an inch and a half from the bottom of the probe) is actually surrounded by the mixture. This may mean that you have to tilt the pan to one side, to cover the probe sufficiently to get a good reading.
• CANNING.
• While the marmalade is in its second cooking stage, rinse out your canning jars, dry them, and place them, without lids, in a 200°F oven. They should be in the oven at least 10 minutes before using them.
• As the time approaches for the marmalade to be done, boil some water in a tea pot. Put the jar lids in a glass or ceramic bowl and pour the boiling water over them to sterilize.
• Once the jelly has reached 220°F or its "wrinkly" stage, remove the jelly pot from the heat. Carefully ladle the jelly into the jars, one at a time, leaving 1/4 inch head space at the top of the jars for a vacuum seal. Wipe the rim clean with a clean, wet paper towel. Place the lid on the jar, securing with a jar ring. Work quickly.
• Allow the jars to sit overnight. You will hear them make a popping sound as a vacuum seal is created.
• Even if the jelly is not firm as it goes into the jar (it shouldn't be), it should firm up as it cools.

MEYER LEMON AND NAVEL ORANGE MARMALADE

Steps:

• Day 1, Morning: Take 1/2 a pound of the Meyer lemons and cut them into eighths. Place these in a non-reactive saucepan where they will fit snugly in a single layer. Add enough cold water for the fruit to bob freely. Cover tightly and let rest for 8 hours at room temperature.
• Day 1, Afternoon: After 8 hours have passed, bring the pan with the Meyer lemon eighths and water to a boil over high heat, then decrease the heat to medium-low. Cook the fruit at a lively simmer, covered, for 2 hours - the lemons will become very soft and the liquid will become slightly syrupy. As the lemons cook, press down on them gently with a spoon every 30 minutes or so, adding a little more water if necessary. The water level should remain consistently high enough for the fruit to remain submerged as it cooks.
• When the lemons are finished cooking, strain their juice by pouring the hot fruit and liquid into a fine mesh strainer or jelly bag set over a medium bowl. Cover the whole setup with plastic wrap and let drip overnight at room temperature.
• Meanwhile, prepare the Meyer lemon slices and the navel oranges.
• To prepare the Meyer lemon slices: take the remaining half pound of the Meyer lemons. Halve them lengthwise, then cut each half into thirds (each lemon will be cut into 6 pieces at this point). Take each lemon slice and pry out any seeds from it. You can place these seeds in the pot with the lemon eighths and water which is currently simmering - this will add more pectin.
• Slice each Meyer lemon slice thinly crosswise - how thick you slice is a personal preference. I prefer to slice very thinly, making each slice 1/8th of an inch or less. But if you like you could make your slices thicker. I wouldn't recommend going much thicker than 1/4 of an inch.
• Place these Meyer lemon slices (they will look like a lot of little triangles) in a stainless steel pot and cover with water, covering the slices by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat, then decrease the heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain, discarding the liquid. Return the lemon slices to the pot and cover with 1 inch of cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, decrease the heat to medium-low, and cook at a lively simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. As the fruit cooks, stir it gently every 10 minutes or so, adding a little more water if necessary. The water level should stay consistently high enough for the fruit to remain submerged as it cooks. After 20 minutes, remove the pan from the heat, cover tightly, and let rest overnight at room temperature.
• To prepare the navel oranges: Cut the oranges in half, squeeze the juice out of the halves into a bowl, and strain the juice. Place this fresh orange juice in a covered container and store in the refrigerator.
• Put the juiced orange halves in a large non-reactive kettle or stock pot and cover them with water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat, then decrease the heat to medium-low and cook at a lively simmer for 5 minutes. Drain, discarding the liquid. Return the orange halves to the kettle and add water to cover them by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat, then decrease the heat to medium-low and cook, covered, at a lively simmer for 1 hour. As the oranges cook, press down on them gently with a spoon every 15 minutes, adding more water if necessary. The water level should stay consistently high enough for the fruit to remain submerged as it cooks. After 1 hour, remove the pan from the heat, cover tightly, and let rest overnight at room temperature.
• Day 2, Morning: Remove the plastic wrap from the lemon eighths and their juice and discard the lemons remaining in the strainer or jelly bag. Do not squeeze the bag or press down on the lemons if you want a clear jelly in your marmalade. Set this juice aside.
• Prepare the oranges: Remove the orange halves from their cooking liquid, RESERVING THE LIQUID. Over a large bowl, use a spoon to gently scoop the remaining flesh and membranes from the orange halves, going around each one two or three times until its interior is smooth and its rind is a uniform thickness. Place the flesh and membranes, along with the reserved cooking liquid, in a fine mesh strainer and let this drip while you slice the orange rinds.
• Slice each orange rind into 5 equal strips, and then cut each strip crosswise into slices; again, I like to make my slices about 1/8th of an inch thick, but you could make yours thicker if you like. Set the orange rind slices aside.
• Empty the fine mesh strainer, discarding the orange flesh/membrane mixture, and set the strainer back up over the bowl containing the juice you just strained from the oranges. Pour the Meyer lemon slices and their juice through the strainer, and let this mixture drip for about 15 minutes. Remove the Meyer lemon slices from the strainer - DO NOT DISCARD - set them aside. Mix the combined cooked juices you have strained from the oranges and lemon slices, mixing well, and set aside.
• Mix together the reserved cooked juice from the Meyer lemon eighths and the fresh orange juice. Add to this enough of the combined cooked juices from the Meyer lemon slices and the orange rinds to make 6 cups total. You will have a lot of the combined cooked juices from the Meyer lemon slices and orange halves left over after you use what you need to make up the 6 cups. You can just discard the leftover amount.
• In a large preserving pan, combine the 6 cups of mixed juices, the Meyer lemon slices, and the navel orange rind slices. If you do not have a preserving pan, use the widest pan you have. The wider the pan, the more quickly moisture will evaporate from the mixture, and this is what you want when you are making jelly, jam, or marmalade.
• Place 4 saucers or small plates in the freezer. You will use these later to check the set of the marmalade.
• Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, and cook at a rapid boil over high heat until the mixture is reduced by half, stirring occasionally. It will take about 35 minutes for the mixture to reduce by half.
• Once the mixture is reduced by half, add in the strained lemon juice and the sugar, stirring well over high heat to help dissolve the sugar.
• Cook at a boil over high heat, stirring every 2 minutes or so, until the set point is reached. Check the set after 5 minutes of cooking.
• To check the set: take the pot of marmalade off the heat (if you don't remove the marmalade from the heat while you check the set it could over-cook and become rubbery or hard, if the marmalade is indeed already set).
• Place a drop of the marmalade mixture (try to get the "jelly" part of the mixture, avoiding the rind; I use a 1/4 teaspoon measure to dip out the drop) on one of the saucers you've kept in the freezer, & place the saucer back in the freezer for 1 minute. After 1 minute, take the saucer out of the freezer and nudge the drop of jelly with your finger. If it "wrinkles" when you nudge it with your finger it is done. If the jelly is not set, continue cooking over medium-high heat, checking the set again every 5 minutes.
• I make this marmalade using an 11 quart copper preserving pan, over highest heat on my second largest burner. After the sugar has been added, it usually takes 10 minutes for the marmalade to reach the set point for me.
• When the marmalade is set, ladle it into sterilized canning jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Wipe the rims of the jars with damp paper towels to remove any marmalade which got on the rims or the threads. Place the lids and the bands on the jars, just tightening the bands fingertip tight.
• Process in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes, then remove and let sit, undisturbed, for at least 12 hours before checking seals. It is important to let them sit undisturbed for 12 hours because the sealing compound on the lids is still cooling and hardening, completing the seal. While the jars cool, you will hear a "plink" type sound from each jar - this is the jars completing the vacuum seal as the final air escapes the jar. After 12 hours have passed, remove the bands and check the lids - press down in the center of the lid. If you cannot push the lid down any further, the jar is sealed. If the lid "gives" a bit, and you can push it down, the jar did not seal. You can either put the band back on the jar, and reprocess it for another 5 minutes, or you can just put it in the fridge and use it within 3 months.

