I haven’t always been the biggest marmalade fan and I’m even still not that keen on bitter grapefruit marmalade. My latest couple batches of lemon marmalade however have been delightful. It is sweet and vibrant rather than bitter. They make your toast taste like lemon syrup cake which makes the commute to work while balancing toast on your lap ever the more enjoyable.
Now I know high Summer isn’t commercial lemon season but while at the bach I managed to forage the last of the year’s fruit still stuck to the tree to make this delight. If you too are blessed with a tree still producing fruit then lucky you and I highly recommend making this as soon as you’ve collected enough jam jars.
I have also made this marmalade with some dried lavender which is equally if not more delicious if you’re into floral flavours. Substitute the thyme with a couple of tablespoons of culinary dried lavender and place in the muslin along with all the seeds to boil.
Lemon and Thyme Marmalade
Makes 5-6 jars
2kg of lemons
2L water
2kg sugar
A generous handful of thyme sprigs or a couple of tablespoons of dried lavender
Cheesecloth/muslin
A large wide mouthed saucepan or jam pan
6-7 jars with lids (I like to sterilise a few extra than I plan to make just in case)
Peel the lemons of their zest and either chop by hand or place in processor and blitz into a fine dice then place in the jam pan. Place a colander or sieve over a large jam pan or saucepan and squeeze into it the juice of the lemons. Catch the flesh, seeds, and pith in the colander then seal in a muslin bag along with a few handfuls of thyme sprigs and place this in the pot as well (the seeds contain oodles of pectin but separating them out once the jam is boiled is a pain). Top the pot up with 2L of water (2kg) and bring to a boil for 50 minutes.
Add in the sugar and rapidly simmer for another 40-60 minutes until you reach setting point. You’ll know you’ve reached this point once the dribbles from your stirring spatula start gelling on the bench or plate.
While the above is happening rinse the 6-7 jars and their lids with water then place in an oven at 150 Celsius for a minimum of fifteen minutes.
Once the marmalade is ready squeeze the muslin bag using some tongs to drain it of precious marmalade and either throw in the compost or put to one side to clean. Carefully remove the jars from the oven one at a time to fill. I like to remove a jar with a pair of tongs and place it on a plate to catch any spills. Fill the jar with marmalade and place a fresh thyme sprig into the jar before carefully sealing with a hot lid. Again I like to tong out a lid and secure onto each jar with a tea towel. Repeat until you run out of marmalade.
You will know your jars are sealed tight when the lids start to pop down. Once cool enough to handle give the jars a good wash in hot soapy water to remove any stickiness. Label your brew and store in a dark cupboard until time to eat or time to gift.
Enjoy x