LEMONY GOODNESS

It has not been my best Meyer lemon crop this year, but it has certainly been my earliest. The mild fall with warm temperatures has meant the lemons have ripened at least 2 months ahead of normal. Many years I am still picking them in March. I like to leave them on the tree until I need them but as we moved the trees into the potting shed for the winter several lemons fell off.

 I had to quickly think of what I was going to do with them. Lemonade? I made a big jug of that at Thanksgiving when the grandchildren were over. I could certainly freeze the juice and rind for later use. Lemon curd? that's a favorite. Preserved lemons? I have several recipes that call for that ingredient. What about lemon marmalade? I quickly sought out a recipe from one of my English cookbooks.

It called for 3 lb of lemons which required me to pick just one more to make up the weight. One of the great things about the Meyers is their thin skin with very little pith. The recipe called for juicing the lemons and removing all the flesh and pips and tying in a muslin bag. I decided just to follow the same procedure as when I make Calamondin marmalade. I halved and juiced the lemons into a bowl saving the pips and tying in a muslin bag.

Then I sliced the remaining peel and flesh.

I measured the mixture into a large pan adding 1 cup of water for every cup of mixture. I tied a string around the bag of pips and lowered into the pan, then boiled down until the peel was soft- about 30 minutes. When cool the pan went into the fridge overnight to develop the pectin.

Next day I remeasured and added 1 cup of sugar for every cup of mixture and boiled until the temperature reached 220.

I sterilized the jars in the oven and then allowed them to cool slightly before adding the hot mixture, capping immediately.

Breakfast wouldn't be breakfast without marmalade on our toast. Now to look for a recipe for preserved lemons.