Saturday 10 July 2010

Lemon marmalade

lemon marmalade jul 10

If like me you get through more lemons than you can shake a stick at, don't throw out the lemon skins! I use lemons extensively in jam making - I squeeze them and use the juice as a source of pectin to set jams containing fruit such as strawberries which have very little pectin. Without pectin, your jam won't set. But I end up with piles of lemon skins as a result. And I hate to see waste.

Put the skins instead into a bag and put them in the freezer. Keep adding to them until you have a reasonable quantity. At that point, add them to a pan, cover completely with water and heat until boiling. Leave to simmer for at least an hour.

Shred two whole, seedless lemons (if not seedless, squeeze them then shred the skins.) Then strain your boiled lemon skins and put the skins on your compost heap. (If any one can tell me a further use of boiled lemon skins please tell me!)

Measure the liquid from the boiled lemon skins. Put the liquid into a pan along with the shredded lemons. Bring to the boil. Add a kilo of sugar for every litre of liquid. This makes quite a sharp marmalade so add a bit more sugar if sharpness is not what you are after. Keep boiling until you hit the setting point then add to hot jars.

I've just made 8 jars from lemons used to make rhubarb and ginger jam. It won't last long! We love this stuff and the rest of the family is well supplied with lemon marmalade as well. But it's been a good use of something that would otherwise be thrown onto the compost heap.


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2 comments:

The Squirrel Family said...

Would it not be easier to use plastic lemon juice? I use it in my jam with no problems . Have you seen the john seymour recipe for lemon and carrot marmalade. You could also finely slice all your lemon skins and use a carton of grapefruit juice to turn the skins into a marmamlade too no need to compost them

Jonathan Wallace said...

I would be reluctant to use ready prepared lemon juice as one of our aims is to become less reliant on manufactured foods. Admittedly, in this instance we are still relying on the supermarkey chains to supply us with lemons, but at least they are not manufactured. I haven't seen the lemon and carrot marmalade recipe. It looks interesting.