MEYER LEMON AND BLOOD ORANGE MARMALADE

Steps:

• Place several small plates or saucers in the freezer.
• Wash the citrus well under warm running water. Cut the lemons and orange in half lengthwise. Cut each half into 1/8-inch segments, lengthwise. Pluck out any exposed membrane and remove the seeds.
• Measure the cut citrus. You should have 2 1/2 cups, but if you have less, use the same volume of water and sugar as you have citrus. (If there are only 2 cups, for example, use 2 cups water and 2 cups sugar.) Place the citrus and the same volume of water into a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until the peels are very soft and fully cooked, about 20 to 30 minutes.
• Add the sugar to the pot, stir to combine. Turn the heat up to high and bring back to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and let the marmalade simmer until set. It should take about 20 to 30 minutes, but start checking after 15 minutes to see if it is set by spooning a little onto a chilled plate from the freezer. If it looks like jam and not runny syrup, it's ready. (If you want to use a candy thermometer, you are looking for 222 degrees.).
• Allow marmalade to cool to room temperature before serving. Store leftovers in the refrigerator and use within a month.

MEYER LEMON MARMALADE

Steps:

• Rinse the lemons and pat dry. Halve the lemons crosswise and juice them, reserving the juice. Using a spoon, scrape the pulp and seeds from the halves. Using a sharp knife, slice the peels 1/8 inch thick.
• In a large, heavy saucepan, cover the strips with 8 cups of cold water and bring to a boil; boil for 1 minute. Drain the strips and rinse under cold running water. Blanch two more times; the final time, drain the strips but do not rinse them.
• Return the strips to the saucepan. Add the reserved juice and the sugar. Simmer over moderate heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then skimming any foam, until the marmalade sets, about 30 minutes.
• Spoon the marmalade into 5 hot 1/2-pint canning jars, leaving 1/4 inch of space at the top, and close with the lids and rings. To process, boil the jars for 15 minutes in water to cover. Let stand at room temperature for 2 days before serving.
• MAKE AHEAD The processed marmalade can be stored in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year. Refrigerate after opening.