Mostly Meyer Marmalade

On my quest to give mostly homemade presents for Christmas this year, I decided to tackle some meyer lemon marmalade in the kitchen yesterday.  I have unsuccessfully tried to make marmalade on two previous occasions, so I was dubious about it working this time.  I think those failed attempts taught me a thing or two regarding pectin, candy thermometers, cheese cloth, when I should add sugar, thinking twice about reducing the sugar amount, and over-cooking. 

I found a recipe which suggested the ratio 1:1:1 (sugar, lemon, and water) for Meyer lemons.  As they’re fairly sweet and have thin skin (and therefore less pectin), they require a little bit less sugar and water.  It also warned me not to try substituting real lemons into the recipe but I was short on Meyer so I ended up referring to my mother’s recipe too, adding in a little bit more sugar and water, and using a couple oranges and plain lemons.  It was a gutsy decision to make, but it turned into a sweet yummy marmalade and I can't wait to give it away. 

I’m excited about the day that my Meyer lemon tree starts producing fruit and I can use my own home grown fruit!

Meyer lemon are native to China and are a mix between orange and lemon.  My mother has a tree, I think she calls them lemonades.